20: A Necromancer's Wild Card By Ashen Messenger (Persona 3 x Is this a zombie?)

Fic type: Crossover

The protaganist is ressuructed by Eucliwood Hellscythe and then...

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A Necromancer's Wild Card

By: Ashen Messenger

Arisato Minato knew he lived an unusual life when he died. But he never thought he would be resurrected by a self-mute necromancer! Now he's a zombie and a servant of the necromancer who revived him? And Magical Garment Girls and vampire ninjas actually exist? Wasn't his life unusual enough already? AU.

Rated: Fiction T - English - Supernatural/Humor - [Minato A./Makoto Y., Seraphim] Ayumu A., Eucliwood H./Yuu - Chapters: 6 - Words: 86,206 - Reviews: 276 - Favs: 941 - Follows: 1,065 - Updated: Aug 18, 2018 - Published: May 2, 2014 - id: 10317264

Link:https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10317264/1/A-Necromancer-s-Wild-Card

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A Necromancer's Wild Card

Chapter 1: Vanishing Dread

"Memento mori." — Unknown

"I used to take life for granted. But ironically, once I died, I could finally appreciate what it means to live... Thank you. You see, you actually changed my life for the better by taking it." — Aikawa Ayumu

January 31st, 2010

"This is it. Today's the day..." Minato said solemnly, standing in the middle of his room in the Iwatodai Dormitory.

It was here. The promised day had arrived. Nyx, the personification of death itself, will descend to Earth like Ryoji prognosticated a month ago on New Year's Eve. If SEES couldn't stop her at the top of Tartarus during the Dark Hour tonight, it would all be over. Humanity would cease to exist as everyone will die, executing basically the end of the world. And the kicker? Many people actually wished for that to happen. There was even a bloody doomsday cult that supported Nyx at the moment, regarding and praising her as "Nyx-sama"!

Minato still couldn't comprehend Mitsuru-senpai's grandfather's resolution to instigate the Fall. Why did he want to bring it about? Desiring to wipe out all of mankind, was he just flat-out insane? Or was there a deeper reason behind it?

'Who knows? Maybe he was a woobie,' Minato pondered.

Ending his train of thoughts, he placed his headphones on his ears and turned up his mp3 player's volume, listening to Burn My Dread in all its glory. It could have been the last chance he had to listen to music. Might as well enjoy it while he could. He left his room and went downstairs to the first floor of the dormitory. Not surprisingly, his friends were nowhere to be seen. It was early in the morning.

Minato went to make some toast for himself. As his small breakfast was being prepared, he thought about what he should do today. When the toast became ready, he knew exactly what he wanted to do.

With toast in his mouth, Minato decided to leave the dormitory.

He wanted to take one last look of Iwatodai City before tonight.

Ignoring the myriad of graffiti and preachers of the Fall, Minato thought his walk was pleasant. By the time he realized it, it was already afternoon. He traveled to every place he spent time alone or with people he had Social Links with. Each place held memories of his time in Iwatodai this past year. He remembered all the times he spent with the friends he made. Memories of laughter, endeavors, and happiness. It was nice taking a trip down memory lane.

Minato went to Naganaki Shrine, Iwatodai Station, Port Island Station, and even Gekkoukan High School to take in the sight of the impressive building. The school was closed today, of course. It was Sunday.

The blue-haired teen went to everywhere except...

"Paulownia Mall," Minato said as he entered the popular hub area. Out of all the places he spent the most time at, this mall took the cake. It was the last place he had yet to visit. That, and he thought he could remain in the mall with the remaining amount of time he had left before the Dark Hour came. There was always something to do to kill time here.

The floors and walls of Paulownia Mall were still littered with symbols and other miscellaneous crap from Nyx's cult. Ignoring more of the graffiti, Minato took off his headphones and stood in front of the fountain at the center of the mall to consider his options. He looked towards his right and saw the arcade, Game Panic. He thought about going there for a moment before deciding against it. As much as he liked playing games, he didn't feel like playing them today. He faced the north side of the mall and viewed the front of Mandragora, a karaoke bar. Go singing there? Minato rejected the idea of singing on what could potentially be his last day to live, so that wasn't an option. There was Club Escapade, but it only opened during the evening, and he had nothing to do there since that monk he befriended left. He briefly glanced at Aohige Pharmacy, Shinshoudo Antiques, Be Blue V, and the Police Station. Minato and the rest of SEES, however, were already set on their inventory and supplies for today. They had the best of everything in terms of weapons, armor, and tactical items just from exploring Tartarus, fusing Personas with weapons at Shinshoudo Antiques, and doing Elizabeth's quests for the past month.

After eliminating those possibilities, there was only one place left Minato could go to use up the remaining amount of time he had left prior to the Dark Hour tonight: Chagall Cafe. One last taste of Pheromone Coffee didn't sound so bad.

With his hands in his winter clothes, Minato walked over to Chagall Cafe, avoiding the sight of the Lost and random civilians gossiping.

He stopped shortly after passing the fountain.

Between the menu sign of Chagall Cafe and a tree was a young-looking girl sitting by herself on the ground, not looking at anything in particular. Her hair was straight long and silver; her eyes were cerulean like clear skies. She had fair light skin, inadvertently meaning that she wasn't part of the Lost since they were always pale.

Her attire was... unusual, to say the least. She wore a purple dress with white stripes, but she was also wearing silver armor that consisted of a helmet over her head, a chest plate over her dress, gauntlets and greaves shielding her arms and legs respectively, along with boots. It seemed as if this girl hailed from medieval times.

'Is this girl a cosplayer?' Minato thought, curious about the girl's odd apparel. It was strange to see one at this time of the year, especially with what's been going on as of late.

The girl in question lifted her head up, her blue eyes meeting Minato's gray ones. Her face didn't show any signs of expression. It was just... blank. It made for a pretty good poker face, though, because Minato believed hers rivaled his.

Since he had nothing else to do, Minato decided to strike up a conversation with the girl. He wasn't trying to hit on her. He had a feeling that she was lonely, and he could sympathize with her. He wasn't going to be like Junpei or Akihiko, two of his friends who failed spectacularly at talking to girls.

"Hello. What are you doing sitting here alone?" Minato asked the girl politely, now standing in front of her. Instead of speaking back, she retrieved a notepad and a pen from her dress, and she wrote for a brief moment.

[Who are you?] She asked through words on her notepad. Although he was unsure of why she communicated through writing, Minato rolled with it. He knelt in front of the girl so that they were on the same eye level.

"Well, what kind of person do I look like?" Minato asked calmly, pointing at himself with his index finger. Honestly, it was humorous for him to see what others thought of him at first glance. People he met over the years usually labeled him as "mysterious." It reminded him of the trip to Yakushima in July of last year. That one... "lady" Junpei and Akihiko were trying to hit on described him as such before Minato attempted to set "her" up with Junpei. Oh how it almost worked too...

The silver-haired girl looked at Minato from different angles, inspecting him so she could describe him. She held her pen to her chin, contemplating and finalizing her thoughts before she wrote on her notepad.

[A mysterious pretty boy.] Sure enough, Minato wasn't surprised. He briefly wondered how many persons in total have replied like that throughout his life. He began to regret that he didn't keep a record for the hell of it.

"There's not a person I haven't met that can describe me without the using word 'mysterious.'" He lightly sighed at the overly-long gag. The girl tapped her pen on her notepad, pointing to the word "pretty." Minato smiled at the compliment.

"My name is Arisato Minato, and thanks for the compliment," Minato thanked. It flattered him when a girl called him pretty. He was getting that a lot this year. Before he could forget, he repeated his question from earlier, "So how come you're sitting here alone?"

[I don't have any money.] The girl glanced to the doors of Chagall Cafe before glancing back to the bluenette in front of her.

"Did you want to drink Pheromone Coffee?" Minato asked. The girl nodded. "In that case, you can come with me, Miss. I'll cover for you." Minato held out his hand towards the silver-haired girl. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw his hand. She looked at the field leader of SEES and saw a small smile on his face.

[Are you sure?] She asked, unsure of herself. He was really going to offer her kindness like this?

"Don't worry, Miss. It won't be any trouble at all. I have a lot of money on me, anyway," Minato stated. He also sweatdropped behind his head. 'Over a million yen, to be honest...' 500 yen was hardly going to make a dent in his personal fortune. Selling weapons, armor, and random junk Shadows dropped and finding money in Tartarus sure helped SEES during their Shadow-exterminating operations. Money really wasn't an issue anymore. Since he was the field leader of SEES, all of the profits went to Minato. Of course, the money was for the benefit of the team for supplies, but the blue-haired teen by himself found most of the stuff in the first place. Finders, keepers, as the old saying went.

The armored girl looked down for a moment, perhaps thinking of something? She then grasped Minato's hand and nodded, indicating that she would go with him. Minato stood up and pulled the girl up with him.

[Let's go, Minato.] She wrote. The young Wild Card nodded and led her into Chagall Cafe.

"Do you like the taste?" Minato asked the armored girl sitting across from him. He was sitting at his usual spot in Chagall Cafe with her. Other patrons in the cafe were gawking at the two, and it wasn't because of the effects of the Pheromone Coffee. Their Pheromone Coffee had arrived at their table, and the self-mute girl sipped her cup. She then raised her pen to her chin, thinking of what she should write before writing on her notepad.

[It tastes weird.] She responded. Minato smiled a little. [But I like it.]

"That's what I thought too when I started coming here last year," Minato agreed. "When I wasn't working, I would drink Pheromone Coffee in my spare time."

The girl tilted her head. She was confused. It also helped that she wrote a "?" on her notepad to show it.

"Oh. Well, I worked here part-time to earn some money for myself. I'm a high school student, and I live in a dorm. So I thought, 'Why not earn a little extra money on the side?' Even with my academic records, I still probably won't have enough to afford to go to college if I don't save up." Part of what Minato said was true. He mainly worked to increase his courage and charm, but the money was a nice added bonus. With 9,999,999 yen, he could afford to go to some universities without the aid of scholarships.

[What about your parents?] The girl wrote, wondering if Minato's parents weren't supporting him in his studies.

The mention of his parents didn't unnerve Minato. He had accepted the truth about them years ago, so thinking about them again didn't make him feel sad. He looked down at his own cup of Pheromone Coffee, staring at his reflection in it for a brief moment.

"Well... You see, my parents... They're dead..." Upon finishing that statement, the girl looked visibly shocked. Her eyes widened a greater deal than before. Minato noticed her astonished reaction but still continued. "It was about ten years ago in 1999. There was this... accident on the Moonlight Bridge here in Tatsumi Port Island. My parents died because of it. I was orphaned at that point. Most of my relatives didn't want to take me in to raise me. 'Who would want to raise a traumatized seven-year old?', I heard one of them say. So for the next ten years, I kept moving and transferring to various places to live and go to school. Let me just say that the experience wasn't exactly fun. Although, I did enjoy staying with my grandfather and cousin at their estate. When I came back to Iwatodai City, it was in April of last year. I managed to get transferred into Gekkoukan High School, and I moved into a dorm that housed other students. I've been here ever since," Minato finished. He actually felt a bit better that he confessed. Even though he told a complete stranger his past, he felt better nonetheless.

The girl was looking down into her cup, processing the information she heard.

[I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up your parents.] She wrote, avoiding Minato's eyes.

Minato shook his head. "It's fine. To be honest, I'm content that I got that off my chest. I never really told anyone about my past. I suppose I've been hiding my dread for the past decade. It's funny, you know? I made friends with people this past year who had problems in their lives, whether they were in the past or in the present. I listened to them and helped them overcome their problems, like I was a psychologist. And now I told you my past. Even though I overcame my issues a long time ago, it's still amusing how the situation has been reversed," he noted. This girl listened to him like he listened to his friends. The quietness and poker face were similar too.

[I'm glad that I could help, then.] The girl replied. Minato nodded. Then, a thought crossed his mind.

"You know, I never did ask for your name." It just hit him. Minato was socializing with this girl for a decent amount of time, and he had yet to ask for her name. The girl blinked and then wrote.

[My name is Eucliwood Hellscythe.] That was an odd name. It certainly wasn't Japanese. And yet, Minato thought it sounded cute and fitting for her. He also assumed that she wrote her name in the non-Japanese way of stating one's name. If she didn't, then her name was truly an odd one.

"Well, Eucliwood, it's a pleasure to meet you," Minato told her.

[It's nice to meet you too, Minato. You can call me "Eu" for short.] Eucliwood wrote to him. Minato smiled at her. If she was a Social Link, it probably would have started already. Minato had Social Links for every Arcana, though, so there wasn't going to be a link between he and she. That made him feel disappointed for a fleeting moment, before he noticed the warm steam from his and Eu's cups were nearly gone.

"I think our Pheromone Coffee is beginning to get cold, so let's drink," Minato stated. Eu nodded in agreement. The two proceeded to drink their cups with increasing stares from onlookers.

"That was pretty good," Minato said as he exited Chagall Cafe with Eucliwood. For someone who didn't speak, she sure had a lot to talk about... Or write about. The two talked mainly about their tastes in food. Eu also asked about Minato's preference in music, seeing as how he had headphones and an mp3 player on him. He asked if she wanted to listen to his music, to which she responded with a quiet nod. He placed his headphones on her ears, and she listened to his music library. After listening through the entire selection, Eu responded that Minato had an interesting taste in music, and she liked it. She also commented that she liked Burn My Dread. Minato pointed out that it was his favorite song. For him, the song felt invigorating.

"Pheromone Coffee does taste a lot better when I'm with a friend," Minato remarked.

[Friend?] Eucliwood wrote, tilting her head.

"Yeah, I consider you a friend, Eu. You're fun to hang out with," Minato stated and smiled.

Eucliwood's eyes widened slightly. Her mouth formed a very small smile at the thought of being someone's friend.

[And I think the same about you, Minato.] She noted.

"I'm glad..." Minato trailed off. He wondered what time it was. He and Eucliwood spent quite some time together. It was fun and all, but Minato had to get his priorities straight. He looked to entrance of Paulownia Mall. It was night out.

The Dark Hour and Nyx were coming soon.

"It's already that late." Minato frowned. He had to prepare himself soon. Everyone back at the dorm was most likely making last-minute preparations at this moment. As much as he didn't want to, he had to leave now. The battle for everyone's souls was approaching.

[Do you have to go, Minato?] Eu questioned by holding her notepad in front of the blue-haired teen's face, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Unfortunately, yes," he said calmly. "I have to do this very important thing with my friends tonight. I can't miss it. I appreciated spending time with you, Eu. But for now, I have to say goodbye. Take care now. Oh, wait a minute." Before he could forget, Minato reached in his pockets and brought out an envelope. "Eu, I would like you to have this," he said as he handed the armored girl the envelope. She tilted her head.

[What is it?] Eu asked.

"One million yen," Minato answered honestly. When Eu wasn't looking back in the cafe, he secretly placed several yen bills in an envelope. Even a million yen wasn't enough to make a noticeable difference in his ridiculously large savings. As he expected, her eyes widened upon hearing his statement. "I really feel that you should have it. Take it." He wasn't completely certain as to whether Eucliwood was poor or not, but Minato sympathized with the girl when he found her sitting by herself. Something in his mind also told him that she would need the money in the future. That is, if SEES triumphed over Nyx tonight, or else there wasn't going to be a future.

[Thank you, Minato.] Eu expressed her gratitude. Minato smiled softly.

"It's my pleasure, Eu. Goodbye." The blue-haired Persona-user raised a hand in farewell and proceeded to walk back to the dorm. At the exit of Paulownia Mall, he paused and turned around to see that Eucliwood was standing in front of the fountain. She was holding her notepad up.

[Farewell, Minato.] Minato gave Eu a thumbs-up before he left with his hands in his pockets.

Although he couldn't see her anymore, Eu wrote something else in her notepad after her previous note.

[Good luck.]

April 13th, 2010

'Let's see... How long has it been? An hour? A day? A week? A month? Perhaps a year? I'm not sure anymore. I lost track of time already.'

A month had passed since March 6th.

A month had passed since Minato passed away.

It was lamentable. His soul was being used as a medium for safeguarding Earth. On January 31st, Minato and his friends went to the top of Tartarus during the Dark Hour to face Nyx. Well, Nyx's Avatar or Ryoji to be more precise. Despite giving it their best efforts, they weren't strong enough to stop Nyx. She wasn't going to stop coming. She was going to eradicate humanity. The prophecy was nearly fulfilled as the end loomed near.

In the face of hopelessness, Minato had obtained the power of the Universe Arcana from the unbreakable bonds he created with his friends, while also receiving assistance from Igor of the Velvet Room.

With the power of the Universe and his friends cheering him on, Minato created the Great Seal. This seal was specifically created as a barrier between Nyx and Erebus, humanity's grief and negative emotions given form. Should the two come into contact with each other, that signaled humanity's extinction.

Minato lived for one more month after creating the Great Seal. It was because of a promise he made to his friends to meet up with them on Graduation Day. Soon after that was achieved, he fell asleep on the lap of Aigis.

Aigis... Minato cared about her as a person. He respected her perseverance in finding and thinking for herself and how much she cared for him when she told him she wanted to protect him, always. ...And she was cute, in appearance and personality.

Little did Aigis, his friends, or anyone know that Minato would die the day after in order to fully become the Great Seal. He willingly trapped his soul to save and protect everyone.

In spite of his decision, Minato was unhappy. Yes, he did it for everybody so they could live on. But what about him? There were so many things that he still wanted to accomplish in his life. He wanted to live still. He wanted to live out the rest of his days peacefully. But he couldn't. It was something that just couldn't be realized.

Being the Great Seal was so monotonous and sad. From his view, the bluenette could monitor Earth. He could see what he would be missing. He chose to not see it, however. Life was so unfair. But as always, Minato didn't show sorrow or regret. He suppressed all of his emotions. He accepted his choice but didn't accept it at the same time. Eventually, he came to ignoring those thoughts. It wasn't healthy for him to think that way, even if there was nothing he could do about it.

While being the Great Seal, Minato was generally complaining to himself about being bored since there was literally nothing he could do except think and watch. He also had Elizabeth visiting him frequently. The Velvet Room assistant expressed her unhappiness with Minato's current condition. She even suggested that she could take his place as the Great Seal. Even though he couldn't speak to her, Elizabeth knew that he did not want that. It made him happy, though, that he at least had her company. She would talk to him about random stuff like she did when the two hung out in Iwatodai, which he didn't mind.

But now, Elizabeth was gone. She hadn't visited him as of late.

So, Minato was alone again.

'Maybe it's time for me to take another nap. But that would be the same as not looking or paying attention. Whatever. Erebus isn't coming back anytime soon. My friends took care of it a while back. It'll return, just not now. I might as well...'

Before Minato could rest his mind, something amazing happened.

"Arisato Minato..."

'What?' Minato heard a voice. It was unfamiliar. It was beckoning him. He could feel it. Suddenly, he felt his soul being grabbed by something unknown and without form. It felt strange, and yet, it felt soothing as well. He liked this comforting sensation. The voice didn't sound like it belonged to anyone he knew. He couldn't pinpoint where it originated from. Elizabeth wasn't around either to see him.

Whose voice was that?

"Come back..."

At that moment, a shower of bright, psychedelic lights blinded Minato's vision.

It was dark, but there was also light glowing from up above. The moon in the night sky did look beautiful tonight. The cool air caressed a blue-haired teen's face as the wind passed by. It felt very nice.

Wait a minute.

The moon? Air? Sensibility?!

"...!"

Minato's eyes widened greatly. What was this? He could see the sky and feel again! What just happened? He was the Great Seal just a few moments ago, but now he wasn't? Did the seal break? Where were Nyx and Erebus? Before Minato could even attempt to put the pieces together, he saw...

"...Eucliwood?"

Above Minato was a familiar and silver-haired girl he met on the day of his final battle. Eucliwood Hellscythe was gazing at him with her consistently neutral gaze and was kneeling down beside him. When the bluenette said her name, she nodded in response.

"Eu, where am I?" Minato asked, unsure of where he was.

[You're in a graveyard, Minato.] Eucliwood held up her personal notepad with those words on it. The instant after seeing the notepad, Minato instantaneously sat up and looked around in a 180 degree angle. There were tombstones and mausoleums as far as the eye could see. Several dead trees and plants were also seen across the graveyard, which wasn't surprising due to the overbearing atmosphere of graveyards.

"...What a fan-fucking-tastic place to wake up in," Minato commented sarcastically, sounding annoyed.

He narrowed his eyes and frowned shortly after his comment. What the hell? Why did he say that? Normally, he would never let derogatory comments like that slip past him. He always kept those thoughts inside his mind! Eucliwood didn't seem disturbed by his sudden rudeness.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to swear." Minato avoided Eu's gaze, ashamed of what he said earlier.

[I don't mind.] Eu wrote, almost casual-like.

'Does anything affect her?' Minato thought with an eyebrow arched. Discarding his thought, he asked Eucliwood of his condition, "Anyway, Eu, do you know how and why I'm alive?" There was a chance that Eucliwood didn't know of his death, but Minato couldn't care less right now. This was literally a life-and-death situation he was in.

[I brought your soul back to your body.] Eu responded.

"You... brought my soul back to my body?" Minato asked, pointing at her with uncertainty.

[Yes.] She answered.

Minato blinked. How was that even possible? To him, this sounded like something from that one anime/manga, Bleach.

'Hmm... I'll play along for now,' Minato concluded. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms in a manner that showed deep thought. "That would explain why I'm in a cemetery. My friends must have buried me after I died... But... if I'm here now, what about the—"

[Don't worry about it.] Eu held up her notepad, cutting off Minato as he was talking.

"'Don't worry about it'? Do you know about the Great Seal, Eu?" What else could she mean by it? Eu nodded in response. "But..."

[It's still there.] Eu answered.

"How?" Minato wondered, genuinely confused as to how it continues to be maintained if his soul wasn't being used.

[I'm a necromancer from the Underworld. I used my powers.] Eu explained. [Persona-users are known throughout the Underworld. That's how I know about you.] Minato hesitantly nodded. It made sense, in a way. Humans, or even dogs and machines, summoning apparitions based off of mythological legends would sound as if they would be well-known by supernatural beings that could have been actually connected to some of those legends.

"You're a necromancer?" Minato asked. Eu nodded. "...I guess that isn't the strangest thing I've ever heard. What you said also explains how you could know about the Great Seal." The power of Personas, the Dark Hour, and the existence of Shadows were already supernaturally strange. Quite frankly, Minato's life was idiotically abnormal since that day in 1999. He accepted that fact long ago. Since he was back in his own body, he was willing to accept another oddity of this world. He also didn't want to bother knowing about other supernatural stuff because it sounded annoying to learn about. It was easier to accept everything upfront.

"I wonder if you would have made a difference if you were with me and my friends that day... So, the seal is still active? No catch or anything? It'll be fine even without me?" Minato inquired. He knew he was becoming more pushy with the necromancer, but he had to know for certain that nothing unfortunate will happen in the future.

Eu, for a moment, looked as if she was hesitating while writing because she paused when Minato asked her his questions. Even so, she finished writing in her notepad.

[With my powers, I'm able to do the impossible.] Eu continued. [There's nothing to worry about, Minato.]

A faint smile appeared on Minato's face. "I see... If what you're saying is true, then I'll trust you." What else could he do than believe? Eu made it so that Minato was in his own body again. That alone was sufficient enough to make him believe in the necromancer. "So... I'm alive again?"

Eu continued to write. [You're 100% dead, Minato.] After seeing those words, Minato managed to repress a sigh of disappointment. [I used my powers to make you into a zombie.]

"A zombie, huh? Am I going to crave for human flesh?" Minato jokingly asked. Eu shook her head in denial. "That's good. I honestly don't like the idea of doing that." He wondered, though, from the zombie movies he watched in the past. What would human flesh taste like? Hopefully not like chicken. Because a substitute for chicken in taste like that was wrong.

[You're now able to withstand injuries that would normally kill a human, even dismemberment.] Eu explained. Minato nodded in understanding. [Should you lose a body part, all you have to do is reconnect yourself. As a zombie, you're now able to bypass human limitations in strength at will.]

"That's rather interesting, Eu. Zombies sure have their uses," the bluenette noted. Despite his unusual situation, Minato was extremely glad that he could "live" again. Being a zombie didn't sound so bad.

[In a way, you're immortal. But you can still feel pain.] Eu pointed out. Minato shrugged. He didn't care about his double-edged sword. He could just use one of his many Personas to null injuries or absorb attacks.

Wait... Can he use Personas still? Eu did say his soul was back in his body, so it's possible he could utilize them again. Now he just needed to get his hands on an Evoker.

"Despite the pros and cons of being a zombie, I'm just happy that you resurrected me, Eu. Being a spiritual barrier of sorts was quite dull, to be honest. Is there anything you want in return?" Minato asked generously. He felt eternally grateful to Eu for giving him another chance at life.

[No need.] She replied. Minato tilted his head in confusion.

"'No need'?" He asked, dubious of Eu's words. Surely there had to be something she wanted from him. He was brought back to life, kind of, by her, after all.

[You're my servant now.] Eu stated.

Oh. That's why. There was the catch.

Minato actually didn't have any qualms with being Eu's servant. It was a justifiable request because of the circumstances surrounding him. Though, he did consider the possibilities of what would happen if he didn't serve her. For all he knew, Eu could place a mind-controlling spell on him or just erase him from existence. It could be possible, considering that he was released from his damned situation by her abilities. She was a "necromancer", after all.

"...Should I call you 'Eu-sama' or 'Eucliwood-sama' from now on?" Minato asked half-facetiously. He hoped she didn't want to be addressed with either of those names. Confirming his hope, Eu shook her head in rejection.

[Just "Eu" or "Eucliwood" is fine.] Minato mentally sighed in relief. The thought of referring to her with such respect sounded bizarre to him.

"So, Eu... What do we do now?" Minato asked, sort of eager about would happen from here on out.

[I will stay with you.] Eu replied without hesitation.

Even with her words of encouragement, Minato was mystified. There was one glaring, obvious problem.

"Stay with me? Eu, I have nowhere to stay. Japan and everyone I'm friends or acquainted with should already know that I've died. I can't just walk into my dorm or go anywhere in Port Island anymore. There's a good chance I may run into someone who knows me. And if that were to happen, I'd be right under a microscope, a microscope of governmental and intrusive shit—pardon my language, by the way—and that would make things very difficult for both of us. If anything, we would have to leave Iwatodai City and head for somewhere else. As much as I don't want to, we've got no other choice," Minato pointed out. Unfortunately, everything he said was true. He could no longer stay in Iwatodai. Unless he wanted to be the country's test subject, he would have to leave his hometown so no one could find out he walked the earth again.

[A shame, but true.] Eu responded after carefully considering her new servant's words.

"Actually, may I ask what today's date is? While I was the Great Seal, I lost track of time quickly." Minato rubbed the back of his head in minor embarrassment.

[April 13, 2010.] Eu answered. Minato's shoulders slumped.

"...It's already been a month since I died." Minato smiled sadly upon finding out the truth. That definitely meant he couldn't go back to a "normal" life. He couldn't see his friends. He couldn't see his grandfather and his cousin. He couldn't see Aigis. He had to leave. There was just no other choice. He sighed after a moment of reflecting his only option. "It's no good if I keep dwelling on the past, I suppose. I have to move on, just like everyone else did."

Eu tapped Minato's arm, gaining his attention.

[You're not alone, Minato. You have me.] Eu's words perked the blue-haired zombie up.

Minato began to feel faint affection from Eucliwood...

Then, it started.

"!?" A recognizable feeling erupted in Minato's undead heart. A familiar voice rang in his head.

"Thou art I... and I am thou... Thou hast established a new bond... Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Death Arcana..."

Minato grinned lightly. How fitting that he established the Death Arcana Social Link since he was a zombie now.

'A new Social Link? My previous ones must have restarted when I died and got revived. It's a shame, but I guess I'm creating new bonds now, with new people I have yet to meet perhaps. The Death Arcana, huh? I might have to keep a close eye out for Eu in the future.' Those that were associated with the Death Arcana were, well, acquainted with death. This was very obvious because Eu reanimated Minato's corpse with his soul. He assumed that there was more to Eu than meets the eye, especially since she communicated by writing instead of talking. She was hiding something hard and worrisome that she kept to herself. As with the rest of Minato's past Social Links, only time would tell when the necromancer would be willing to open up to him with her secrets or past.

The blue-haired zombie stood up from his position. Despite being dead for a month, he didn't feel stiff at all. Maybe it was Eu's powers that relieved him of his inflexibility. He felt like he was never dead to begin with. Even so, he whirled his arms around and kicked out his legs to get properly adjusted to his body again. He looked around him and saw a grave that was dug up, assuming that it was his. In front of the grave was a tombstone. The tombstone read:

ARISATO MINATO

BORN NOV. 13, 1992

DIED MAR. 6, 2010

MAN OF FEW WORDS

BELOVED FRIEND

It was odd for Minato to see his own tombstone. 'So that's what my friends inscribed.' He was touched nonetheless as he placed a hand on his tombstone. Those two descriptions summed him up pretty well. He also glanced at the arm he was using to touch his gravestone, seeing that it was covered by black clothing. He then checked himself to see that he was actually wearing his winter Gekkoukan High School uniform, accompanied with his red "S.E.E.S." armband. He sweatdropped. Did his friends really bury him in his school uniform? Along with his school uniform, he found that he also had his mp3 player and headphones on him. They buried those with him, too? He felt that it seemed like a waste because someone else could enjoy listening to his music. Oh well. Now he could take pleasure into listening to his own music once more! When Minato was done searching himself, he helped Eu up so she could stand.

Before the two could leave, Minato glanced back at his tombstone and noticed that a gun was placed in front of it. He could tell, however, that it was no ordinary gun. It was an Evoker, an item in which one could use to summon their Personas by shooting themselves in the head with it. Minato considered that it might have been his. Well, now he could test out the possibility of him summoning Personas or not. He grabbed the Evoker and held it towards his temple, closing his eyes in order to focus. With the new Death Arcana Social Link he established with Eu, Minato thought he should try to summon a Persona from that Arcana. Eu stared at her new servant as he was attempting this.

"Come, Thanatos." The blue-haired zombie pulled the trigger.

The sound of glass shattering soon followed as black shards escaped from the other side of Minato's head, and a burst of black energy encircled his body. A recognizable figure manifested behind him. Surrounding itself with a cloak of coffins connected by a chain was Thanatos itself, the ultimate Persona of the Death Arcana. It seemed that even if Minato was a zombie now, his abilities as a Persona-user and a Wild Card weren't affected. That was awesome, despite the subtle difference in color of summoning a Persona. Minato chalked it up to him being a zombie.

"I've still got it," Minato said calmly as Thanatos faded away.

[Very impressive.] Eu commented. She then asked, [Where would you like to go?] Minato shrugged his shoulders in response.

"I don't have anywhere in particular that I want to travel to. Do you have somewhere in mind that you wish to go to, Eu?"

The necromancer held her pen to her chin, thinking of where she would like to go. A minute later, she made her decision.

[Tokyo.] Eu said. Minato raised his eyebrows in slight surprise.

"Tokyo?" Minato repeated. The necromancer nodded. "Alright. That sounds fine. To be honest, I've always wanted to visit there myself. Iwatodai is big and all, but Tokyo seems more exciting, in my opinion. However... I just realized we don't have any money to get there," Minato noted. His personal fortune was most likely gone due to his death. And he didn't know how he could gain money in order to purchase train tickets or something to get to Tokyo without possibly alarming people he knew. That was a chance he couldn't take.

[Money isn't an issue.] Eu informed. She reached for something from her dress. When she found what she was looking for, she held it in front of her so Minato could see it.

"An envelope?" Minato asked. "Is that the same one I gave you back in January?" Eu nodded. Her envelope appeared to be bulky, so Minato assumed that there was still money inside. "By the looks of it, I should count my blessings that you didn't spend all the yen I gave you. How much is left in it?" The necromancer peeked into the envelope to count how much money was left.

[956,000 yen.] Eu answered.

Minato blinked.

"That's it? You only spent 44,000 yen? What did you even buy?" What on earth did Eu spend on in the past three months? Something cheap probably since she spent about four hundred US dollars when the million Minato gave her was equivalent to ten thousand US dollars.

[Pudding cups.] Eu told Minato.

"...Pudding cups?" He asked, trying to not sound incredulous. He then shook his head. "Never mind. Let's just leave this cemetery. We'll buy some train tickets for Tokyo at Iwatodai Station, and then that will be the start of our journey." Minato began to walk out of the graveyard until he was stopped.

[Can we get pudding cups before we leave?] Eu asked. She was gripping Minato's wrist, preventing him from advancing further.

"Okay, but you'll have to buy them yourself. I can't risk being seen, so I'll just stay out of sight in the dark while I wait for you," Minato complied while also wondering what was with Eu and pudding cups. She didn't mention them when they talked back in January. Were they her favorite snack or something?

"Thou shalt have our blessing when thou choosest to create a Persona of the Death Arcana..."

...Apparently so if pudding was all it took for a rank up. Minato ran his hand through his hair as he lightly sighed at the absurdity of it.

The ever-silent Eu nodded in eagerness as she and her blue-haired servant vacated the area.

"This is the last call for Tokyo. Please board the train immediately. This is the last call for Tokyo. Please board the train immediately," an automated voice echoed throughout the empty Iwatodai Station.

"This is it... Farewell, Iwatodai, everyone..." Minato said glumly. It was time to leave his hometown behind. Holding a bag filled with pudding cups, Minato walked alongside Eucliwood as the two boarded the train. When they got on, they noticed that nobody else was on board. It was pretty late, though. And today was a weekday, too. Minato was thankful for all of those aspects.

Eu sat on a seat near the door she and Minato entered and proceeded to eat one of her pudding cups with a plastic spoon. Her cheeks flushed a light pink color as she tasted her pudding. Minato stood by the entrance/exit as it closed in front of him. He could see his reflection within the window. Much to his relief, he didn't look like a rotting corpse. He looked the same as he did before he died. However, there was something the blue-haired zombie did not expect to see in his reflection.

"...Why are my eyes gold?" Minato asked aloud, blinking and rubbing his eyes in disbelief. Instead of finding plain, gray eyes in his reflection, he found luminescent golden ones. What was this? His eyes were always gray! Today was just getting even weirder! Minato glanced at Eu for an answer. While she was eating her pudding, she shook her head. She didn't know either?

"...Maybe it's a side effect that comes when a Persona-user becomes a zombie? Is that it? Hm." Minato then shrugged, deciding not to care about his change in eye color any longer. It certainly wasn't going to be the same to not have his normal gray eyes, but he had to accept it. From here on out, he had a feeling that nothing will be the same anymore as he was now the servant of a necromancer.

As the train began to depart from the station, Minato had the urge to play the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme on his mp3, but he thought of something better. He leaned against a pole as he placed his headphones on his ears and selected a song from his mp3 player, one that matched the mood of his departure. It would take a while for he and Eu to reach Tokyo, so he thought he would just listen to music for the time being. It felt like a long day to Minato, even though he was only back in his body for a couple of hours. He felt sort of tired. He closed his eyes and rested his mind, as the song he selected began to play.

"Kimi wa ne tashika ni ano toki watashi no soba ni ita

Itsudatte itsudatte itsudatte sugu yoko de waratteita nakushitemo

Torimodosu kimi wo I will never leave you..."

In Tokyo, a young man was lying down on his bed, staring at the ceiling of his room. His house was empty. He had the whole house to himself. His parents went on too many damn trips without him, so he was alone most of the time.

He was very bored. Daily life as a high school student bored him. He was tired of his going-to-school-and-then-coming-home routine! He wanted something exciting to happen! Something to stir up his not-so-entertaining lifestyle!

Something to end his life of loneliness.

But, he couldn't predict the future. Fate was a fickle mistress in the end.

"I wonder if I'll ever meet another guy I can call a friend. Orito and I have been friends for forever, but Orito is... Orito. I just hope the guy won't be like him. Oh, and a cute girl would be nice also. I am a guy, after all," Aikawa Ayumu said to himself before falling asleep.

Next: Chapter 2: Are These Zombies?

A/N: Welcome to the first Is This a Zombie?/Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka? and Persona 3 crossover!

I know, I know. Three stories? Yes, I'm that ambitious. I'll be updating The Divine Spirit after this since some of you are so eager to see the next chapter.

This idea actually originated from me seeing an image online one day. The image had both Minato and Eucliwood on it. Whoever made the image, they said that they wanted to see the two in the same universe, I think. When I saw the image, that's when I came up with this story! Whoever you are that made the image, I hope you see this someday.

Oh, and the birthday I gave Minato? That's not an official thing. From the information I had to go on, the Persona 3 protagonist was born in 1992, so I just made up a date of birth.

EDIT: Okay, here's a note to everyone who's reading this: I am NOT going by the manga version of Minato. At least, not completely. First off, the game came first, not the manga. Second, the Persona 3 protagonist, originally a video game character, is a heroic mime, meaning his personality can be determined as one sees fit. He can be as silent as his manga counterpart, an outgoing and generous person, or a dickish snob. A player ultimately determines the protagonist's personality. I am using some aspects of Minato's manga counterpart, like the name for instance; not all of it. So before any more of you say that Minato's personality or characterization is flawed, you are technically incorrect in a sense. Also, if you haven't noticed Minato's "sudden" personality shift and actions now that he's a zombie, especially including his gold eyes, you weren't really paying attention to what it could mean.

Sorry about the rant. I had to do it because of a ludicrous guest review I received.

Now that I got that out of the way, please enjoy the story and what I have to offer in the future.

Update: Changed a bit of the dialogue and corrected some grammar errors I noticed while re-reading this chapter.

What will happen as Minato and Eu stay in Tokyo?

Will Minato adapt as a zombie?

Will Ayumu get his wish?

Will any of Minato's friends discover that he's back?

What exactly happened to the Great Seal?

Is there any doubt that Minato's life will get more erratic?

All of these questions will be answered in due time.

Thanks for reading! Reviews are very much appreciated!

Question of the chapter: What would you guys like to see in the future for this story?