Prologue
After Empress Iustitia called the residents of the Aquamarine Palace to gather in the amphitheater, the crowds in the pristine stone hallways that Ina and Bloop traversed swelled at first. Atlanteans of all stripes discussed the announcement with both fear and excitement, talking about just how much blood they were going to see spilled on the dirt stage of the hallowed amphitheater. Their conversations stirred up Ina's heart with fear, but Bloop quietly urged her to stay on course.
Eventually, the crowds thinned and the hallowed corridors of pristine stone became silent once again. Only the footsteps of the two determined investigators broke the silence of that well-decorated void. Clad in their aquamarine capes hooded over their heads, the infiltrators hurried their pace until they reached the hundred and fifteenth floor: the halls of the headquarters of the Atlantean military and the office of Polemarchos Bakkhos himself.
Unlike the other floors, a handful of Atlanteans remained and stood watch at the doors of the Polemarchos' office. There were about six of them there, Ina noted. She stole a glance of her large Atlantean companion and saw him surveying the scene as well.
"Six tridents." Bloop counted with a whisper, "They're highly ranked too."
Bloop could tell that from just a glance, huh?
"How are we gonna do this, sir Bloop?" Ina asked curiously now.
"Leave it to me." Bloop reassured.
The former Tagmatarchis approached the congregation of Atlantean soldiers and spoke with his commanding voice in Greek. Ina stayed a few paces behind Bloop and watched him chat with them. Greek wasn't Ina's strong suit, but she knew enough to understand what was going on somewhat.
Bloop asked why they were still there after the Empress called for everyone to come to the amphitheater. He then said that he and Ina, still disguised as Taxiarhos Baral and Syntagmatarchis Innocencia respectively, would substitute for them.
After a short discussion amongst themselves, four of the guards took Bloop up on his offer and hurried downstairs towards the amphitheater. All the while, those guards spoke loudly and made bets about whether or not Gura would survive her trial. Again, Ina's heart sank, but she kept her cool in the presence of the tridents around her.
In the end, the last two guards stayed by the doors of the Polemarchos ' office. Unsurprisingly enough, those guards wore aquamarine capes too.
They're probably part of Bakkhos' cohort. Ina figured. I don't think they're gonna move - even if we ask nicely.
She and Bloop glanced at each other and nodded knowingly. Then, once the four guards were well out of earshot, Bloop wagged his shark's tail, rushed the guard that was closest to him and tackled him into the polished stone wall. The second guard was horrified by the sudden, brutal assault and lowered his trident to engage the enemy.
However, Ina approached this guard and looked him straight in the eyes. The Priestess' eyes glowed bright gold under the shadow of her hood and bore straight into the guard's soul. Her grimoire AO-chan flew out from beneath her aquamarine cape and flipped through its pages, emanating purple runes that spelled the incantation of a spell. As soon as the runic incantation was complete, a confident smile formed on Ina's lips and she cast her spell with a single word.
"Wah!"
The second guard stumbled forward groggily - as if a wave of sleepiness had washed over him from out of nowhere. He stayed on his feet and tried to spear Ina with his trident, but Ina easily dodged the strike. Her twelve tentacles appeared behind her, sprouting from beneath her aquamarine cape. One of her tentacles wielded her trusty crowbar and swung it on Ina's behalf, striking the second guard square on the head to bonk him unconscious.
Ina turned to Bloop now and saw him skirmishing with the first guard with his fists. The former Tagmatarchis struck his opponent down with punches and kicks that reminded Ina of the Pankration paintings she had seen on ornate Greek vases. Then, as soon as Bloop found an opening, he got up behind his foe and locked him in a merciless wrestling chokehold.
Both cape-bearing guards plopped down powerlessly onto the floor. Ina and Bloop picked up their fallen foes and stuffed them into a storage closet nearby. They unlocked the door of the office of Bakkhos using a key they snagged from his person. Once the door was open, they entered the office, locked the door behind them and began their investigation in a hurry.
The two investigators, along with the grimoire AO-chan rifled through the drawers, shelves and cabinets of the Polemarchos . Together, they unearthed a number of strange documents mixed in with official paperwork. There were records of cash flows from unknown sources that didn't add up with the imperial ledger and the bookkeeping of the Polemarchos' office budgets.
Bakkhos is taking bribes. That much is clear… but from whom?
While Ina and Bloop were hard at work finding documents, AO-chan approached Ina with an urgent air about it and emanated purple runes. Ina nodded to her grimoire and followed its lead. She soon found herself at the unassuming wooden credenza in a corner of the office lined with French wine and other spirits from the surface.
That's a lot of foreign items for a closed off society like Atlantis. I've seen this brand of wine in that Underworld restaurant too.
Ina set aside the wines on the credenza and opened its suspiciously large cabinet. She then looked inside and gasped!
That's a Marconi telegraph machine… and it's operational even underwater!? How is this possible?
Bloop joined Ina by the credenza and commented, sharing his suspicion.
"Atlantis isn't directly connected to the surface dwellers' telegraph networks. Messengers have to go to the Ponta Delgada post office on Flores Island to send and receive telegrams there." Bloop rubbed his chin and regarded the telegraph machine, "I don't know how Bakkhos rigged this thing to work, but if there's a way to circumvent imperial authority on land, then this might be it."
While Bloop was speaking, the submerged telegraph machine whirred to life in its cryptic setup and began printing a message on the ticker tape. Ina took the tape and saw that it was being printed in runes, just like how AO-chan communicated with her.
" Bakkhos, report in ." Ina read the message for Bloop, " Ensure that HoloMyth is destroyed swiftly and completely. Keep the Empress in the dark. Failure is not an option. Over. "
Ina crumpled the ticker tape in her hand and growled. Bloop, on the other hand, grabbed the rest of the suspicious documents they unearthed.
"We've got our evidence now, Miss Ina. Bakkhos won't be able to talk his way out of this one. Empress Iustitia will listen to us for sure."
"Yeah." Ina nodded, "Now, let's get Gura out of that bloodbath!"
AlterMyth
Shattering The Mirror
Eighty-First Scene - I'm Not Alone Anymore
A hundred floors below the office of the Polemarchos , Gawr Gura stood on the dirt stage of the grand Atlantean amphitheater. Luminous golden magic flowed from the trident of the Empress Iustitia and enveloped that stage in a dome and trapped Gura with her vicious opponent - a red-tinged Phantom that took after Gura's form but bore devilish red eyes and a mischievously toothy grin.
All one hundred and fifty thousand Atlanteans gathered in the amphitheater watched with muted excitement from their seats while the statues of Greek gods cast their shadows over Gura and the Phantom. Ten paces separated Gura and her red foe, but she knew that the distance could and would disappear in the blink of an eye.
The Phantom observed Gura with a keen eye and scoffed. It spat verbose words in English and carried an especially thick Greek accent.
" The gem of the sea returns to Atlantis, huh? I have been waiting for thirty years, so don't keep me waiting again! Are you afraid of me, perhaps? "
Hearing her own voice unsettled Gura to the very core. That was the way she spoke when she was still a warrior of Atlantis climbing up the ranks, doing anything and everything she could to please the military Brass. It made her cringe just how try-hard she was.
"Shut up, you lily-livered coward!" Gura retorted sharply now, speaking bluntly with the distinct accent of an American rough rider, "I didn't wanna come here since I didn't wanna see yer stupid face!" She whirled her trident around gamely and threatened, "I'm gonna hog tie you and drag you from the back of a seahorse when I'm done with ya!"
" I see. Your time on the surface, those thirty years, eroded your brain. Though it's not like you were smart to begin with!"
"Uh, huh? And that makes you just as dumb as me, stupid!" Gura stuck out her tongue childishly, "Talkin' big words ain't gonna make you any smarter. Stop actin' like the stuck up honor students and the popular kids and the rich kids! Doesn't fit ya!"
This time, the Phantom's placid face became enraged. Gura's juvenile words struck a chord in it's being and its red eyes burned with fires of fury. Without warning, the Phantom turned into a red blur that rushed towards Gura with breakneck speed. It moved so quickly that Gura barely had time to react!
Gura steeled her stance and caught the prongs of the Phantom's trident in hers, but her foe was exceptionally strong. Pushing back against the Phantom strained Gura's arms and back to their very limits, forcing her to give up ground.
" Atlantean cadets go through hell to join the regular army, you fool! Have you forgotten all the training you did - all the sacrifices you made - practicing the trident and Pankration from sunrise to sunset!? You were a one-girl army admired and feared by all! A true daughter of Atlantis! "
The Phantom pulled back and assaulted Gura with a flurry of thrusts. Gura did her best to block the assault, but many of the red beast's thrusts found their mark and wounded Gura's arms and legs.
" What are you now? A drifter who runs away the moment things get rough! A lowlife whose only aspiration is to coast through life and rot away into nothingness! Spilling your blood here and cutting you down where you stand will be the greatest mercy Atlantis can give you! "
With every strike that landed on Gura's sides, she was pushed back more and more. Her Phantom wielded immense strength and dexterity that she couldn't hope to match in her state. Thirty years of rust tainted Gura's skills and slowed her down. However, even in the midst of battle, Gura could see traces of tears forming at the sides of her Phantom's eyes.
Eventually, Gura was forced back to the very end of the dirt stage. Her back was pressed against the golden barrier of magic. She had nowhere else to run - no more ground to give. Her injuries were piling up and her body was hanging by a thread.
Ah… I remember this feeling .
It was the same feeling that gripped her heart in the tapestry world that formed for her in the Infinite Library. This time, though, Gura's heart and mind were in order. Thus, a confident smirk formed on the battered Gura's lips.
Amused, the Phantom taunted her again.
" Why are you smiling? Going insane from the pressure? Just return to the sea - a shark is all you'll ever be! "
"What have I become, huh?" Gura finally countered and clashed against her Phantom's trident with renewed strength, "I'm more than just a shark now!"
" More than just a shark? Foolishness! "
"I don't know what you're thinking… but it's not foolishness!" Gura argued stubbornly, "There are folks countin' on me to make it out of here alive." She then recalled the blue-sealed letter addressed to her and smiled fondly, "Plus, I think I can probably make a lot of people happy."
" You? Make people happy? You're a warrior of Atlantis! A weapon of war! You live to serve the Empress and bring death, destruction and despair to the enemies of the empire! Nothing more, nothing less!"
"It's an opportunity of a lifetime, stupid! A chance for me to be more than just a warrior." Gura shifted her weight and managed to match her Phantom's strength for once, "I'm gonna be part of HoloMyth!"
" HoloMyth? "
Before the Phantom could say anything else, Gura reached for her hip and drew her Single Action Army revolver. She pointed the gun at her foe who froze like a deer in the headlights.
"A gun…!?"
Gura pulled the trigger and the Phantom hastily dodged to the side. However, the revolver merely gave off a hollow click. She then suddenly burst out in laughter and taunted mercilessly.
"GUNS DON'T FIRE UNDERWATER, STUPID! HOOCHA~!"
With that, Gura sprung into action and rammed her trident straight through her enemy's chest. The Phantom panicked but she forcefully pulled the prongs of the trident out from her chest, tainting the waters in the stage with blood that mixed with Gura's. Finally, Gura took the initiative and began assaulting the Phantom with renewed strength.
"I'm not as smart or as strong as I used to be. I know that." Gura spat back while she kept her Phantom off balance, "But strength and smarts weren't what got me out of that hole I dug myself into, stupid!" A tender smile formed on Gura's bloodstained lips, "I found folks I could trust with my life - and folks that I wanna protect with every damn thing I've got!"
While Gura was speaking the golden magic barrier seemed to react to her words. Whispers of awe erupted amongst the crowd and intensified. Even Empress Iustitia herself regarded the development with surprise.
In all the years, decades and centuries that examination of conscience trials were conducted in that amphitheater, this was the first time that the stage reacted in such a way.
Polemarchos Bakkhos regarded the shifting stage with grave concern now. His face went beet red and he shouted from his lower balcony platform, insisting that Gura was tampering with the stage somehow. However, Empress Iustitia silenced Bakkhos and gave a thumbs up of approval to Gawr Gura, letting the defendant continue the battle with her blessing.
Gura smiled at the Empress' gesture and faced her stunned red Phantom once again. Four wisps of light emerged from the golden barrier and floated around Gura like guardian spirits. Her foe watched those four wisps and hissed at them.
" What sorcery is this!? "
"It's not sorcery, bucko!" Gura corrected with a smirk, "Wanna know how I managed to survive and stand on this damn stage again? Let me introduce 'em to ya!"
The first wisp took on a purple hue and coalesced into the form of the Priestess Ina'nis Ninomae and her grimoire AO-chan. This mirror image of Ina smiled at Gura and greeted her cheerfully.
"Wah~!"
Ina's wisp cast a spell that bathed Gura with warm purple light. Under that light, the many wounds that the red Phantom inflicted on Gura started to heal. Seeing this enraged the red beast even more and she rushed toward the wisp of Ina to strike her down. However, Gura intercepted her foe and locked tridents with her.
The last of Gura's wounds sealed up and she gave Ina's wisp a cheerful high-five. With that, Ina's wisp dissolved with a flash of purple light, replaced by the second wisp that took on an orange hue. It coalesced into the form of the Phoenix Kiara and announced her arrival with a war cry!
"KIKIRIKI!"
Kiara's wisp swung her fiery broadsword and flanked the Phantom, forcing it into a defensive stance for the first time. Gura and the orange wisp skirmished with their enemy just like they did on the grounds of the Fleur de Lune hotel. Any time that the Phantom tried to counterattack, Kiara's wisp raised up her buckler shield and handily blocked it. Then, Gura would bob and weave to strike at the Phantom's sides with her trident.
With every clash, Gura and the wisp of Kiara pushed the Phantom back to the center of the dirt stage of the amphitheater - right back where the battle started!
Gura bumped elbows amicably with Kiara's wisp and the Phoenix faded away just like Ina did. The third wisp came to the fore and took a bright pink hue. That wisp took the form of the rogue reaper Calliope Mori and her tremendous scythe this time. Calli's wisp scowled at the Phantom and scoffed.
"GUH!"
The wisp of the reaper sprang into action together with Gura and overwhelmed the Phantom with pure offense. Gura's trident and Calli's scythe swung relentlessly to the beat of their hearts and gave their foe no chance to breathe. Before the Phantom knew it, it had its back to the golden barrier of the amphitheater!
Calli's wisp bumped fists with Gura and it dissolved with a flash of pink light. However, the Phantom stubbornly wielded its trident and steeled its stance. Both Gura and her foe were exhausted from their battle, but neither side was ready to yield. Even in the face of Gura's parade of allies, the Phantom managed to stand firm.
" You've grown so weak… that you have to rely on others to carry you in battle. How pathetic! "
"You're wrong. I didn't get weaker at all!" Gura shook her head and countered wholeheartedly, "Because of them, I can fight with everything that I've got. I can lay it all on the line! They understand me. They've got my back and I've got theirs!" She gripped her trident firmly again and added, "Thanks to them, I'm stronger than I've ever been alone!"
When Gura said this, the fourth and last wisp came to her side and took on a golden hue. That wisp took the form of the detective Amelia Watson. It's sky blue eyes met with Gura's and the petite Atlantean felt a rush of emotions flooding through her heart and mind.
"Ame…" Gura started.
There were a great many things that Gura wanted to say to Ame, but the detective's wisp gently placed a finger on Gura's lips to silence her. Ame's wisp then reminded her of the battle at hand with a kind smile.
"Save the mushy stuff for later, stinky." The wisp of Ame retracted her hand and snickered like a gremlin. It then brought out its golden pocket watch and cheered Gura on, "For now, let's give 'er hell, sharkie!"
The golden wisp pressed down on the time-adjustment knob of its pocket watch and time came screeching to a halt within the space of the golden barrier. All of the spectators in the amphitheater continued moving normally, but the dirt stage was frozen in a temporal powder blue haze.
Only Ame and Gura were unaffected by the spell. So, Ame's wisp held Gura's trident together with her and the two of them faced down the time-frozen red Phantom. The whirring of Ame's pocket watch filled Gura's ears and prodded her to action. That was Ame's and Gura's cue to charge through the time-frozen stage and attack their foe in tandem.
Ame's wisp faded away while Gura approached her foe and time slowly started to flow again. However, Gura only seemed to grow stronger and faster as she declared proudly.
"NOW I'M MOTIVATED!"
When the powder blue haze disappeared and time resumed its flow, Gura skewered her Phantom through the heart and pinned her into the golden barrier of the amphitheater. Gura's eyes met with her foe who conceded a bloody, defeated smile.
" So this… is the power that kept you afloat. Will someone like you really be able to make people happy? "
"Yeah. I think so. I hope so." Gura spoke softly yet earnestly, "I'll live true to myself. I won't lie to myself anymore. So, I want you to give them - and this new gig - a chance, just like I did. After all, you'll always be a part of me… and I'll always be a part of you."
The Phantom scoffed but accepted its fate with thankful tears in its eyes.
" HoloMyth, huh? That might… not be so bad after all. "
With those words, the red Phantom of Gawr Gura fizzled away and the golden barrier of the Empress' magic collapsed. The moment the magical barrier fell, the cheers of the Atlanteans gathered in the amphitheater flooded onto the stage and filled Gura's ears. Empress Iustitia herself dissolved her golden trident with a flash of golden light and applauded Gura's fantastic victory, urging the crowd's cheers to grow even louder!
Prodded by the cheers of the crowd, Gura looked up to them and raised up her trident as far as her tired arms could lift it.
At long last, under the gaze of Greek gods and her fellow Atlanteans, Gawr Gura made peace with her bloody past and stood tall to face her bright future. Then, in the corner of her eye, Gura caught a glimpse of Ame's wisp smiling at her.
A tender smile formed on Gura's lips and she whispered fondly beneath her breath.
"We'll see you again soon, stinky~! I promise."
Eighty-Second Scene - And Justice For All
From her high balcony platform under the protection of the grand Poseidon statue, Empress Iustitia's military cohort blew their aquatic trumpets to call the attention of the crowd. Once the rowdy amphitheater had calmed down from the performance, Iustitia walked over to the ledge of her platform and made her assessment in English.
"Gawr Gura of the 88th Lokhos . You have protected your honor today in the eyes of the public. No truly guilty heart would have been able to overcome such an ordeal - let alone summon spirits to aid them in battle! I can now determine that while you did indeed desert the Atlantean military, it was not for your lack of trying or your unwillingness to fight the Sea Serpent that went mad."
"I'm glad you finally see things my way, your highness." Gura lowered her trident and looked up to the Empress with a wide smile, "I was just frustrated that justice wasn't served all these years."
Empress Iustitia smiled back at Gura and was about to speak, but Polemarchos Bakkhos protested loudly from under the shadow of the Hercules statue.
"Your highness! Please do not lower your guard so quickly to this traitor to the empire!" Bakkhos insisted furiously, "She has proven her innocence in one case, but there are many other charges levied against her! Among other things, she has attacked me - a loyal Polemarchos in your active service - without legitimate reason."
Gura furrowed her brow at Bakkhos' blatant slander. The official of the Atlantean top brass was conveniently leaving out information in his story, acting as if he was the victim of some heinous crime that Gura instigated.
Iustitia paused and glanced at both Gura and Bakkhos beneath her. Then, an imperial Atlantean page suddenly entered the high balcony platform in a hurry. She bowed profusely and went over to the Empress' side to whisper something in her ear. The Empress' lips twisted into a frown now and she turned to Bakkhos a second time.
"It appears that there is a slate of grave charges being lodged against you, Polemarchos Bakkhos." Iustitia announced, drawing gasps from the crowd, "The accuser claims that it is you who is the traitor to the Empire - not Gawr Gura! You have been accused of high treason."
"High treason!? Bollocks!" Bakkhos spat dismissively, "I am your most loyal servant, your highness! What sorry soul would dare to accuse her majesty's right hand so brazenly without evidence!?"
All of the sudden, a pair of figures clad in aquamarine capes appeared on the dirt stage and marched to Gura's side. The tired, petite Atlantean turned around and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw them.
"You two took your sweet time." Gura scoffed and grinned, "I was getting a little worried there."
"We did it to make an ironclad case, Gura, so we left no stone unturned." Ina lowered her hood now and smiled back at Gura, "We're here now - and we're ready."
Bloop lowered his aquamarine hood too and looked up to the shark-man that had made his military career a living hell from start to finish to make his bold declaration.
"I, former Tagmatarchis Bloop, an Atlantean of legal age, by the grace of Poseidon, have filed the complaint against Polemarchos Bakkhos to the office of the supreme chancery of Atlantis. The charges in my complaint include, but are not limited to, high treason, espionage, extortion, corruption and collaboration with a foreign power circumventing the authority of the Empress herself!"
Empress Iustitia took a moment to observe the accuser before she responded.
"Atlantis has heard your complaint, former Tagmatarchis Bloop. You have the ear of the empire, so by the grace of Poseidon, speak truthfully and wholeheartedly!"
Bloop laid his hand over his heart and gladly obliged.
He and Ina presented their case and showed the Empress their evidence. Pages of the Empress swam down to the stage to retrieve the documents that Ina and Bloop had gathered. At the same time, a small army of legal aides and scholars joined the Empress on the platform to examine the documents carefully. With every document that Iustitia saw, the disgust etched on her face grew starker.
All the while, Polemarchos Bakkhos's face went pale with nervousness. Every so often, he stole glances at the door of his platform out of the amphitheater, but the Atlantean guards that were posted there stood in his way.
"Y-your highness…" Bakkhos' large voice trembled now, "Surely those documents were f-fabricated to frame your loyal servant!"
However, the Empress promptly silenced the panicking general and continued going through the documents with her servants. After a short deliberation, the Empress set aside the documents and returned to the edge of her platform to give her judgement.
"I have seen enough. The evidence against Polemarchos Bakkhos is clear and legitimate." Iustitia looked clearly disappointed, "I trusted you Bakkhos, ever since you became my regent… but why would you dare consort with the Ancient Ones without my knowledge? Do you realize what you have done?"
"Your highness, there must be a misunderstanding here!" Bakkhos shriveled up under the Empress' gaze, "Gawr Gura and Bloop are conspiring against me as revenge for their expulsions! You can't believe them this easily!"
"Oh yeah?" Gura interrupted him with a snarl, "If you're so confident that they're making this up, why don't you prove it like I did!?"
"Gawr Gura is correct." Empress Iustitia agreed now, "Though the evidence against you is overwhelming, the law provides you a chance to prove your innocence. All you must do is undertake an examination of conscience as well!" She repeated the same spiel she gave Gura for her own trial, "Trust that has been lost will be difficult to regain… and the price must be paid in sweat and blood. Do you understand?"
When the Empress mentioned the examination of conscience, Bakkhos' face became as pale as a ghost. He wanted to complain or make an appeal, but the Empress simply looked at him with disgust. The guards of his platform grabbed a hold of Bakkhos and restrained him.
Gura, Ina and Bloop promptly excused themselves from the dirt stage while the disgraced Polemarchos Bakkhos took their place.
Atlanteans of all stripes jeered at Bakkhos from all around the amphitheater while Empress Iustitia raised up her golden trident. Another curtain of golden magic appeared from one end of the amphitheater to another. Then, Iustitia commanded Bakkhos with a firm voice.
"Step through the mirror, Polemarchos Bakkhos. Prove your loyalty, or face the wrath of Poseidon himself!"
Bakkhos trembled in the face of his own reflection in the golden curtain, but the guards that arrested him wielded their aquamarine tridents and told him not to get any funny ideas. Thus, Bakkhos fearfully inched towards the golden curtain while a dome of golden magic enclosed him in the stage.
When he crossed through the veil, the mighty sea serpent, maddened by the magic of the Ancient Ones, appeared on the stage. It was the same serpent that nearly annihilated the 88th Lokhos thirty years ago - and the same serpent that Gura defeated aboard the RMS Teutonic.
"So it was your fault after all." Gura looked back at the Polemarchos and his foe and cursed, "Burn in hell, asshole."
Satisfied, Gura left the amphitheater together with Ina and Bloop. Behind them, the citizens of Atlantis saw the Polemarchos crushed and torn limb by limb by the wicked beast he helped unleash. After thirty years, bitter tears formed at the sides of Gura's eyes to lament her loss.
At long last, her justice had finally been served on a bloody, golden platter.
Eighty-Third Scene - The Empress' Boon
After the bloody spectacle at the great amphitheater had wrapped up, Empress Iustitia summoned Ina, Gura and Bloop to the imperial quarters at the very top of the Aquamarine Palace. There, Iustitia had her servants prepare a small feast for them: a bevy of Mediterranean foods, fine Roman wine and other delicacies that had supposedly disappeared with the end of antiquity.
"This is the least I could do for the heroes of Atlantis." Empress Iustitia explained and sat with her guests at the dining table, " Polemarchos Bakkhos was putting us on the path to destruction with his treachery." She then chuckled merrily and added, "Though, I do not wholeheartedly approve of the methods you used to obtain your evidence, you still have my gratitude on behalf of the entire realm."
Ina, Gura and Bloop graciously accepted the meal and ate together with the Empress. Once they had finished their dinner, they had a candid discussion about the things that had been going on above the waters and the many twists and turns of their journey thus far.
"If I may, your highness." Ina started politely before giving her assessment, "Judging by what appeared when Bakkhos stepped through the mirror, I'm afraid that the Ancient Ones may be trying to subdue the world with brute strength." The Priestess rubbed her chin and then racked her brains for a bit, "Knowledge, the cosmic librarian we faced in the Infinite Library said that the Priestess was meant to ascend and bring about a new age. I can't help but think that maddened sea serpents are part of their strategy."
"And your friend, Amelia Watson, is the Priestess that the Ancient Ones have chosen to bring about this 'new age'?"
"Yeah. That's not the sort of thing Ame would want to happen, but I don't think the Ancient Ones give a damn about what Ame wants." Gura confirmed somberly, "If there's anything we can do to save her, I want to do it."
The Empress closed her eyes and then calmly offered her aid with a warm smile.
"Atlantis will support you in your endeavors. The scholars of Atlantis will help you and your grimoire to unlock the secrets within the pocket watch of Miss Amelia Watson. Surely, if we work together, we shall be able to decipher the schemes of the Ancient Ones and stop them in their tracks."
"We would be grateful for the help!" Ina gave the Empress a deep, thankful bow. AO-chan mimicked her master's gesture too and bowed as well.
Iustitia then turned to Gura and continued confidently.
"Meanwhile, Atlantis has sat on the sidelines of the affairs of the world for far too long. We cannot stand to sit idly by while the world burns. Therefore, once the goals of the enemy are made clear to us, the armies of Atlantis will aid you in battle, Gawr Gura. We may not be able to right all of the wrongs that have been done onto you, but it would be an honor to fight at your side once again."
"The honor is mine, your highness." Gura bowed respectfully as well.
"That being said, I am in need of a new Polemarchos to lead the troops in battle." Iustitia joined her hands together and turned to Bloop now, "If it is pleasing to you, sir Bloop, would you guide the trident of Atlantis herself against the Ancient Ones?"
"Just this once, your highness." Bloop answered with a dignified bow, "After this war is over, I want to return to my family and live the rest of my life with them in peace."
"And peace shall be yours in the end. I swear upon my honor as Empress, Polemarchos Bloop." Iustitia promised wholeheartedly. She then turned to her three guests and urged, "Let us eat well tonight and get to work. The Ancient Ones have been playing us all for fools for too long, but all is not yet lost. We shall punish them for their trickery before long!"
With that, the Empress made a toast and they clinked goblets of Roman wine together. While the four of them feasted, Ina glanced at Gura beside her and hummed.
"There were a lot of close calls today, Gura." Ina chastised the petite Atlantean.
"I know. We had to take too many risks." Gura admitted and lowered her head, "I'm sorry for putting you through all of that, Ina."
" Humu humu . But it all worked out in the end." Ina smiled at Gura now, "Plus, when you talked about your plan back then, I could tell you were determined to see it through to the end." She then patted Gura on the head and added, "When I saw you like that, I knew I could trust you. I knew that you'd be able to pull it off."
The petite Atlantean smiled happily now too and asked, "You really think so, Ina?"
"Yeah." Ina nodded and ruffled Gura's hair. She then paused and grew a tad bit bashful, "I never get the chance to say this, but… thank you for saving me from the Underworld. I'm glad I met you, Gura. I really am."
"Ina…" Gura's cheeks flushed red and she leaned against the Priestess, "I feel the same way. I wouldn't have been able to get here without you."
Bloop and Empress Iustitia watched the two friends with happy smiles and let them bond. After all, when they finished with dinner, they all had much work to be done. It was going to be the last bit of rest any of them were going to get for a while - and it was rest that both Ina and Gura richly deserved.
Epilogue
Three days after Ina, Gura and Bloop went down to Atlantis by seahorse, the three of them sent word that they were finally returning. Kiara, Calli, Jenma and Kotori stood together at the beach on Flores Island while the sun was starting to rise.
"They finally did it, huh?" Calli folded her arms and pensively looked out to the sparkling waters of the ocean, "When I first saw those kids, I didn't really think much of them. But it turns out they're much stronger than they seem."
"I know, right?" Kiara agreed, "You'd think that you'd have to protect them from the world… but they grow up so fast, huh?" She then blushed a bit and elbowed Calli lightly, "Look at us, doting over them like parents."
"P-parents!?" Calli was suddenly flustered by the thought.
Kotori then snuck up behind the two and patted them gamely on the shoulders.
"Don't be ashamed of being their parents. Gura and Ina? They're really good kids." The mother Phoenix smiled and encouraged them, "No matter how much they grow, you've got to be there for them and look out for them when they need a helping hand - or a shoulder to cry on. Got it?"
Kiara nodded eagerly with agreement, but Calli stubbornly pouted. However, given her silence, Kiara knew that the rogue reaper wasn't completely opposed to the idea.
While the three of them were speaking, Jenma interrupted them and called their attention.
"I think they're here." The management trainee announced, but her brow soon furrowed, "Wait a second… I don't think they're alone."
Moments later, Ina, Gura and Bloop emerged from the surface of the water. All three of them were wearing aquamarine capes and were riding seahorses clad in reinforced cataphract ringmail armor. Moreover, Bloop was wearing Atlantean plate armor that shimmered like bronze hoplite armor in the sunlight.
After that, many more figures emerged from the water in organized formations. A thousand Atlantean soldiers - five Tagmas of two hundred troops each - in full combat gear appeared on the shallow coastal waters with their armored mounts. Empress Iustitia IV herself was among their number and raised up her golden trident triumphantly in the air to rally her army.
Gura and Ina, however, promptly broke rank from the Tagmas of Atlantis and rushed towards Calli and Kiara on the beach. Just like children, they embraced the Phoenix and the Reaper tightly. It was almost as if they had been separated for months, if not years!
Unable to break free, Calli let Ina and Gura hug her and Kiara until they finally calmed down. Slowly, but surely, Calli warmed up to the idea of being a parental figure for the HoloMyth unit.
"So then, kiddos." Jenma greeted and approached the four Myths gathered now on the beach of Flores Island, "We've got an army of Atlanteans backing us up. Where are we taking them? Were you able to find where the Ancient Ones were taking Watson?"
Gura let go of Calli and Kiara and then beamed confidently at Jenma.
"We're going back to where it all started, Jenma!" The petite Atlantean announced, "We're going to London!"
To Be Continued