Prologue
Four months ago, in her idyll home in Bedfordshire, Amelia Watson opened an envelope with a blue, triangle-shaped seal. That night, under the light of the moon and a kerosene lamp, the aspiring detective read the typewritten letter from the strange Cover Corporation that she had never heard of before.
She was smart enough to know that unsavory figures send mail to their marks, hoping to draw their victims into their dark designs. However, the way that the letter was written resonated with her. It was as if the author of the letter was speaking directly to her and knew her as a friend.
Then, at the end of the letter, Cover Corp's invitation ended with the phrase that has remained in Ame's mind ever since.
' An opportunity of a lifetime. HoloMyth. '
That night, she imagined what sort of opportunity this Cover Corp was selling - and what this 'HoloMyth' unit was all about. Even after Enma and Jenma failed to show up at the English Maiden Cafe - even after the trials and tribulations she faced from Mr. Lowry, Death-sensei and Knowledge came one after another - Ame never lost hope.
Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that she would go on a trip around the world on royal decree, fight a Sea Serpent alongside a bona fide Atlantean, clash with Grim Reapers in France - and then befriend one, watch a Phoenix die and resurrect before her eyes, go into the Underworld to rescue a classmate and then butt heads with the Ancient Ones in another dimension, let alone become the Priestess of the Ancient Ones herself! All of it felt like a fever dream to her.
There were many times that she cursed her fate. Tears were often always on the verge of her eyes, but she stood strong against her trials and faced them as fearlessly as she possibly could.
This time was going to be no different, Ame promised herself.
Armed with just her Webley revolver in one hand and her augmented golden pocket watch in the other, Amelia Watson stared down the Ancient One that had plotted against her and tormented her all this time.
She prepared herself to fight and prove herself worthy of becoming the fifth Myth.
AlterMyth
Shiny Smily Story - The Finale
Ninety-Sixth Scene - Duel of The Priestesses
Thirty paces separated Ame and Knowledge in the crumbling confines of the glass-like dome. While the rest of the world was frozen in the powder blue haze of Ame's magic, the Priestess of the old age and the Priestess of the new stood face to face and continued to move. Their eyes were locked in sharp gazes while shards of the crumbling glass-like walls fell around them, suspended midair.
Knowledge stood tall and set the base of her naginata down onto the crystalline platform that she and Ame stood on. She whirled her polearm skillfully and displaced some of the time-frozen shards around her. All the while, she traced a faint line of blue magic through the space around her.
"I had a feeling that a Caesura wouldn't have stopped you." Ame deduced calmly. She pointed to the naginata and guessed, "That weapon of yours has something to do with that, doesn't it?" Her sky blue eyes sharpened, "It's the same color I saw when the clock within a clock… when I got my time magic in the first place."
"You have a sharp eye, detective." Knowledge replied and pointed the blade of her naginata at Ame's forehead, "You have guessed correctly. This is a naginata polearm once wielded by one of the most powerful time mages in the known worlds. The mighty Warden of Time of the Tenth Council!" For a moment, the cosmic librarian's sharp gaze wavered, but she blinked and furrowed her brow to continue her spiel, "I defeated the Warden of Time… my Warden of Time... and claimed her power as my own. Your petty Caesura won't stop me. It was one of her spells after all."
Warden of Time, huh? So that's where that name came from. The way Knowledge was speaking right now, could it be…?
Ame looked into the librarian's eyes and tested, "Could it be that this Warden was your best friend?" Her eyes sharpened and she added, "The one you regret killing the most?"
Knowledge staggered back another pace. There was a momentary lapse in her steeled stance and she averted her eyes from Ame's investigative gaze. She then snorted and lashed back at Ame.
"You speak like you know us! It doesn't matter if the Warden's spirit blessed you instead of us! When we defeat you, we will take your potential and your blessing. Then, everyone shall know true peace in the cold embrace of the void!"
With that, the cosmic librarian dashed forward.
Knowledge and her naginata pierced through the blue, time-frozen haze. Her fleet footsteps displaced the shards of the glass-like dome from the floor and sent them flying, but the shards were promptly suspended in time again the moment that she passed through.
Ame steadied her breath and pointed her Webley revolver at Knowledge. She pulled the trigger twice and sent two rounds downrange. Knowledge anticipated this and slashed one bullet with her naginata, splitting it in two with a fiery spark. The librarian tilted her head and dodged the second bullet handily.
Both the second bullet and the split remnants of the first froze in time before they could strike the ground.
Knowledge scoffed, whirled her naginata and roared, announcing her attack.
" Prestissimo! "
All of the sudden, Knowledge's image seemed to blur in Ame's eyes. The librarian was bathed in a veil of blue magical light and her movements became incredibly swift. It was almost as if she was moving time itself forward for herself!
Was that how she moved Big Ben earlier!?
Without warning, the blurred image of Knowledge zipped towards Ame with incredible speed and traced a line of blue magic towards her. Startled, Ame dove down onto the crystalline platform and rolled under the librarian's shimmering blade. The naginata caught the remnants of Ame's priestess veil and the crown of strings that she had been wearing finally came undone.
Ame rolled over a second time and landed kneeling on one leg. She drew her gun again and shot at Knowledge's blurred back once.
"Argh!" The librarian shrieked.
Black grime spewed out of Knowledge's back and sprayed into the air. That grime froze in time like the rest of the world, but the librarian turned around with blurred, bloodshot eyes.
Ame tried to shoot Knowledge again, but the librarian struck down the bullet with the flat of her naginata blade. Knowledge whirled her naginata with incredible speed and sent the shot flying back to Ame!
Shit!
The bullet whizzed towards Ame and her face went pale. However, the deflected shot lost momentum before it could reach her face and was promptly frozen in time.
Knowledge clicked her tongue and cursed, "Damn this ping!"
"Ping? What the hell are you talking about?" Ame teased.
"Here's a lesson the Warden taught me once upon a time." Knowledge paused and held her naginata firmly, "For a time mage, every fraction of a split second counts!"
As soon as she said this, Knowledge arched her back and pulled back her spear arm. The blue light emanating from the weapon glowed even brighter than before. Even though the flow of time had stopped, the world shook beneath Ame's feet.
She's overriding my Caesura…!?
In the midst of the tremors, Ame heard Knowledge plead to the heavens.
"Lend me your strength… just like you always did... one... last... TIME!"
Knowledge hurled the naginata towards Ame and traced a line of blue magic through the air. Halfway through, the naginata accelerated and tore through the magical field of Ame's spell like a hot knife through butter.
Ame steadied her breath, holstered her gun and transformed her golden pocket watch into its sabre form. She raised up her weapon, still sheathed in its golden scabbard, and blocked the naginata. Sparks of blue and gold magic flew out from the impact.
Only the sabre and its scabbard separated the tip of the naginata from Ame's forehead. The detective dug her feet as hard as she could into the crystalline platform below her, but the naginata continued to accelerate and overpower her. She winced in pain and pushed back as hard as she could, but she knew that this was not a clash she could win.
In the midst of that struggle, Ame dared to open her eyes again and she stole glances of her opponent. She saw Knowledge emanating a blue aura, but there was something else that caught Ame's eye. Against the light of that aura, she finally saw something that the cosmic librarian had been hiding all that time.
Four Strings of Fate that were bound to her.
It's just as I thought. I've figured you out!
Spurred by her realization, Ame swung her sheathed sabre to the side and deflected the magic-soaked naginata. The weapon came flying towards the crumbling walls of the glass-like dome before it halted mid-air.
"This tapestry world isn't mine, is it, Knowledge?" Ame drew her sabre and pointed it at Knowledge. "It's yours!"
Knowledge's face went pale and the blue aura she emanated fizzled away.
"How did you…!?" The cosmic librarian demanded, hoping to call Ame's bluff.
However, when she looked into Ame's eyes, she saw them burning with absolute certainty.
"After all your high and might talk about sacrificing your friends to the Ancient Ones, you regret doing all of this." Ame pointed her saber now at Knowledge and accused, "You wanted me to make the same choices that you did. You wanted me to lose hope just like you did. You wanted me to damn the whole world so you could have someone to blame for your mistakes - company in your misery!" Ame's thumb then traced the impression of the shark and the stars on the cross-guard of her saber and added, "I'm sorry, Knowledge. I love my friends way too much. There's no way I can sacrifice them to despair… not when they're waiting for me to come home!"
When Ame shouted this out, she pressed her thumb on a button on the cross-guard of her saber and pushed down. The blue haze of her Caesura spell disappeared in an instant and the flow of time came hurtling back to normal.
"You undid the spell!?" Knowledge gasped.
Knowledge's naginata, along with the bullets that Ame had fired, continued their flights toward the glass-like dome. In the blink of an eye, the dome shattered. The tapestry world of the cosmic librarian Knowledge finally came undone and the scene and sounds of besieged London came flooding into the bubble.
Frantic battles were being fought all around them, punctuated by the continuous fire of Maxim guns and cannons and the collapse of the clock tower of Big Ben. The great brass bells of the clock tower fell along with the belfry and smashed onto the cobblestone of Westminster Street, sending shockwaves of noise as the bells tolled one last time.
In the midst of all that noise, Ame saw a pair of figures gliding towards her through the shattered glass wall. Joyful tears started to form at the sides of Ame's eyes when she saw the pair. Then, their names escaped from Ame's lips.
"Ina… Gura!"
The two gatecrashers landed on their feet onto the crystalline platform of what once was a dimension between dimensions. Ina brought her tentacles forward to soften hers and Gura's falls, allowing the both of them to land on their feet beside Ame. Ina's grimoire AO-chan also flew through the gap and twirled around, emanating purple runes with wordless zeal.
Seeing Ina and Gura again after such a long time, Ame briefly recalled the day she met them. She remembered the meek librarian staffing the office of Dr. Watson's medical practice who could barely speak and the down-on-her-luck drunk drowning her sorrows on the train to Portsmouth. Now the two of them were standing tall with their weapons drawn, physically and mentally prepared for battle.
Her dearest friends.
She couldn't be any prouder.
"I've missed you two... so much." Ame was on the verge of tears.
"We miss you too, Ame." Gura grinned with eyes burning with passionate fire. She held her aquamarine trident firmly in one hand and drew her Single Action Army revolver in the other, "But let's save the mushy stuff for when our hands aren't full, okay cowgirl?"
"Agreed." Ina nodded and cocked the slide of Enma's futuristic P220 pistol while her twelve tentacles bristled behind her. She then turned to Ame with an expectant smile and added, "So lead the way, Ame. Just like you always have!"
Ame scoffed, wiped the tears at the sides of her eyes and managed to wear a warm smile for the first time in what felt like an eternity. She held the cross guard of her sabre and its impression of the shark swimming through the stars close to her heart and obliged.
"Let's end this. Together."
Ninety-Seventh Scene - Last Dance Of The Tenth Council
Knowledge watched the three Myths standing before her, absolutely aghast. Her greatsword, rapier, scepter and revolver, now free from Ame's time magic, came flying to her side. Then, she recalled her naginata and it reappeared in her hands with a flash of blue light.
"You have chosen to prolong your suffering. You have rejected the mercy of swift death and destruction." Knowledge faced her three opponents and inched closer towards them, "The Ancient Ones have whispered to you have they not? You know that the Known Worlds will fall - by hook and by crook." She raised up her naginata and guided the rest of her weapons like a conductor, "It will bring about immense suffering to you and your loved ones - prolonged suffering that will make you WISH for swift death! So why do you refuse to let us end it all!?"
The hysterical librarian charged towards the Myths and her weapons followed her obediently. Ame pointed her gun at the parade of weapons and Ina and Gura followed suit. They shot at the weapons and forced them away from their master Knowledge. Once the weapons were far enough away, Gura holstered her revolver and thrust her trident forward with both hands.
Aquamarine clashed against enchanted steel - a rematch of the Atlantean's duel with the librarian in the Infinite Library. This time around, however, Gura didn't hesitate in the slightest and she pressed the attack without mercy. Thrust after thrust and slash after slash, Gura's trident struck Knowledge with the relentless force of the ocean and drew black grime with every clash she won.
"I have no clue what those creepy Ancient Ones are planning at all, but I'm not gonna take that crap lying down." Gura started and forced Knowledge back a few paces, "You had Atantis convinced that nothing can be done - that everything was pointless. I was just about to believe that too." She swung her trident through the air and declared, "But I'm done sitting on my tail! My friends feel the same way! Whatever this dark future is - bring it on, stinky!"
When Gura said this, she followed through her trident's swing and caught Knowledge's naginata halfway through. That strike sent powerful vibrations through the entire length of the naginata, loosening the librarian's grip. Then, Gura whipped her tail, shifted her weight and yanked the naginata from out of the librarian's hands.
"No way… how did she get so strong!?" Knowledge gasped.
"I took a long hard look in the mirror, that's how!" Gura grinned and her eyes shone red for a brief moment, "There's a lot you can learn… from your own reflection!"
Gura thrust her trident again at the disarmed Knowledge, but the cosmic librarian hopped back and grabbed a hold of her rapier and her mace-like scepter. She had just managed to snag her two weapons when a hail of bullets struck her.
Knowledge swung her rapier and scepter with incredible skill and deflected most of the shots, but a handful of the bullets still flew true and found their marks to draw even more black grime. Then, without missing a beat, a second opponent came flying towards her.
Ina'nis Ninomae.
Propelled by her twelve tentacles, the rejected Priestess pounced upon Knowledge at breakneck speed. Rather than reloading her gun, Ina drew her crowbar and slammed it into Knowledge's scepter with every ounce of her strength and all of the momentum she had built up.
The scepter flew out of Knowledge's hands, but the librarian swung back at Ina with her rapier. Ina's tentacles promptly shielded her from the first swing, but the cosmic librarian unleashed a blistering fury of slashes.
Black grime spewed out from the wounds on Ina's tentacles and Ina's face twisted with pain, but she stood firm in spite of the punishment.
"She withstood that…!? That frail bookworm!?" Knowledge hissed with disbelief.
"The pain of losing my friends hurt more than this, Lady Knowledge." Ina gritted her teeth and growled, "I had a nightmare where I saw Ame walking alone into the abyss in my stead. That nightmare haunted me before… but not anymore!" Ina's eyes glowed gold and her grimoire AO-chan resonated with runes of its own and she swore, "We won't let you take Ame away from us again!"
With that, Ina sent the rest of her tentacles forward and snagged Knowledge's wrists and ankles, immobilizing her. Knowledge struggled to break herself free of the tentacles, but Ina's grip was incredibly strong.
Was it because of the grimoire's magic, perhaps?
Knowledge didn't have time to think.
"The will of the Ancient Ones is absolute!" Knowledge argued, fighting back against Ina's tentacles.
"Only if you let them control you!" Ina countered sharply, "What you do with their power and their wisdom is completely up to you!"
Slowly but surely, Ina's tentacles overpowered the cosmic librarian. However, Knowledge's ash green eyes searched for her greatsword that was floating at the ready. The greatsword stirred at her behest and a wicked grin grew on her lips.
"The Ancient Ones rejected you, Ina'nis Ninomae!" Knowledge accused with a wild, maniacal voice, "So you have no right to lecture me!"
With those words, Knowledge commanded her heavy blade to fly towards Ina's exposed back. The rejected Priestess saw the greatsword coming for her and a bead of sweat formed at her brow. However, the blade was intercepted by a flash of aquamarine.
"Hoocha!" Gura cried and thrust her trident at the flying greatsword. She pinned the greatsword down onto the crystalline platform floor and reassured, "Got your back, Ina!"
Knowledge's rapier and mace launched themselves at Gura, but she swatted them away with her powerful shark's tail. Ina nodded to Gura thankfully and then turned to the detective, "Ame! She's all yours!"
Knowledge's irises trembled. She had forgotten about the detective in the heat of battle. Her eyes searched for her third foe on the crystalline platform and then found her. Amelia Watson was wielding the cosmic librarian's own revolver.
"This was the weapon you used the least when we fought last time. I always wondered why." Ame deduced and held the black gun with both hands. The revolver shook and tried to squirm out of Ame's hands, but the detective's grip was firm and steady, "But I think I've got a working theory." The detective's blue eyes met with Knowledge's ash green and made her case, "This was your weapon from when you sat on that Tenth Council you were talking about. This was the weapon you used to kill your friends."
"It's a weapon that was tasked with protecting Civilization, detective." Knowledge spoke adamantly in spite of Ina's tentacles bearing down on her, dropping the pretentious royal 'we', "I killed my friends, became a Priestess and conquered worlds in the name of the Ancient Ones… all so that I could spare my own world from the Ancient Ones' wrath." Her eyes went bloodshot but her voice was defiant, "I have done my duty… as the Guardian of Civilization! My Civilization! The last surviving member… of the Tenth Council!"
Knowledge started laughing hysterically, rambling incoherently about fates, cycles and the inevitable. Inhuman eyes started to appear within the remains of the glass-like walls. Scores of eldritch horrors, just like the ones that were trickling from the green haze onto the beleaguered streets of London, peeked out from behind those eyes.
"She's too far gone, Ame!" Ina yelled over the cosmic librarian's laughter, "We have to end this! Now!"
Ame sighed with disappointment. She steadied her aim once again, pulled back the hammer of Knowledge's black revolver and spoke with a solemn tone.
"Whatever dark future you have seen, we'll face it head on. We're not as incapable as you think, Knowledge. So, it's time for you to rest."
The detective pulled the trigger and a powerful blast of cosmic energy burst out of the barrel. Ina's tentacles let go of the hysterical Knowledge, leaving the maddened librarian alone in the line of fire. Her figure stood alone in the magical blast until it was obliterated into nothingness before Ame's, Ina's and Gura's eyes.
...
When the blast dissipated, no trace of the cosmic librarian remained. The naginata, greatsword, rapier and scepter of Knowledge came undone and melted into pools of black grime that stained the crystalline platform. The black revolver, on the other hand, shimmered for a moment with faint brown magic - the true hue of Knowledge's power.
The power of a Guardian of Civilization.
In that flash of light, Ame caught a glimpse of something strange. She saw the redheaded Knowledge fording through a river of light. At the end of the river, there were four figures waiting for her. Even though Ame couldn't see their faces because of the light, she could tell that those figures had smiles on their faces.
Is that… the Tenth Council?
Knowledge stopped halfway through the river of light and turned towards Ame.
"This is the future you have chosen, Amelia Watson." Knowledge spoke with clarity, no longer burdened by the madness that had gripped her being all that time, "Great calamities and tribulations will come from the beyond. The Known Worlds will fall into disorder - even the world of the Cover Corporation." Her ash green eyes met with Ame's and she insisted, "But do not relent. For if you do, everything shall come tumbling down… and I shall not forgive you. Do you understand?"
"Loud and clear." Ame answered firmly, "Whatever the future holds, my friends and I will rise to the challenge. You have my word." She then turned to the four figures further down the river of light and urged, "Now go. Don't keep your friends waiting!"
Knowledge scoffed and reached under her coat. She brought out her golden R-shaped pendant and showed it to Ame. With the pendant in hand, Knowledge made a V-shape with her fingers.
"V." Knowledge smiled earnestly for the first time in an eternity, "For victory."
Then, the black revolver shattered in Ame's hand and the luminous vision collapsed, bringing Ame back to reality.
Ninety-Eighth Scene - Aftermath Reprise
Fragments of the broken black revolver slipped from Ame's fingers and melted away into nothingness before they hit the crystalline platform. Ame closed her hand, etching the weight of that gun - and the strength of the one who wielded it - to memory.
When she opened her hand again, the sandlike remains of the gun slipped through her fingers and revealed the golden R-shaped pendant that Knowledge once wore.
She really crossed the stream, huh?
Ame pocketed the pendant and felt the cool late-summer winds blow in through the breach in the realm. That breeze urged her to saunter over to the edge of the platform and look out. From that thirty-story perch, she saw the inhuman eyes on the glass-like dome and the green haze over the city fade away. Slowly but surely, the sickly green haze dissipated like common smog and sunlight bathed the City of London once again.
Eldritch horrors that had descended from the green mist skittered away from the sunlight, allowing the combined forces of Atlanteans, Grim Reapers and Londoners to give them chase and finally turn the tide of battle in their favor.
Ame transformed her sabre back to its golden pocket watch form and checked the time. It was twelve noon, but the world had not ended. She closed her eyes, held her watch firmly in hand and heaved a sigh of relief.
"We did it. We actually did it!"
She was just about to turn around when she was pulled into an embrace from behind by Ina and Gura. All three of them fell down towards the crystalline platform, but Ina's tentacles cushioned their fall. Wrapped up in each other's arms, Ame, Ina and Gura held hands, laughed heartily and basked in the warmth of the sun.
Another gust of wind blew into the breach, causing Gura to pipe up and ask, "So, uh… we're thirty stories up. How the hell are we getting down from here?"
"We'll figure it out, sharkie." Ame closed her eyes and held Ina and Gura close, "For now, I just want to stay together like this."
"Sounds good to me." Gura agreed. She rested her head on Ame's shoulder while her shark tail wagged happily behind her.
"We've got a lot of work ahead of us when we get down from here." Ina reminded sternly at first. But she also rested her head on Ame's other shoulder and cooed, "But for now, we've got all the time in the world."
Ame laughed again and looked up to the soft clouds floating through the blue skies over London.
The world truly is full of wonderful myths. I'm holding two of them in my arms right now.
Knowing this, Ame smiled and let herself drift off to sleep together with her dearest friends.
Ninety-Ninth Scene - New Age Dawning
A week passed after the Battle of London came to a close. Regiments of British Army troops loyal to the newly crowned King Edward VII marched in from Portsmouth and other major garrisons to restore order. Side by side with the Atlanteans, Grim Reapers and partisans from London, the British Army stamped out the last of the eldritch horrors that had skittered away into the darkness.
Half of London was levelled by the Titan of Light's rampage, the bitter street fighting and the relentless blasts of cannon fire. Unfathomably deep trenches were also carved into the earth, but the fires that had consumed the city had been put out.
Westminster Bridge, the clocktower of Big Ben and large parts of the campus of the Occidental College for Young Ladies were lost while the towering, but motionless remains of the Titan of Light and it's blue cross-shaped sword remained looming over the city placidly like the ancient Colossus.
Under the shadow of the titan and its sword, a horse carriage drove through the mostly restored cobblestone of Westminster Street. Amelia Watson looked out the window of that carriage and regarded the weary city with her sky blue eyes.
"Everyone's starting to get back up on their feet." Ame mused. However, the carriage ran through a rough patch of cobblestone and nearly threw the detective off her seat, "Though… ugh… it's gonna take a while for things to get back to normal." She eased herself back into her seat and looked across the carriage with a warm smile, speaking to her companion in the car, "Though you already seem quite prepared for the future, Ambassador Ophelia Lowry."
Seated across from Ame was the aristocrat Ophelia Lowry, clad in a fashionable traveling coat and a top hat. She wore a trident-shaped pin on her lapel and had an aquamarine veil folded neatly on her lap. The newly minted ambassador frowned at Ame and reminded.
"If you weren't leaving this world, Ame, then King Edward would have appointed you as the ambassador to Atlantis." She gently laid a hand on the aquamarine veil, "I'm honoured to have this post, don't get me wrong. But I would have liked to help Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes root out the rest of the Esoteric Order of True Sight." She clenched her fist and grumbled, "My father and that 'Death-sensei' caused so much trouble. I feel like I have a responsibility to set things right."
"You've already done a great deal, Ophelia." Ame reassured, "And besides, you're not living under your dad's shadow anymore. You're free to do what you want." The detective then brightened up, "Speaking of the future, I heard you've been talking with book publishers recently."
Ophelia heaved a sigh and corrected. "I will be publishing the new Treatise on the Gallus Herodotus Phoenix , but it will be under your name and Miss Ina'nis. The two of you were the ones who made the discoveries in the manuscript, after all." She then rubbed the trident-shaped pin she wore on her lapel and grinned, "But I will be a most excellent Ambassador to Atlantis and I will write books that will be able to stand on their own merit. Just you watch, Ame!"
"I'll be looking forward to reading them when I return." Ame smiled back.
The horse carriage came to a halt at the gates of Westminster Palace where multitudes of flags of the United Kingdom flew alongside banners of the Empire of Atlantis. Atlantean soldiers wearing handsome aquamarine uniforms and British Army troops in their fancy red parade dress stood guard outside of the palace.
The decorated Polemarchos of Atlantis, Bloop, opened the carriage door for Ophelia and helped the new ambassador out of the car. The Polemarchos , looking especially stiff in his aquamarine uniform adorned with eleven medals, noticed Ame and greeted her with a toothy grin.
"Good afternoon, Lady Amelia. You're not joining Lady Lowry to open the Atlantean embassy?" Bloop asked, "Empress Iustitia will be there - and so will the new King Edward! We can arrange for a seat for you at the consular table."
"I appreciate the offer, Sir Bloop, but I've got prior engagements." Ame answered, smiling warmly, "And besides, I think I've heard enough 'royal we's' for a lifetime."
"Well, I can't blame you there." Bloop chuckled and looked into Ame's eyes with a knowing smile, "In that case, say hello to Gura and Lady Ina'nis. I'm headed straight for the Azores after the ceremony, after all. It's a shame you didn't get to meet my wife and kids!"
"We'll visit the Azores when we are able to return to this world, Sir Bloop. Until then, go see your family first." Ame paused and her blue eyes sparkled, "As for me, I'll go see mine."
Bloop laid a firm fist over his heart, offering the ancient Atlantean salute to Ame. Ophelia, on the other hand, took off her top hat and called on the detective one last time.
"Until we meet again, Amelia H. Watson."
Ame gestured to Ophelia with an open hand. "Likewise, Ophelia H. Lowry."
With that, Ophelia left the car and Bloop closed the doors. The chauffeur of the carriage opened the small sliding window.
"Where to next, miss?" He asked.
Ame dug into her pocket and brought out a threepence coin. She looked at her own reflection in the coin and smiled before she answered him.
"To the English Maiden Cafe, please."
Hundredth Scene - Once Again, From The Top
Ame paid the chauffeur of the horse carriage his due and stepped out of the car. She took a long, deep breath and wore a bright smile on her lips while she walked down the rough cobblestone streets. This was the street she rode down many months ago when her Spring Break ended.
Many of the buildings there had been destroyed in the Battle of London, the street was littered with craters from cannon fire and many of the majestic trees and handsome wrought iron fences were snapped and warped all over.
However, Ame's mood wasn't dampened in the slightest.
She came face to face with the ruined building that once housed the English Maiden Cafe and stood roughly where the front door used to stand. Ame reached into her pocket, brought out her well-weathered invitation letter from Cover Corp and held it close to her heart.
Let's do this again. Once again, from the top.
With her letter in hand and a spring in her step, Ame stepped through the ruined threshold and into the interior of the cafe.
Most of the cozy furniture and decorations that enamored the detective was either gone or tarnished beyond recognition. The fancy glass windows were all shattered and wooden planks nailed together for function, not form, formed a temporary roof over the devastated cafe. Most of the debris had already been carted out of the premises, but it was clear that a lot more work had to be done before the English Maiden Cafe would be back to its old glory.
However, at the heart of that somber scene, there was a single table, albeit one that bore bullet holes and burn marks, along with eight wooden chairs of varying degrees of condition were set up. Seated there was the group of people that she had hoped to meet in that cafe all those months ago.
HoloMyth and their three managers.
All seven of them turned to Ame when she stepped in and welcomed her with warm smiles and greetings. Ame's smile grew wider and she showed them her invitation letter.
"I'm here to apply for HoloMyth. I want to know more about this 'opportunity of a lifetime' you wrote about."
"Well, we're about four months late, but you've come to the right place, detective!" Jenma greeted Ame cheerfully and pulled up a chair, "Have a seat. Dinner's about to be served!"
"Dinner?" Ame asked.
"A! You weren't there in the Azores Islands, were ya, stinky?" Gura explained, "Bloop's wife Kotori made this really awesome roast chicken for us when we got there. It was so good!"
"No kidding." Calli folded her arms and nodded, "It was so good that kusotori begged Kotori to teach her the recipe. We're having Kiara's spin on the dish. Kiara Fried Chicken ."
"It's Kiara Fried Phoenix, Calli!" Kiara corrected and chuckled, clucking like a chicken.
Kiara stood up from her seat and disappeared into the kitchen of the English Maiden Cafe. The aroma of chicken wafted to Ame's nose and made her mouth water.
"What in the world…!?" The detective gasped and licked her lips.
"Fried chicken is quite popular in the world that Cover Corp operates in, Miss Ame." Enma explained and adjusted her glasses, "So, I taught Kiara a few techniques, sourced the ingredients she needed and let her do her thing."
"Can chicken really be that good?" Ame asked.
"Oh hell yeah." J-chad insisted eagerly, "I had one of Miss Kiara's first test batches. They were awesome! B liked them too!"
When J-chad said this, the small brown hunting terrier dog emerged from his perch on a stool and greeted Ame with happy barking. The little pooch wagged his tail and hopped around on the cafe floor.
Ame patted the little dog's head, picked him up.
"He did?" Ame cooed to the dog, "Don't feed him too much though. He might get too chunky." She then chuckled and cradled the dog in her arms, "Plus, B's his hellhound name. He's Bubba now. Isn't that right, Bubba?"
Little Bubba barked eagerly, happy to hear his new name.
Moments later, Kiara marched back into the dining area with a fresh hot basket of her so-called Kiara Fried Phoenix .
Ame set Bubba down and tried to snatch a piece of chicken from the basket, but Kiara snapped at her and pulled the basket away.
"Wash your hands first, Ame!"
"Yes mom." Ame snickered.
The detective washed her hands and sat together with her new colleagues. Together, they enjoyed the first true batch of KFP. Ame, Gura, Ina, Kiara and Calli dug into the chicken basket vigorously while Jenma, J-chad and Enma looked on.
"Hold on." Jenma brought out a small electronic device with a lens and pointed it at the Myths, "I want to capture this moment."
She tapped the screen of her device and smiled warmly. J-chad and Enma then looked over Jenma's shoulder and nodded with approval.
"An opportunity of a lifetime." Jenma regarded the photograph displayed on the screen and mused, "HoloMyth."
-THE END OF ALTERMYTH-
AlterMyth
Inspired by Hololive Alternative
Dramatis Personae
~By Order of Appearance~
Amelia Watson
Amelia's Mother
Ina'nis Ninomae
Dr. John H. Watson*
Ophelia Lowry
Ophelia's Friends
Mr. Steven Lowry
Kiara Takanashi
Calliope Mori
Ophelia's Bodyguards
Gawr Gura
Jacqueline Chadwick / J-chad
Captain James Morrison / Death-sensei
The Sea Serpent
? - The Unnamed Apprentice Reaper / Kouhai / The Tourist
Jennifer Mathers / Jenma
The Potomac Platoon
Cerberus Brutus / B / Bubba
Lady Knowledge - The Cosmic Librarian / Guardian of Civilization of the Tenth Council
Sherlock Holmes*
Ina's Grimoire / AO-chan
Tagmatarchis Bloop / Mr. Boop Flores
Mrs. Karolina Flores / Kotori
Polemarchos Bakkhos
Empress Flavia Iustitia Synetos / Iustitia IV of Atlantis
Gura's Reflection
The Titan of Light
Ennis Marie Miyamoto / Enma
Disclaimer
The main characters are based on the V-tuber talents of Cover Corporation. Their managers and anthropomorphized mascots are based on the illustrations of Ina'nis Ninomae, official art and fan art created by the community of Hololive fans.
Dr. John H. Watson and Sherlock Holmes are based on characters of the same name from the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Book Cover was commissioned from Zarasaru
I do not own the rights to any of these characters.
Thank you for reading! One hundred named scenes and numerous prologues and epilogues over a few months. It has been an honor to share the story of AlterMyth with you. See you on the next adventure!
It may be closer than you think~!
Elias
Epilogue
After their hearty dinner, Enma, Jenma and J-chad stepped out of the ruins of the English Maiden Cafe together, letting the five Myths continue their little feast. Just as the three of them made it out the threshold, they found themselves standing before a figure under a street light.
J-chad tilted her head and regarded the odd figure and her strange clothes.
The figure had a head of short purple hair, bright blue eyes and a cute pair of glasses. She wore a shirt, pants and a blazer made of the same material that Jenma and Enma had. Unlike Enma and Jenma, however, the figure didn't have much going for her in the bust department.
The figure noticed J-chad's gaze on her chest and pouted bitterly. Before either of them could say a word, Jenma broke rank and called the figure out by name.
"A-chan- senpai !" Jenma's ash green eyes sparkled, "You're finally here! Welcome to 1901."
Enma, on the other hand, gave the figure a respectful bow.
"It's good to see you two again." The figure called 'A-chan' returned Enma's bow graciously and spoke in accented but practiced English, "We had some difficulty setting up the portal, but it's working now. We'll keep it open until we can retrieve the Artifact."
"Artifact…?" Jenma hummed, "Oh, you mean the cross-shaped sword?"
"That's correct." A-chan nodded and folded her arms, "YAGOO believes that the artifact has something to do with how the two of you were intercepted by the Ancient Ones when you came to this world." She then heaved a sigh and smiled, "But that's not the reason I wanted to see you tonight."
A-chan adjusted her glasses and turned to J-chad.
"Ah, forgive my manners. My name is Yuujin A, but most folks in Cover Corp. call me A-chan. I am the Head Talent and Content Director of Cover Corp., serving at the pleasure of our CEO YAGOO. More importantly, Enma is my subordinate for the HoloMyth unit." The bespectacled newcomer explained and gave a polite bow, "That said, I have received your job application, Miss Chadwick. Jenma and Enma vouched for you quite well." She extended her hand to J-chad now and beamed, "Welcome to the Hololive Managers family. I look forward to working with you."
"Likewise Miss A-chan." J-chad shook the director's hand firmly, "Though, you can call me J-chad. It's what little Calli and the rest of the Myths call me."
"Noted on that, J-chad." A-chan smiled. She put a hand on her hip and sighed, "Recruiting for the HoloMyth unit was no easy feat. YAGOO asked me to congratulate you three, but he also said that we cannot rest just yet." Her eyes turned to the powder blue cross-shaped sword shimmering across the River Thames with a sharp gaze, "It was no coincidence that miraculous power was manifested into that weapon."
"Agreed." Enma folded her arms and grumbled, "Mr. Lowry, Death-sensei and the Cosmic Librarian were working for a higher power. A power that knows about us and the Cover Corp."
A-chan nodded. Her blue eyes sharpened and she gave her warning.
"The Manipulator is active once more."
…
…
…
Interlude
In the depths of a foggy void, a lone female fugitive ran through an endless trail of checkerboard marble. The fugitive's long crimson hair flew behind her in the fog while her left eye was bloody and permanently closed. Her long, black robe worn over her fashionable crimson Victorian dress fluttered in the wind, stained by blood, soot and black grime. In her arms, she was cradling a peculiar rifle - a Krag-Jorgensen M1892 fitted with a bayonet.
The same rifle that shot her eye out.
While she was running, she nearly tripped on the bottom of her skirt and robe.
Damn it… of all the times!
With a frustrated click of her tongue, she took the bayonet off the rifle and cut off the ends of her long dress and robe. She tossed away the torn fabric, reattached the bayonet to her rifle and ran again at full sprint through the fog.
Moments later, dozens of maddened men and women ran after the fugitive and trampled on the torn fabric. They howled at the fugitive in low, guttural voices that made her hairs stand up on end.
The fugitive dared to glance back at her pursuers. She saw them wearing the same strange black habits contrasting with the golden eye-shaped pendants they wore around their necks. Moreover, black tendrils burst out from the backs of their spines and slithered menacingly like snakes.
Seeing those tendrils made the fugitive's face grow pale and spurred her to run even faster through the void.
If only I had an obsidian orb, I could go topside… but where would I end up?
While she was thinking this, however, she noticed that the marble checkerboard floor beneath her feet was transforming. The posh, albeit overwhelming floor was disappearing and was replaced by thick, damp jungle brush in the dead of night. Slowly, but surely, the fog cleared and gave way to humid jungle mist that stuck to the fugitive's skin.
Huh…? Have I been whisked away?
Despite the change in scenery, the tendril-bearing cultists continued to chase her. She literally wasn't out of the woods yet.
The vast, unfamiliar jungle sprawled out around her. Even though the moonlight was bright, it was sparse and filtered through the canopies of tropical trees. It quickly became impossible for her to tell where she had come from and where she was going.
Before she knew it, she found herself cornered at the mouth of a small, shallow cave. There was nowhere else for her to run.
The fugitive snorted and wielded the Krag rifle. She shot at the cultists one after another and struck their vital points, just like she had been trained to do. Had they still been humans, the fugitive thought, they would have been writhing on the floor, overcome by pain.
Unfortunately for her, those cultists were no longer human.
They felt no pain.
Even as black grime spewed from the bullet holes left by the fugitive's rifle, they chased after her without missing a beat.
The Potomac Platoon didn't prepare me for this.
The fugitive pulled back the bolt of her rifle and ejected the last .30-40 Krag round from the chamber. That was her last bullet, she told herself.
Sweat formed on her brow and she held her empty rifle like a spear. She steadied her breath and pointed the bayonet at the mass of charging cultists.
All of the sudden, a clear voice of a woman reached the fugitive's ears.
"Open fire!" It cried.
At the voice's command, violent rumbles of frighteningly fast gunfire erupted in the dark jungle brush. Bursts of bullets came flying and tore through the mass of cultists and their black tendrils mercilessly.
Are those Maxim guns? It can't be… those things are shooting faster than Maxims! More accurately too - even at night!
Cultists fell left and right before the fugitive's one eye, leaving her speechless.
A lone figure then emerged from the jungle brush and stepped into the moonlight. It was a female soldier clad in olive drab cotton fatigues and a brown shawl draped over her shoulders. She had long, light brown hair tied into a ponytail stuffed under a minimalistic, olive drab metal helmet strapped to her chin. Under the shadow of her helmet, that soldier regarded the fugitive with a sharp gaze.
What a frightening look from such pretty brown eyes.
The fugitive's one eye then turned to the strange rifle that the soldier carried. As expected, it was a gun that she had never seen before - made of more metal than wood.
Such a small weapon can cause that much destruction?
When the soldier advanced, the brush in the jungle stirred. Half a dozen more soldiers emerged from the thick vegetation. They wore the same olive drab fatigues as the brunette soldier but had playing cards strapped onto their helmets. Even from that distance, the fugitive could tell what was on the cards.
Aces of spades?
More than that, the brunette soldier's companions carried a different kind of gun - black rifles made of materials that the fugitive couldn't discern.
Whatever those guns are, they're pointed at me. Stay cool.
The fugitive's heart beat hard against her chest. She dropped her empty Krag-Jorgensen rifle onto the muddy jungle earth and raised up her hands in surrender. She reminded herself that she was, in fact, a Grim Reaper and that she was practically immortal.
However, in a strange land inhabited by strange people, she didn't know if her powers transferred over to this world. That made her nothing more than a tourist.
The brunette soldier watched the fugitive carefully and eyed her clothes and the weapon that she dropped. She glared at the fugitive again and spoke.
"English? Anglais? Tiếng anh? "
Did she speak in French just now? And that other language...
"E-English." The fugitive stuttered.
The brunette hummed but kept her gun pointed at the fugitive.
"You're not military. Civilians aren't supposed to be in the Demilitarized Zone. Who are you working for?" She glanced at the dozens of dead cultists sprawled out on the mud and asked, "You're not with them, are you?"
"I-I'm not working for anyone!" The fugitive insisted, "I don't even know how I got here!"
"We'll see about that." The brunette commanded her companions, "Analyze her weapon, please."
One of the companions approached the fugitive and took away her gun. He also picked up one of the spent rounds from the mud and studied them.
"It's a Krag rifle, lieutenant ." The companion reported to the brunette, "M1892 model chambered in .30-40. Authentic. All original parts from what I can tell. For a gun over seventy years old, it's in mint condition."
Seventy years old…!?
"She's not from the North or the South, then. Not a Horror either." The brunette lieutenant's brow furrowed. She turned to the fugitive again and accused, "Does that mean you know about the Tenth Council? About what happened to them?"
"T-tenth Council? I haven't heard of them in my life!" The fugitive was on the verge of tears now, "Please! You have to believe me!"
The brunette lieutenant watched the shivering fugitive under the moonlight before she heaved a sigh.
"She really doesn't know about them. What are we to do?" She glanced at her companions and barked, "At ease, men! Call a chopper for extraction. We're taking her with us."
Call… a chopper? Are they going to kill me after all?
Thinking about this, the fugitive trembled.
"Your face is pale. You haven't heard of a chopper either? How amusing." The lieutenant chuckled, "You can lower your hands now, miss. We're not gonna harm you - but we'll hold onto your gun for security."
It's not even my gun, really… but I don't think this is a good time to argue about that.
"O-of course." The fugitive said instead. She lowered her hands and let the lieutenant's companions take her weapon away.
"Good." The lieutenant finally managed to wear a small smile, "We're just going to take you back to our base so that we can ask you a few questions. Maybe we can help you get back to where you came from - wherever that is."
With that, the lieutenant slung her rifle over her shoulder, unfastened the chin strap of her helmet and then took it off. The bangs of her beautiful, albeit sweat-slick brown hair flowed down from under the helmet. A pair of brown owl's feathers rose up from her brown hair and the fugitive saw a peculiar accessory on the soldier's bangs.
A golden R-shaped hairpin.
"I apologize for our rough treatment of you, but we are in the heat of battle then." The lieutenant extended her hand to the fugitive, "So, salutations! My name is Mumei Nanashi, Second Lieutenant of the 110th Airborne Combat Brigade. May I ask for your name?"
The fugitive paused for a moment. She recalled being asked the same question when she was about to be promoted into a fully-fledged reaper. A smile formed on the fugitive's lips and she shook Mumei's hand."
"Irys. My name is Irys."
"Well met, Irys." Mumei shook her hand firmly, "Oh, and before I forget…. I have to ask you one last question."
Mumei dug into the pocket of her fatigues and brought out a small bar wrapped in plastic adorned with a drawing of a raspberry. She offered the bar to Irys and asked her the question.
"Do you like berries?"
The Alter Series Continues!
Eleven
The Journey of Irys and the Eleventh Council
:|| World administration is never an easy task. :||