Those Who Drive Through the Storm

Gurk!

Ahh... It would seem this is it for me. I am going to die.

... ...

Juuust kidding♪

I know what I'm about to suggest is crazy, so feel free to ignore it, but...

Do you have any interest in becoming a Trojan horse?

Pardon?

Honestly, I'd say the odds are about ten-thousand to one?

And that's assuming everything goes as planned.

This is much more akin to gambling than strategy.

But the good news is, we took that bet...and we won!

Though I must say, he has some gall asking me to do this when he knows my history!

I mean, telling me to curse myself? What in the world was he thinking!?

My True Name is Mochizuki Chiyome!

I hereby sacrifice myself to my ancestor, Kouga Saburou, and to the curse cast upon him at the sacred Mt. Ibuki!

Come to me, great Orochi! I will inherit the cursed clothes of the underworld, Yuiman. Return my body to its serpentine form!

On sanmaya satoban! As the curse overtakes my body, so shall my body return to its bestial nature!

Next, I will fuse with the Echidna, let my ferocious feral instincts take over, and birth a vast host of monsters!

I may not be able to control the Echidna, but I can join with it...and in turn, prevent anyone from controlling it.

So from this point on, this creature is no longer a weapon.

It is but a living calamity; it will be equally deadly to friend and foe alike!

Farewell, everyone!

If this cursed body of mine can be of use to humanity, I have no regrets whatsoever about sacrificing it!

Now go, my beastly child, give birth to more and wreak havoc on all you see!

There is no longer anything holding you back. Sink your fangs into whatever is close at hand!

Hehe, hahahahahahaha!

When I absorbed my Proper Human History counterpart, the only thing he gave me was information.

I thought that was enough at the time.

As long as I knew our enemy's origins and stories, that would be all I needed, or so I believed.

But I see now that, by deliberately giving me only information...

...the other Odysseus tried to ensure that I wouldn't take things like emotions or principles into my calculations.

He prevented me from seeing that Proper Human History's true strength lies not in its thoughts, but its emotions.

This battlefield is about to become quite messy. ...And it'll put Chiron through no small amount of hardships.

... ...

Gather up the remaining Demonic Beasts and have them fight the creatures the Echidna is birthing.

Increase the security on Nemesis Island's landing points. Hurry!

Y-yes, sir!

...Maybe I should have sent out the Olympian soldiers after all?

No, I was the one who decided these military assets would suffice, so I'll go out to fight them myself.

Bring me the last Cerberus!

But sir, that Cerberus has gone berserk, too!

...I'll bring him to heel.

All right, I managed to get one over on Odysseus, but this is as far as that goes. Dammit, all this hard thinking's going to give me a fever!

Anyway, I did what I had to. However it goes with her is none of my concern anymore!

Okay, time for me to do my part!

From now on, don't worry about me, and don't worry about Jason anymore, either. Whatever happens to us, happens.

Fujimaru, your job is to get to Nemesis Island, and mine is to get you there.

That's all there is to it.

？！

I'm still a pirate, even with these dashing good looks. If I have to die, I'd much rather it be at sea than on land.

Once you get to land, Mandricardo, I'll be counting on you to watch out for Master.

...I will.

I didn't have many chances to talk to you, and you were never the chatty type to begin with...

But all the same, I know I can put my full trust in you!

Fujimaru, can you hear me?

You mean Captain.

That's right. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

？！

Those new Lamia have started devouring the Lamia that were chasing us around.

I'm betting we can thank Mochizuki Chiyome for that. At any rate, we're now a lot freer to act!

Keep sailing straight ahead, Royal Fortune! We'll cover you with our torpedoes!

？！

Haha, I get the distinct impression my thunder was just stolen!

All right, my beautiful Royal Fortune, let's be on our way!

One way or another, this will be your final voyage!

As much as I love this ship, I'm afraid her rigging isn't all that great, so our only choice is to keep sailing back and forth as we try to force our way through the middle!

Hard to port! Mandricardo, open up the sails!

As luck would have it, we've got a storm headed our way, so we'll use the tailwind to make a figurative run for it!

Our only choices now are to sink, or to make it to the island!

A storm? Whoa, you're right! It's started raining like crazy!

Try your best not to slip! Okay, here comes the first enemy formation! Hard to starboard!

More enemy ships are drawing near! Awaiting your orders, Master!

We still need to evade the enemy at least twice... But I don't see how we can pull it off!

？！

Y-yes! I'm here!

...Oh, I see. You want me to come down. Got it!

Don't worry, Bartholomew, I know what I have to do.

Protect our trump cardMaster, that is, no matter what, even at the expense of my own life!

That's fine. I can do that. Big brother always said I was the kind of person who gets stronger under pressure!

And this is the most pressure I've been under since the last days of the Trojan War!

True, you do shine brighter whenever you're backed into a corner.

A little pall now and then would only add to your appeal.

?

Of course he isn't! Just look at how cute he is!

(I don't know if that's the word I'd use...)

Of course! Lord Apollo is a great and wonderful god!

Yeah! Besides, what would a sheep need with a conscience?

？！

All right, here comes the second enemy formation!

Some are fighting Demonic Beasts, so if we play our cards right, we might be able to wait until they take each other out!

Got it. Then let's come up with a plan that takes all that into account!

All right!

Hell yeah!

...Thanks!

？！

Aww, I'm kind of jealous.

But then again, you and I are even closer than friends, aren't we, Lord Apollo!

Of course. You could fairly say we are more than friends...even more than lovers!

Wait, what!?

Dammit, they hooked their anchor onto the Royal Fortune!

It's really digging into the hull! Crap, now they're boarding the Fortune!

It's a Cerberus! Paris!

Ah!

Agh! Wh-why you...!

？！

...I'm sorry. I don't think he is.

(Damn. Looks like he won't be fighting again anytime soon...)

Khh...! How did...this happen?

I thought Chiyome made the Echidna go berserk!

Simple. I'm now controlling it myself.

Is that...!?

You!

I-it's you!

...So, you're Fujimaru.

And you're Mandricardo, Paris, Bartholomew, and Mash Kyrielight.

I am Odysseus.

The Lostbelt Servant entrusted with defending Atlantis.

There's no need for formalities. We've both played our hands as best we could.

All that remains now is to let fate decide the victor.

Fate...

Which side is superior? Which one of us is superior?

Where do we fall short, and how?

I could stand here and list Proper Human History's flaws all day, and you could point out reasons why our Lostbelt should be pruned...but none of that matters now.

The only way to determine who will win this now is through battle.

And I have been chosen by the gods for that very purpose.

...Aha. Now I see.

That might be where I made my mistake.

Perhaps the elation at having been chosen led to arrogance clouding my decisions.

...Oh well. At this point, none of that matters.

Every regret and humiliation I have suffered to date can and will be made up for in this battle.

For in order to win...

...all we need do is kill you, Fujimaru.

Yeah, that's not happening.

We're going...to beat you! Just watch us!

You have nothing further to contribute. You are already out of the fight.

So what!?

Maybe I can't fight anymore, but that doesn't mean I can fall back here!

Even if it means I have to slog through the same desperation I felt the last time I fought you!

Paris!

Well said, Paris. I think this time I can lend you a bit of my power.

Please do...Lord Apollo...!

...I was quite certain that I had avoided underestimating any of you.

Still, I'm impressed you made it so far, weak as you all are.

We handsome men of the sea laugh at danger. From where I stand, you're just another wave waiting to be crested over.

...None of you will be cresting over anything. You will never reach Olympus as long as I still breathe.

Prepare for battle!

Here they come!

Get ready to fight, Master. This will be our last stand on the sea!

？！

Right! I promise I'll do my best!

We've been hitting it over and over, but it just won't stop moving!

(Huff, huff, huff)

Ghh... This is...pretty rough...

I can...still fight...!

(Bartholomew and Paris are both nearly done for... So I guess it's all up to me to hang in there!)

...Overload the Poseidon Klironomia. Prepare for detonation.

Aw crap! He's gonna blow himself and his men up just to take us out!

...Not if I have anything to say about it!

You're not going anywhere!

Ghh!

Why are you doing this!? If that thing explodes, it'll kill all of you too!

Defending Olympus is our sworn duty! Our lives are a small price to pay to fulfill our duty!

Every one of these soldiers has long dreamed of one day ascending to Olympus.

For them, even death is a form of salvation.

That's messed up, Odysseus!

You can't just toss away innocent lives on the gods' say-so when they don't even really understand the situation!

You are our enemy; your judgment means nothing to us. My duty is to ensure we prevail over all of you; nothing more.

So I will use all that I must to secure victory.

...And that's why you've lost, Lord Odysseus.

You may know all about how to use people, but you know nothing of how to love them anymore.

Not when your beloved Penelope never even existed in this world.

!!!

Le Rêve Ensoleillé!

...!

Ah

...Heh.

Did you think I would fail to notice your absence?

Have you forgotten that we are connected by virtue of being Master and Servant?

That connection still holds even if you no have abandoned your loyalty to me.

So, you took a small boat to come here on your own.

I suppose you deserve some credit for managing to hide your intent to kill me up to the last moment...

...but in the end, that's all you were able to do.

？！

Master...

Farewell, my Servant.

...!!!

You bastard!!!

Did you truly expect to catch me off guard with such a pathetic attempt at a sneak attack?

The only thing you've managed to do is send that Servant to an early

...Le Rêve Ensoleillé.

...What?

Impossible... How are you...alive?

I was sure...I killed you...

You did.

I always knew that a sneak attack would never work on you.

You were sure to be wary of an assassination attempt the moment you realized I was nowhere to be seen.

After all, the fact that I'm an Assassin, even a lowly and pathetic one...

...meant there was always a chance I could turn the tables on you.

And if you were ever going to leave yourself open to me, it could only be because of how you underestimated me.

You thought you knew my abilities inside and out...

...so you ignored the possibility that I might attack you more than once.

What do you...mean?

I gave myself a new skill when I received the Athena Klironomia.

A special skill that would let me act even after I'd died.

Battle Continuation... I see. I didn't realize...how far you were willing to go...to achieve victory...

I misjudged...your tenacity...

But you would also do well... not to misjudge mine...

Lady Artemis... I won't restrain you any longer.

I've just sent the signal...to fire your primary cannon...

...So...there was someone...I loved... in Proper Human History...

I wonder what...she was like...

Phew...

？！

...?

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm afraid I'm kind of useless right now.

What do you mean?

The Battle Continuation I acquired from the Athena Klironomia is a little different from the usual one.

It only lets me act until I've managed to kill Odysseus.

So I can't remember anything about any of you anymore. Not your names, faces, memories... Nothing!

In fact, I don't even remember why I wanted to kill him so badly in the first place anymore.

That's... This is...

Anyway, I'm glad it seems I was able to help you all out, even if I don't remember why.

...I really don't remember why I did this at all.

But for some reason, there is one feeling I still remember.

I remember I wanted to be useful to someone.

I don't remember that person's name, or what they looked like, or anything about them anymore...

...but I remember I loved them so, so much!

So much that I didn't even think twice about sacrificing my life or my memories to help them!

I'm sorry. Whoever you are, I'm so sorry!

I know this is incredibly unfair, and selfish, and cruel of me! But, all the same...I hope you'll let me go.

After all...you were my first love. A love so great and all-encompassing it felt like it would swallow me whole.

...Goodbye, everyone.

Goodbye forever, my love.

...I hope you have a wonderful life!

？！

A love that swallowed her whole, huh...?

...Fujimaru, I know this is a lot to ask of you right now.

But we need you to hang in there a little longer. Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground.

？！

Good.

... Master!

Raaaaaah!

But...I thought this battle was over!

Hell no! Not by a long shot!

We all swore to Lord Odysseus that we would devote our lives to this war. Death is nothing for us to fear!

Now come on, let's go!

Dammit!

That bastard Odysseus even planned beyond his own death!

If we stay here too long, we'll all get caught in Artemis's blast!

We have to get to Nemesis Island before that happens!

Ghh... Now! Do it now!

What are they talking about?

...Shit! They're planning to blow up their ship's engine!

Mandricardo, get that anchor off my ship! We need to get out of here, now!

？！

Got it! I'll go pull it off right

Oh, no you don't!!!

Come on... Just a little...longer!

There! The engine's all set to blow!

Great work!

Crap! Fujimaru, get behind Mash!

Mash, I'm gonna do my best to contain the blast!

Understood! Releasing True Name, frozen deployment...!

I'll hit 'em with my Noble Phantasm! I just hope the shock wave doesn't come back this way!

(Is this gonna be enough to contain it? ...Dammit, I don't know! I hope it is, but)

Out of the waaay!

What!?

The Argo! Jason, you son of a gun!

There, that got the anchor off! Now come on, get out of here already!

You got it! Hard to port!!!

What, are you worried about me? You don't have time for that! Just go!

You don't have time to be worried about me, you idiot!

Just go! Hurry!

？！

You're not going anywhere! After them!

Don't you go dragging them down now, you fools! You already lost! Just accept it!

Stilly as it feels to say something so clichéd...

If you want to get to them, you'll have to go through me first!

Get out of our way, you pathetic weakling of a soldier!

Ghh! Well, excuse the hell out of me for being born weak!

Shut down the engine before it blows! ...Dammit, we're too late!

Ha. Dammit... I always did have the worst luck!

？！

No way did he escape that blast...

He couldn't possibly have survived...

We lost a good ship today...

Jason...

I thought I was done for!

Wipe that dumbfounded look off your face! Of course I'm alive!

Believe me, I'm as surprised as you are! It was way, WAY too close for comfort, but yes, I'm still alive!

？！

That said, I'm not going to be much use for a while after taking that blast right in the back! I can't move, so I'm going to sleep!

The Argo did well hanging in there this long, but this is as far as it goes!

The rest of you can take it from here. Good night!

Will do! Now that we've got a clear path forward, all that's left is to follow it!

Full speed ahead! Like a storm!

As a certain captain to whom we owe a great debt would say; the Wild Hunt's about to begin!