Atlantis

[Apollymi]

Tatsuki was watching the lad she was wrapped around for the entirety of her time. This only changed slightly when Diva was prompted to help him and thus began moving in a specific way to offer the lad help doing what he needed. She remembered through her ties to Miki, everything that had happened to the man known as Diva and she respected his ability to even function mildly around another living being. If she'd faced even a portion of his torment, she didn't think she'd even be capable of the functionality he showed. There was something akin to respect in the face of Tatsuki and as such she kept herself a respectable distance from the other lad to keep the boundaries he'd established for himself. Seriri watched this and the sheepish way the lad tried to speak to her and smiled softly. He was making pretty decent progress considering, and even Kou who didn't really know what the lad had gone through was trying to give him the space and time to heal properly.

In the meantime everyone in Atlantis saw would see and hear through the guardians whatever it was that Kou intended to say. Tatsuki awaited this as well, her other self would have been quite keen to listen up perhaps this was left over from her unconscious desire. Perhaps Tatsuki wished to see what this man thought was so important for him to say and do as himself. Perhaps it was something else entirely that would make itself known over time. The slightest flare of her nostrils occurred as she stared at the lad with great intensity as his speech started. The whole of the underwater world would be listening, even the Siren. A sea witch with a body that showed six black tentacles below the belly button but her upper half had green skin with a swirls of white hair atop her head. She sucked the air in through her teeth and smacked her lips. How could the Banker have lost to a child only to leave her with the kind of problem she would now be facing.

[Bloodedge]

Once Kou became capable of interacting with all lifeforms in Atlantis, he inhaled a deep breath. With everything going on in the throne room, he didn't have the time for preparation that he would have liked. Alas, this had to be done as soon as possible. He'd have to work with what he had at present. And that, he would most certainly do with a metaphorical flame in his eyes that rivaled the physical flame of his Dragonoid self. "Atlanteans! Man, Mer, listen! This land is suffering! I know your days are filled with turmoil, even with hatred for your peers of a different origin! I am here before you today... because now is not the time for that! There is a much greater problem here..." As he spoke these words, he brought the Slaver's head into view for all to see.

"I'm sure most of you recognize this mer. For those of you who don't, let me enlighten you to the bondage of man and mer alike within this kingdom. I speak for those of you who fear speaking up for yourselves, and I say to you this: How long will you let yourselves be held by chains and seals!? For those who believe they are unaffected, I tell you, you are not! How much labor in this kingdom is divided unevenly!? How many lives of loved ones do you lose to tasks that cannot be completed by so few!? The fault is ones like this mer! No matter what you are, no matter what your current status, an imbalance to a land is a bane to every living creature! Mobilize for yourselves, people of Atlantis! The weak and oppressed will always outnumber the strong oppressors! Yes, lives will be lost, but does that compare to the lives never lived!? If no one else will, I will stand with you! Free yourselves of these bonds with your own strength! For those of you who are understanding, lend arms and aide to your fellow countrymen! For those of you who wish to remain ignorant, may you be enlightened in the future! For those of you who are opposed to this action, may you be reborn a better man! Lastly, for all of you..."

His speech was nearly over, but there was one remaining clause. Kou felt the need to emphasize this point more than anything else. He drew his sword, thrusting it to the sky as he spoke his final words to begin the people's revolution of Atlantis. "Fight for yourself! Fight for your loved ones! Fight for what you believe in! Take your destiny - your future - into your own hands, and fight for all the fighting done to bring you to where you are now!"

[Apollymi]

The sound of Kou's voice reached the masses and those who heard his speech were mobilized. It was as if all those who were good came to agreement over his terms. Was working worth it, if those who could help were kept away? Was the suffering of ones fellow man or mer worth their individual happiness? Many said no, and those who said no, far outnumbered those who would turn a blind eye. Across the whole of Atlantis a great cry could be heard. And following it, riots would abound. Slaves would rise up and the working class would join in, all to topple the sadistic aristocracy. All to stop the unfair treatment of every individual and it was marvelous. Tatsuki for her part in this, sniffed the air, and could already smell the iron of blood tinting the atmosphere. The burning of individuals as the people took back their freedom. "Sou ka," she said softly, she wouldn't let him go, but she would watch his progress, with a gentle squeeze of his body transmitted through her tail as a show of her approval in this moment.

On the other hand there was a single individual who saw this speech and became ravenous in a different way. "His voice! His face! Precious thing, you will be perfect. Let's go collect him... and you will be everything~" she mused to the giant monster, as her hand traveled possessively over its body. It smelled of blood and stagnation. Its individual pieces seemed to be pieces of different species from across the continent. Each thing taken from someone she saw as perfect in some way. All to build the perfect homunculus. She had done terrible things, and felt no remorse as she aimed for perfection. Her tongue traced over her thin lips as she cloaked her creation and aimed to storm the palace with him. It should be easy enough to gain this lad by taking the Queen and maybe his pet Dragon hostage in the interim. She would have him and the thought of it, made her moist with need. And just like that she'd turn herself towards the palace and would reach the steps with her creature through all the mayhem.

Meanwhile within the palace Seriri heard the lad's speech and had a great respect for him. She couldn't help but understand what it was that Kimi saw in the lad that made her like him so. She decided within her mind that the lad behind Kou/Akashi was the perfect match for her friend. And even though she couldn't tell the other two currently. She fully intended to help in all their plans to set these two up. Before that though, there was an issue to deal with, and it was one which was important. "I have to find out where the Siren is... she needs to be dealt with," she said calmly. She'd seen too much of the sadism and death of those who were wrong in Atlantis to want to put it anyone else, and she was more than willing to take out this last leg of the deal on her own. Tatsuki's nose twitched in the moment and she had something to say in typical dragon shortness. "There is no need to look... something disgusting just showed up on your doorstep."

[Bloodedge]

All over Atlantis, there were individual spikes in the peoples' Mana due to their emotional states. This occurrence on such a massive scale reached Kou's senses in the palace, letting him know without even looking that his speech had rallied the people. There wasn't a need for him to lift a finger; the people would earn their own freedom, their own way. All they needed to move forward was the initial push. There was one other thing, though. Seriri brought up the matter of the Siren, but Kou wasn't too concerned about that. The Siren would either reveal themselves during the chaos to grasp at their desire, or they would go into hiding and lose everything while behaving as a recluse during the revolution. Considering the Siren's influence, they had to be of reasonable enough intelligence to avoid the latter. So, the former was the only option. Where would they go, though?

... Apparently, they would come to the palace, according to Tatsuki. Were they en route to an attempt to eliminate Kou? No, that wouldn't make sense at all. Defeating him would do nothing to end the revolution already in progress. Whatever the case, he was keen to meet this 'Siren' person and put an end to their influence in Atlantis. "Good. I want to meet them."

[Apollymi]

Seriri's words were taken at face value, but it seemed their target had appeared before them, and she had only one thing to say since Kou claimed to want to meet this person. "Look, every time we come across one of these people they are engaged in some behavior which is gross, sadistic or just outright wrong... I can't even begin to explain how wrong," she said there was untold fury under her gaze, like she was seeing the first thing to upset her all over again. Luckily Miki was unconscious within their mind space, so Tatsuki had no outward show of emotion about the things the other lass had seen. It was quite true what Akashi had said, Dragons didn't concern themselves with lesser things. All that mattered to her, is those who had wronged her other self were already dead and could no longer upset her.

Knowing the Queen was in the company of a Dragon and an Adventurer, the guards were busy in the streets of Atlantis. As such the Siren was able to saunter up to the Throne Room unimpeded. With her the Homunculus she created, moving with the tail of a giant snake creature, but bearing the chest of a man and the arms of two different individuals. Its face and head were covered but that would be explained momentarily. "There you are. It's so good to see you directly, you're so much better looking in person... that face is so full of innocence... it's uncanny~" said the woman as she approached the group at large, but her movements toward Kou were met by a hiss from Tatsuki which caused her to think twice about her approach. "Come now, a Dragon surely can't be so interested in a human child. I simply like his face and his voice," she said absently petting the large creature at her side. with her fingers as her tentacles shifted in the floor. A trail of ink had followed this woman from where she started to here, as her arousal at the idea of possessing this boy, outstretched normal reason. "I want to add him to my pet... you can keep the rest obviously... and then I won't have to unleash this creature upon the palace. This whole revolution will be in vain after all, if the Queen dies, right?" asked the Siren, which made Seriri sigh, why was this the one who wanted her death directly. She seemed to be trying to use her influence here. But what she couldn't know was the type of people she was standing against right now. Strangely, everything being said here caused Tatsuki to let go of Kou. "Don't tarry." these were Tatsuki's only words, it was a warning to the lad that she had every intention of killing this woman if he took too long to do it himself. But much like Akashi, she'd decided to leave him to his work, this included handling the aspect of the underground business which fell under his purview.

[Bloodedge]

What Seriri spoke of was precisely the reason Kou wanted to meet the Siren. Even without knowing the specifics, he knew only unsavory things were going on in the underground of Atlantis. Finally, the ringleader and her creation appeared before them. This was... a very disgusting creature he saw ahead. Everything about it was grotesque in every way... and the same could be said of the amalgamation of body parts that entered with it.

"Ugh," Kou uttered as his ears picked up on the squelching sound from ink-stained tentacles on the Siren's lower body. Even more disgusting than anything else was her apparent desire to possess his face for the Homunculus she crafted. Indeed, this was the sort of thing Kou could have imagined taking place in Atlantis to create individuals like Diva, and likely many others if there were even survivors. Tatsuki released her hold on the lad to free him for an assault, and not a moment too soon. Of all the things the Siren had done, all the things she planned on doing even, she intended to see Seriri killed just to end the revolution? No, he couldn't have that at all. "You think killing a monarch ends a people's revolution? It doesn't," he said as he stepped forward, readying his blade and wearing a visage painted with determination. "C'mon. I'll fight you."

[Apollymi]

The Siren appeared in a shining example of 'wrongness' making the grossest noises, appearing with the most grotesque creature at her side, while also having the worst intentions of any singular individual they'd met so far. Surely she didn't believe she was doing the collection of body parts with her any kindness by letting it exist the way it did. Obviously she should know how gross it was to be so obviously pining for the attentions of a man for just physical aspects of his beauty which beyond all things would have been marred by the process if it were even possible to attain them in the first place. But it didn't matter, according to Kou the death of the Queen wouldn't stop the people's revolution. "Tsk," no matter. She'd still get what she wanted. "Oh? So you intend to fight my greatest creation? And me? Silly human child..." were the words of the woman. The amalgamation of body parts which was her pet, stepped forward. Its body pulsing with blood magic not unlike the earlier shock seen in Sazanami. But instead of punishing it, it urged it forward. It swung its arms wildly but attacked swiftly aiming to drop both its arms down atop the much smaller lad with the weight of its hefty body behind it. All while the Siren gave it directions. "Break his arms and legs, avoid that beautiful face of his~" she said as her own hands seemed to move about her body attentively feeding her own arousal. While the drops of the beasts arms occurred to land atop the lad's shoulders instead of his head, per her directions.

"Kimi, you want to kill her too right? It's not just me this time..." asked Seriri of the Dragonoid who outwardly showed nothing but those jewel red eyes of hers seemed to shine with some untold emotion. "Yes." was all the Dragonoid said, but there was much weight behind it. All the while, the Siren chose to try and manipulate the lad she was fighting against. Her aim to get into his head. "Oh? Fighting alone won't do will it. Did your little Dragon abandon you at the first sign of trouble... I've read a Dragon letting go of its mate is a bad sign," mentioned the woman, there was power in her words, like she aimed to have them influence the lad in some way. "Or maybe you are just a pet and she doesn't care at all..." she finished up. Tatsuki's right hand opened and closed and within it appeared a long sword with a pattern on it like her scales, which she laid across her body as she floated in the air. Her patience though normally massive was running quite thin with this ill-informed sea creature. "Dragons don't take interest in their pets. Nor do they take mates who are... lesser," she said firmly. That was it, Tatsuki had let go of the lad, because she could trust him to take care of himself. And because her instincts said if he couldn't then he wasn't equal. There was also the fact that if a Dragon considered something a pet, then the idea of breeding with it was non-existent. Dragons were higher order creatures, they didn't confuse their desires.

[Bloodedge]

"... No, not really," Kou said to the notion of him wanting to fight the Siren and her pet... thing. That wasn't his intention at all, despite him saying so himself initially. One could say he misspoke, but that didn't matter one bit. His fury toward the wrongdoers of Atlantis seemed to have develop a calmness about it by this point in the interaction. The Siren would soon find that to be a dangerous thing. As the Homunculus came his way, he flicked his sword outwards to keep it just out of his own way whilst he placed his weight on his left foot.

Two large arms were descending upon his shoulders. Thanks to his Class Skill, Instinct, he had no worries of this at all. He could see the beast as if it were moving in slow motion, even. His body shifted with his left foot as its pivot point, twisting to his immediate right to have the arms slip through the air at his fore and rear. A brief application of weight to his right foot thereafter saw to Kou hopping up and twisting back the way he'd been, all to land on those very same arms as his sword swept through the air in front of him. What would this accomplish? Well, he happened to be in a position to immediately decapitate the Homunculus while using his body as a stepping stone to approach the Siren. He clearly had no care for the Siren's words regarding Tatsuki. His main concern remained the heinous atrocities caused by this invader to the palace. "You repel me in every sense of the word, so I'm just going to kill you. There's not much else to it."

[Apollymi]

Kou's moves were decisive and artful. Each one of them served their purpose and nary an effort was wasted. This was something that seemed to resonate deeply with Tatsuki, and as she watched, she couldn't help but become less generally upset about the Siren and more generally smitten with Kou. Her eyes gained an attentiveness which made it impossible to decipher her intentions while taking in this sight. Did she want to fight him for challenge and thrill? Or would she rather ride and dominate him for showing such skill? The look that passed her face didn't seem to give away anything. "Interesting..."

In the meantime, the Homunculus hit nothing that it intended to. It had no time to react to the lad instead running up his arms after they hit the ground and before he could even lift them again properly. Before the time would come that he could grab at the lad at the bidding of his mistress, his head would be sent flying from his body backward, his non-existent face hadn't the tissue to show emotion but by the time his head fell to the floor and his body stopped dead, he was being used as a stepping stone and the angelic lad who'd so artfully dispatched him was now making a beeline straight for the Siren. "Oh no! My baby!" she said of the fallen creature. It was after all a life time of work completely destroyed in just seconds. She'd only just realized that the lad now claimed he would kill her, because she repelled him. Her charms hadn't worked. He hadn't lost faith in his Dragon, and if anything the Dragon seemed more interested by this show than less. She held a hand up above her face, her intention to cast a spell, of the blood shielding variety, to put to use all the of the magic she'd woven into the body of her Homunculus. Teeming red energy with ripples of blood would aim to take shape before her outstretched hand, shielding her from his encrouchment, and perhaps it would give her more of a chance to speak. At such close distance, her charms could only gain traction right? No one in Atlantis could challenge her this way, not even this boy with his beautiful face. Was her mind tricking her into believing she could win? No. "You can't kill me, I'm the Siren!" she proclaimed.

[Bloodedge]

One down. All that stood before Kou now was the Siren herself. Not for long, he thought. She'd fall soon enough, though apparently not before she raised some pitiful defense against him, wailing about being incapable of dying to his hand due to her title alone. Alas... it was just that: A title. There was nothing in this woman's arsenal that could fell him, and everything in Kou's own arsenal that he could use to end her. That wasn't enough, though; not at all. Perhaps due only to her most recent claim, he had to use her for more than that as well.

"I can't kill you... because you're the Siren..." he repeated as he slowly approached her barrier. He was so angry... he actually wanted to laugh. This desire manifested in a warm and welcoming smile, though his eyes bore that same burning flame within crystalline hues. "Alright. Good." This simple mention preceded an explosion of Kou's Mana, which washed over the Siren's barrier whilst battering against it at the same time. The bulk of this Mana was centered around his blade, which he pressed the tip of against the blood barrier. Slowly, he pushed with enough magical energy coating his weapon to pierce his target.

... And just as slowly, he'd continue pushing it forward until it would reach his real target: The Siren herself. A mighty movement would follow, aiming to bifurcate the woman while cauterizing the wound with the heat of Kou's magic. One would almost be able to assume she'd been chopped in half by a laser if he managed this. With that, would come one more statement from Kou. "It'd be a shame if you died. I need you to sing a song for your servants... Siren."

[Apollymi]

The Siren was in awe. He'd slowed his pace. Her words had worked! The lad before gave her the most heart-warming smile and fully acknowledged that he couldn't kill her because she was the Siren. She was elated, and all was right in the world. She was so misguided. The smile aimed at her was full of something she didn't understand righteous rage, and what would come along with that was divine punishment. The boy's mana rolled into her barrier but it held. She could indeed win this, but the slow push forward never stopped. "I told you..." she paused as the swiftness returned and rather suddenly the barrier shattered. She might have thought that was it, but she felt strangely hot, and what was more her body felt like it was on fire. Most specifically from her lower torso down to her legs. "W--w--what!? What have you..." the finality of this moment settled and her eyes widened as her body started to fall apart. Her legs falling over to the left, as her upper torso also fell over to the right. She aimed to catch herself with her arms writhing in pain. "My legs, you've cut off my legs, you've ruined me!" she cried tears streaming down her face. But the lad's final words hit her ears like a crazed threat. "S-s---sing?" suddenly her words were no longer capable of coming out. She was alive but well and truly ruined.

In the meantime, Tatsuki watched this action with her eyes alight. She did not necessarily enjoy the suffering of the Siren but she called it fair based solely on the things her other self had witnessed during this time. She was complicit in the actions of those she empowered, and as such the suffering was deserved. Retribution at its finest. "No sympathy?" she asked of the Mer Queen at her side who looked on with nary a hint of anything like sympathy in her eyes. "Diva," was her one word reply and it was more than enough for Tatsuki to understand that the lass would rather save her sympathy for one who'd actually deserved it.

[Bloodedge]

Ruined, yes, but alive still. At least there was that aspect to the Siren's existence at present. Now, Kou could make use of her properly. He took a step toward the Siren's upper half, glaring down at her in the wake of her query. During this time, Diva heard the call of Seriri. He understood her purpose, and Kou's intentions as well. He'd do something similar to what he'd done with the Slaver, and for that, Diva had to step forward with the cube outstretched again, ready to be interacted with by any who touched it.

Kou reached out with the intention of snatching the Siren's hair; an act which would be succeeded by him jerking her toward the cube. He knew the streets of Atlantis were in absolute chaos by now, but there was one thing which would quell the offense of those who were under the Siren's influence. "Yes. Use the Guardians to sing a song to your people. Tell them to retreat... No! Tell them... to run away."

[Apollymi]

Kou had taken a very interesting turn in his dealings. But all present seemed to understand exactly why such an action was necessary. All except, the Siren herself. That woman was still coping with her loss, but she wouldn't be given time to mourn her missing legs. No, she'd be snatched up by the hair and turned towards the Guardian's Cube. She'd been given an order, and though she hissed in pain what was necessary was clear. She had to give the order for her people to retreat, but that wasn't all. The wording was now specific and she managed to look both horrified and confused. Even as this little half a body writhing in agony. "R-ru---run away?" she questioned. It seemed to specific to have not been intentional, and overall she wanted her suffering to end, but this, just seemed like he wanted to embarrass her and all she'd worked for, just to do so.

All the while Tatsuki and Seriri looked forward and then at each other. They understood maybe, just maybe though the sudden shift in Kou's personality was a bit worse, she was used to the actions of a certain black haired young woman. Though not as full of wrath there was a similar bit of retribution worked in. As if the suffering of those who did wrong was necessary for everyone to grow.

[Bloodedge]

As he held her before the cube, the Siren had the nerve to question Kou's demand. There would be no avoiding this. At this point, the words he spoke would be law for the Siren if he had his way. "Yes. Those words. Run away. I want you to be famous for those exact words. I want people to call you Madame Run Away. I want children laughing outside your door, because they've found the house of Madame Run Away. And, when people come to you, and ask if trying to get to me through the PEOPLE I CARE FOR...-" He paused, taking a deep breath. His anger was starting to get the best of him as the thoughts of the Siren's actions returned to him.

"-... is in any way a good idea, I want you to tell them your name. Oh, look... I'm angry. That's new. I'm really not sure what's going to happen now..."

[Apollymi]

The tirade that came from Kou made both Tatsuki and Seriri stare at him with wide eyes. They'd seen him in the last few moments go through a plethora of emotions, but in this moment there was anger so direct it was almost palpable. The Siren for her part in this heard out the speech and though she was in agony and though she was merely half the woman she'd been before, his speech had implications which gave her room to writhe. He claimed to not know what would happen for feeling such an emotion directly, but she had nothing but words left to work with, and she'd use them. "The anger of a good man is nothing to fear. Good men have too many rules." There was nothing but malice in this woman and she truly didn't care since her livelihood was being crushed as they spoke. There was a great and hefty pause but she'd say the words he asked. Obviously, though she'd been split in twain her life was her life still. "Run away!" she gave this order to all those connected to her. The violence would stop in a form of surrender as she called for slavers, torturers and those who trafficked within the underground to run from this good man's anger.

At the same time, Tatsuki watched as the wrath of a Dragon made itself known. She felt no sympathy and she had nothing negative to say. She was certain of this lad, more so than she'd been before. He was still her mate, even wingless with white hair. She'd calmly wait the sword disappearing from her hands in a splash of water. She'd not need to lift a finger this day, this woman would experience enough torment that her Dragon self didn't need to act.