[ Creators ]

Chapter 34

Later that day, Saturn and Koto watch Red and Straus have a sparring match. The two munches on snacks that Straus and Koto... "borrowed" while watching Straus and Red trade blows.

"What are they fighting about, miss?", inquires Saturn, who hadn't seen the start of this training session.

"Oh-!", Koto swallows before continuing, "They're just fighting for fun. I don't consider myself much of a fighter, so I'm just watching."

"Hmm...very nice..."

Koto appears nervous, "mmm- you seem- ... more timid compared to your wife."

Saturn sighs, "Don't worry, I am no longer bound to her."

"Oh-! ...Oh...Ok...!"

Meanwhile, on a familiar beach, a man with pale green hair wakes up, covered in sand. "HUH-!?...Whu-?...Where- am I? ...Who am I...? Oooowww-!", Then man covers his head, "...my ears are ringing...and I feel like I got punched...hard..."

The man gets up and tries to remember where he is. He thinks back, and a blurry memory resurfaces of himself charging at two individuals he'd never seen before. He then hears someone say "NO", before everything turns white. As the man walks through the area, people maintain their distance. As if they're afraid of him.

"Queen Jupiter's merc? Here?"

"Oh gods, what did we do?"

The man looks away from the crowd, "(What's everyone's deal with me? They're looking at me like I'm going to kill someone...") He takes his leave and decides to scope out the nearby Spaces. When he eventually comes across a bright indigo Space with two Worlds orbiting it, he feels compelled to enter. As he approaches, he sees more memories of the two individuals from before, a boy in a black coat and a girl with a pink scarf; perhaps they'll know what happened to his memory?

He enters the Space and comes across the people from his faded memories having a chat, with some others he didn't recognize. The boy with the black coat turns to look at him, "Oh? Who's ther-..."

Everyone goes silent.

The girl with the pink scarf hides behind the boy as he transforms; his hair becoming pure indigo as nine fox tails form from his back. He rears his head back as he begins to charge a laser from his mouth.

The man steps back as he sees a memory of this attack appear, "W-Wait! WAWAWAWAIT-! Hold on! I don't know what's happening!"

The girl peeks out and looks confused, while the boy continues to charge up, "Don't play me like a fiddle, MURDERER!!", he shouts.

"Murder-? Wh-? WAIT NO! HOLD ON, PLEASE!"

A girl with fiery hair steps up, "Wait...Straus stop." A very tall man stoops down and puts a hand on the boy's shoulder, "Hold on there a second, boy." The boy stops charging, "But- he-." The tall man speaks, "Look at him...he's confused and quivering..." The fiery girl smirks, "I think I hit him too hard. Man, I'm good!"

The girl with the pink scarf comes out of hiding, "What do you know about us?", she asks. The green man responds, "...Nothing. Just that I was involved with this place and you people. And by the looks of it, I did something to make that nine-tailed person upset..." "Yeah, there's plenty reason for that.", he says, standing defensively in front of the pink-scarfed girl. She asks another question:

"...Does the name 'Jupiter' ring any bells?"

"I recall people calling me her 'merc' on my way here... Why are they scared of me?"

The tall man presses his fingers against his temples, "Oh boy...The people are more scared of her than I thought...meaning the situation's only gotten worse.", he faces the green man, "Listen, son. I am, or- was, King Saturn. My ex-wife Jupiter made you using our daughter Gaia's DNA to be her mercenary in order to enforce her ideals of... 'Purity'. But Red over her stopped you just in time from killing these two, Straus and Koto... and it seems you suffered amnesia because of it."

"I try??", Red says with a glint of pride and a smidge of flattery.

The green man is taken aback, upon hearing this explanation his memories begin to fall back into place. Synthis looks back up at Saturn, "I...I see...It's a bit fuzzy, but I see it... Jupiter made me do horrible things and I never questioned any of it..."

"Being under her control isn't fun...", Koto chimes in.

Synthis looks at himself, "She made me using Gaia's bio make-up...I'm...just a copy..."

Koto, though still slightly afraid, offers encouragement, "...It's not too late to change that, Synthis."

Synthis think about his time with Jupiter, and doing so disgusts him. "I will not stand for this...!". In a swift motion, Synthis alters his appearance, giving himself a cyan color scheme and shattering the gem on his collar, the symbol of loyalty to Jupiter. "Hence this day forth, I shall side with you, King Saturn."

Saturn chuckles, "Now, now. There's no need to call me as such. Please, call me Saturn."

"As you wish, Saturn. I shall also assist you all in- ...Uhm- ...whatever it is you all do."

"Well, technically Ms. Pandora and I have formed a certain something in secret. But I wanted to beat her in 'spilling the beans', as they say."

"Hey-!" Pandora shouts, "Oh- fine. Spill away."

"We're calling it a Resistance, to Jupiter's rule that is. I'm afraid that her obsession with power and Purity has gone to her head."

Straus coughs, "morelikerottedhermind- ", and coughs again.

"She wasn't always like this", Saturn continues, "She was very capable of herself...but also incredibly complicated. My question is, will you join Pandora and me in this Resistance?"

"Join it?", Straus ponders.

Synthis nearly shudders at the thought, "If we do, we're risking our lives..."

Koto puts her hand over her heart and salutes, "I've died because of her influence once...I'm not going to let it happen to me again. Or anyone else for that matter!"

Red puts her hands on her hips and grins, "I'm no longer afraid of fighting her...and I'm done blaming myself for things that were her doing."

Straus smiles, "Join it?" He clicks his fingers and summons all of his Incarnates.

"We will join.

And we will win."

DarkClaw wraps his arm around Straus' shoulders, "For my bruv right here, I'll show that oldie why I'm the best in the business."

"I'll show her that our faith in Straus won't falter", Azura promises.

Nathaniel cracks his knuckles, "She'll know why I'm the King."

"I'll show her no mercy", Amadi grimly assures.

Ex hops on his toes and punches the air, "She'll never know what hit her!"

Ajax bows, "Straus already has my allegiance, for he is my friend."

Saturn laughs heartily, "Well then! I see you're keen on it, Straus. I knew you had the spirit for it!" Straus turns and faces the others with a confident smile.

Today is the day the Resistance begins.