Atlantis

[Bloodedge]

"I..." he said once more under the Dragonoid's gaze. It became clear to him what was going on below the surface of his own being, as well as the fact that Tatsuki sought exactly the source of that burning sensation. He couldn't let that happen, could he? He'd be lying if he said he wasn't very tempted, at the least. Still... there was so much to accomplish, and he couldn't trust the brutish Dragonoid within to execute things properly. He had a mind to mobilize the oppressed for their own sake, whereas his Dragon self would likely take up arms alone. Even with the very clear reaction of his body to the Dragonoid he held still, he had to resist at all costs.

"I-..." Once more. This time around, he had to insist. Seriri's additional commentary was right; he had to remain steadfast. "I'm not a Dragon," he said in spite of everything going on, seeming to contain much firmness within his otherwise angelic visage. "Akashi had his time. I won't let him out." As he spoke this words, the burning within even seemed to subside a bit.

[Apollymi]

Much like Miki had done a few days prior, Kou found himself aiming to defy the Dragonoid before him. He came to the same conclusions that she had, that his own personality was necessary to do his work the way he intended to do it. And as Tatsuki stared down the lad he seemed to find the nerve to actually say what he needed to say in this moment. His words were firm, and carried the weight of a Dragon behind them whether he would admit this or not wasn't really important. Soon he would understand. Tatsuki for her part in this stared into the lad's face and her own broken into a grin with little fangs and she leaned just a bit closer. "Those are the words of a Dragon," she said simply her hold on the lad loosened gently and she took to floating within his grasp. "The Power of Influence remains, regardless of the form you take. The other me figured that out as well... keep him at bay if you wish. I'll leave you to your work... for now," she said with a look on her face that was somewhere between tempting and threatening. But he'd made his choice for the moment and this new found resolve caused her to want to watch his actions and so she would from her perch. If he tried to move he'd find himself capable of it, but he would definitely still have the female Dragonoid's tail wrapped around him and her floating ever so slightly over and behind him, like a frightening shadow.

"Sou ka..." was the only thing said by Seriri. "I was wondering if she was going to carry him around..." she said aloud accidentally as she'd intended to think this thought alone. Tatsuki looked towards the Mermaid and saw her as someone of deep importance to the other versions of herself. As such she addressed her with calm familiarity. "A Dragon who needs to be carried is no Dragon at all..."

[Bloodedge]

In response to his proclamation, Tatsuki grinned into his face with the claim that his words were those of a Dragon. She also made mention of something called the Power of Influence, which itself was a foreign concept to Kou. Could it perhaps have been related to the sensation of Akashi within him? Maybe this was true. Whatever the case, Kou actually managed to shrink beneath the Dragon's unwavering gaze, even though she chose to leave him to his devices. At least he'd be free to go about his business for the time being.

"H-... Hai..." he said, still managing to be someone occupied with his gaze upon the Dragon's visage. In due time, he brought himself to move away... though not without realizing there was a tail surrounding his person, in spite of his freedom of movement. He didn't have it in himself to verbalize any sort of reaction to this; he was too busy focusing on moving away from the situation at hand. He would move on to take up the former slaver's head, and begin carrying it out of the palace whilst addressing Seriri. "Do you have a spell of some sort that would let me speak to every living thing in Atlantis at once?" When these words were spoken, the ever so silent Diva looked up, though not exactly in Kou's direction.

[Apollymi]

Kou finally found it in himself to shrink a bit from the Dragonoid's gaze, she would leave him to his own devices, but she had no intention of leaving him alone. Such wasn't within her being as a Dragon. Her mate as hers to look after, even if he didn't acknowledge needing her. And if he could take care of himself, so be it, but she'd be there regardless to see how his actions worked out in victory or defeat. That said Tatsuki watched his movements and him take up the head of the dead slaver. She did so without changing much about the look on her face, which settled dangerously near the displeased expression that Miki bore usually. All the while she was distinctly aware that the lad was still watching her at least a bit and she seemed to be fine with this on a deeper level.

As they progressed, it seemed that Kou had plans to address the whole of Atlantis. This would make sense and though Seriri didn't have such powers herself the shifty gaze of Diva let her know he had such an ability. "Iie, my magic reaches the whole of Atlantis but that is simply my weapon which is connected to the other aspects of it. But if that look Diva gave means anything, he might be able to provide what you need..." she said softly she looked to the quiet lad and gave him a soft smile. "Could you help him out, Diva?" she asked gently. She felt the need to continue protecting her charge and this was something Tatsuki watched and seemed to respect somewhere in herself.

[Bloodedge]

As strange as this proximity to Tatsuki was, there was a need for Kou to focus on the task at hand. Even so, it took quite a bit for him to stave off the visual aspect of his embarrassment. The shift in Diva's expression was something Kou took note of as he faced Seriri and attempted to keep focusing, but he wouldn't prod the lad. It seemed Seriri could do nothing to aide his plan of reaching the entire kingdom, but she believed Diva had the solution they would need.

The teal-haired male sheepishly, even briefly, raised his gaze to the queen. "H-... Ha-..." His eyes closed firmly, and his head lowered. Diva gave up on the verbal retort, but he did offer a slight nod of his head. "Take your time..." Kou spoke hesitantly. Whatever this male had been through was something he certainly didn't wish on even the most terrible of people, but again... there was work to be done. Diva steeled himself to the best of his ability, and produced from within himself the small, glowing golden cube from beneath Atlantis. The Guardians all over the kingdom stirred to life, runes and hieroglyphs along their varying forms glowing with the power of the ancient Atlanteans. Each Guardian towered over a segment of the kingdom, drawing the attention of man and mer throughout. They would function as communication devices, to which the microphone and image recognition was the cube Diva timidly held out in Kou's direction.

"Arigatou, Diva. I guess it's time then," Kou said as he stepped toward the cube, awaiting its recognition of him. All of Atlantis would see and hear him within moments, and he would see every nook and cranny of Atlantis through the cube as well.

[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.