It's been a few hours since they were still waiting to arrive at their destination with everyone remaining silent

Vivian: I wonder if we can see some whales from down here?

Tracer: I doubt we could, we're too far above the sky

Vivian: Yeah, but I could see the cloud! They have some weird shapes!

Tracer: True, I see one that looks like Wolf! In a dramatic edgy pose *giggles*

Tadayoshi: -_-

Vivian: Tadayoshi! Look! There's one that looks like a dolphin!

Tadayoshi: I see it...

Tracer: ...

Tadayoshi: ...

Tracer: You don't-

Tadayoshi: I don't see it

Vivian: It's right there! You just have to look very far from here

Tracer: *chuckles* He probably can't see it because of his squinting eyes

Tadayoshi: ... I hate you

Tracer: Oh you hate me because of my joke or you hate me because you can't think of a comeback?~

Tadayoshi: ...

Tracer: I mean I could go easy on you and take you real slow~

Tadayoshi: Just stop

Vivian: ... I don't get it

As Tracer and Vivian chuckle from playing around with Tadayoshi, Amelia continues to look in disgusted by Tadayoshi being around Vivian

Amelia: Still don't get what's so great about that damn demon...

She turns at Kiryu who is still debating to himself what to do to which Amelia lets out a sigh

Amelia: You still debate about this? You've been silent ever since we took off

Kiryu: ...

Amelia: Look, Kiryu I think you should just stop debating about this. You know what he-

Kiryu: ... Tadayoshi

Tadayoshi: Yeah

Amelia: Kiryu?! What are you-

Kiryu: Amelia, please... I just need some answers...

Amelia: ...

Kiryu: So is it true... that what we saw is... really you?

Vivian: Kiryu! Tadayoshi doesn't-

Tracer: Vivian... just let them talk for a moment

Vivian: ... Ok

Tracer, Amelia, and Vivian remain silent as they move slightly away from them so Kiryu and Tadayoshi can have their conversation

Kiryu: So... is it true?

Tadayoshi: ... Yes

Kiryu: So are you here for your group to come and conquer Coltopia

Tadayoshi: No...

Kiryu: Then why are you here?

Tadayoshi: ... I wanted to start a new life, escape from myself... become a normal person...

Kiryu: Why? I thought what they offered you was something far greater than what the world has...

Tadayoshi: They did... but I don't deserve it after what I did... It's why I try to avoid getting close to you all...

Vivian: Tadayoshi...

Kiryu: If that's the care, why are you building relationships with everyone you know now? And why are you putting so much trust in me?

Tadayoshi: Because I made a promise and... You were someone I wished I was...

Kiryu: ...

Tadayoshi: I wished I walked a better path than I did. You believe you can be better for other people... It's something I should've done, so I want to make sure you can do that... do better than I wish I could

Kiryu looked a bit surprised but couldn't help but let out a little smile in relief

Kiryu: Alex and BeatBox... do they-

Tadayoshi: They know... why do you think I try to push them away from me...

Kiryu: Well... At least I have some positivity to believe why I can still trust you then...

Tadayoshi: It's fine if you don't... It's understandable...

Amelia: Are you joking?... Do you still want to put trust in him?!

Kiryu: I just wanted to make sure I can trust him as a friend with Tadayoshi and not their other one... and I believe I am...

Amelia: ... How?... How? HOW?!

Kiryu: Amelia-

Amelia: Am I the only one who is the most normal here?! How can you be ok with this abomination? He killed innocent people! He killed people out of no care!

Tracer: Yeah we now know... but people can change you know

Kiryu: You just need to... open up and not have this one-sided fight and realize not everyone can remain the same...

Suddenly out of anger, she stands up and stomps on the ground as she pulls her SMGs out of anger

Amelia: I! AM! NOT! IN! A!-

Vivian: Amelia stop it!

She turns at Vivian who has an upset look on her face as she is holding onto Tracer

Vivian: This is why we are saying you're fighting yourself! Please just stop...

Amelia: ...

She remains silent as she starts to remember every person who has told her she's in a one-side fight to which she tries to hold her anger in but stops as she puts her weapons away and sits back down

Kiryu: Amelia-

Amelia: Quiet...

Kiryu: ...

Vivian: Tracer, do you think she'll be ok?

Tracer: I'm sure she will... just give her some time like Kiryu did

Vivian: Yeah...

Zack: Hello? Can any of you agents hear me?

Kiryu: We hear you!

Zack: Great! Still connected! But just wanna let you guys know we're here!

They all turn to look outside the window to which everyone looks in shock as to what they are seeing

Kiryu: So this is it...

Tracer: The Old Empire...

From afar, they see not only a destroyed old castle but a massive black and white flaming pillar that nearly engulfed the entirety of the island. The flaming pillar reaches the sky and the clouds swirl around it, covering the sky and the ground around it from the looks afar seem to be as if it is bottomless

Vivian: Woah...

Tadayoshi: The hell is that...

Zack: That... is the reason why your grandfather got his title of the strongest being in the world... he fought against Esper... their fight created what you see now is what we call; "The Gates of Heaven and Hell"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vivian: Gates of Heaven and Hell?

Zack: Yep!

Amelia: Wait a minute?! Who is this demon's grandfather?!

Zack: Why Aaron of course!

The second those words came out of his mouth, everyone remained silent as they slowly turned at Tadayoshi in shock while he looked at everyone in confusion

Tadayoshi: ... What? I thought you all knew

Everyone: NO!

Amelia: The hell made us think we know about you demon!

Tracer: Now that I think about it, no wonder you have a muscular body

Tadayoshi: I don't think that's how it works...

Vivian: Your grandfather is the strongest being in the world?! That's so cool!

Kiryu: Why did you think we knew who your old man was?

Tadayoshi: Craig kept pulling him up to me a lot so I'd figure he told you guys something about him

Kiryu: No, he's kept it very vague to us for some reason... what was your grandpa like?

Tadayoshi: Don't know, I barely got to know him as a person. All I know is that I looked up to him when I was a baby apparently

Kriyu: ...

Tracer: Jesus quite a surprising reveal...

Amelia: I find this hard to believe that the strongest man's grandson is this demon

Tadayoshi: ...

Zack: Believe what you want, but it's the truth! Especially since Tadayoshi has his grandfather's spear! The same spear that created that pillar!

He pulls out his spear to give it a look and starts to imagine what his grandfather looked like with the spear

Kiryu: Wait if that's his spear then how did you get his spear especially since you said you barely knew him

Amelia: Probably murdered him...

Kiryu: Amelia!

Tadayoshi: I don't know... it just... flew to me one day

Kiryu: ?

Vivian: So how did the spear create the pillar?

Zack: Well to be precise, it's their Color Awakening clashing against each other in the form of their color element

Vivian: ... What?

Zack: It's complicated, but when two people who have a very strong color spirit called Color Awakening, they can put their color spirit into their weapon and when both user's weapons clash, they create a combined color spirit that fights against each other that takes a form of a mixed element! But usually, the combined color spirits would disappear after a few hours but can be longer depending on how strong your color spirit is

Tracer: Wait when did Aaron and Esper fight?

Zack: About 80 years ago during the Titanomachy

Tracer: So that means-

Zack: That pillar has been here for 80 years and from what we've seen so far, it hasn't shown any sign of it dying down

Tracer: ...

Kiryu: Color Awakening... I've heard of that before... can you tell me more about that?

Zack: Later, I gotta drop you guys off!

Soon the helicopter arrives near the base as it lowers down enough for Tadayoshi, Amelia, and Vivian to jump out onto the ground, near the deserted base but also away from the flaming pillar

Zack: You guys will head into that old base to investigate anything and Agent Red and Green will head underground on the other side of the island

Tracer: Underground?

Zack: Trust me, as much as this place doesn't look like it doesn't have much than a flaming pillar! There open places than you think!

Tracer: ...

Zack: Almost forget!

He goes through his pockets and pulls out a batch of test tubes filled with purple liquid which he tosses to the agents below which they catch

Zack: In case you get caught by the CRAZE virus, drink those to keep yourself safe and cured!

Tadayoshi: Yeah...

Zack: Alright! We're heading out! Report to me if you all find something!

Kiryu: Hey! Be careful out there!

Tracer: Don't you dare die on me, you guys!

Vivian: Bye-bye!

Soon the helicopter flies off while Kiryu and Tracer wave goodbye to them as they watch it go away

Amelia: Listen up! I'll be taking charge here! If any one of you disagrees, just say it! Demon?

Vivian: Ok!

Tadayoshi: I have no interest in leading...

Amelia: Good! Let's get going... the castle should be up ahead

Tadayoshi: ...

They begin to traverse into the old castle where they enter inside and see nothing but dust and rumbles all over the place but it has the style of a royalty room. As they walk around they can hear their footsteps echo across the room which makes Vivian a little excited by it

Vivian: ECHO!

(ECHO! Echo! echo!)

Tadayoshi: This Esper man had some weird taste for a base...

Amelia: Enough fooling around and finding something already...

Tadayoshi: I just spoke...

They start to search around the place and Amelia finds photos of Esper that are vague from the dust but she can see he has white long hair to which she looks in disgust

Amelia: He was really full of himself...

Meanwhile, Vivian continued to search, she noticed Tadayoshi finding some valuable stuff which he started to take and put in his pocket

Vivian: What are you doing?

Tadayoshi: Eh?

Vivian: Why are you stealing?

Tadayoshi: I'm not stealing... just... treasure hunting... only because these could help my bills...

Vivian: *gasp* I wanna do some treasure hunting!

She begins to look around at the same places that Tadayoshi has already looked to which he lets out a sigh in a bit of disappointment and dumbfounded.

Vivian: Treasure! Treasure! Where are you?

Tadayoshi: This kid...

As she was searching, he sneakily puts a ring that he found before on a shelf beside her to which she notices and gets excited about finding it

Vivian: Tadayoshi! Tadayoshi! Look! Look what I found!

Tadayoshi: I see it, good on you...

Vivian: ... Here!

She holds up the rings to Tadayoshi to which he looks at her in a bit of confusion

Tadayoshi: Why are you giving me this?

Vivian: I don't need it... But I know you said you struggle with money so you need it more than I do!

Tadayoshi: ... Keep it. It can be a memory to you if you make a path with it

He takes the ring from her and puts it on her finger which is a little big but Vivian is happy about it

Vivian: Are you sure?

Tadayoshi: Yes...

Vivian: Thank you!

She goes in for a small hug which surprises Tadayoshi a bit but he decides to let her. He goes to pat her back but hesitates and lowers his arm down

Tadayoshi: Yeah...

Amelia: Hey! You two! Found something!

They turn at Amelia, who is behind a throne, and push a button that reveals a massive hidden doorway behind the throne which when opened, reveals a stairway leading downstairs

Vivian: *Gasp* Secret door!

Tadayoshi: What kind of hidden doorway needs to be this big just to go downstairs?

Amelia: Overlords are egotistical... You should know that if you are working for one

Tadayoshi: Are you trying to start a fight...

Amelia: Not starting a fight... I'm stating the truth demon... besides I don't get distracted by having a conversation!

Tadayoshi: ...

Amelia: Let's get going you two...

She walks up ahead in annoyance as Vivian watches her and then walks back to Tadayoshi as they start waking downstairs with Amelia looking back in annoyance

Vivian: You ok Tadayoshi?

Tadayoshi: Yeah... she just needs to wake up to reality...

Vivian: ?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This story is interrupted by a chibi Amelia doing some gun acrobatics on a fake wood dummy until it falls on her head from the bullet holes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Somewhere across the island, Tracer and Kiryu hop off of the helicopter as they are near the flaming pillar and an underground pathway

Zack: Alrighty! I'll be on standby so if you two are anything, let us know

Tracer: Yeah Yeah, we know

Zack: Oh and drink those cures before heading down

Kiryu: How come?

Zack: Cause this part of the island has a lot of CRAZE virus roaming around

Kiryu: Wait what?

Zack: Anyways, we gotta head up! I don't want me or the pilot to get infected! Good luck you two!

Soon the helicopter flies off as Tracer and Kiryu stare at it for a few minutes until immediately gulping down the cure

Tracer: Why the hell did he not tell us about it before arriving here?

Kiryu: He seems like he has a lot in mind to keep up from remembering certain stuff especially since he's always in the lab

Tracer: In his lab? Like what?

Kiryu: Don't know, since no one has seen what he does in his lab other than making weapons and the open construction for that "big project" everyone in the Guardians has been talking about

Tracer: ...

Kiryu: Anyways we should head down since we don't know how long this cure will last for

Tracer: Oh yeah, we should!

Soon they walk down the underground stairway where they see the flaming pillar close to them since the walls that are supposed to barricade it are broken

Tracer: ...

Kiryu: You got something on your mind?

Tracer: Kinda... just worried about what Vivian might have to go through with Tadayoshi and Amelia...

Kiryu: She's a strong girl! I believe she can handle it

Tracer: I guess...

Kiryu: *chuckles* You sound like a mom

Tracer: Do I? Heh, guess I could be one...

Kiryu: Excuse me?

Tracer: I'm not joking, been wanting to be one...

Kiryu: You? A mom?

Tracer: Ok just because I act like a pervert sometimes doesn't mean I can't be a good mother!

Kiryu: I get it, it's just a bit... surprising for you... Wait, is that why you never liked to go training with us?

Tracer: Pretty much, I'm not really much of a fan of fighting but I'll fight when necessary! Unless the fight is in a bed~

Kiryu blushes a bit in embarrassment and looks away which Tracer finds a bit surprising but lets a smug and a chuckle

Tracer: Oh I didn't know you were the embarrassing type~

Kiryu: I'm... not very good with women...

Tracer: I can see that but don't take it as a downside, it can be charming

Kiryu: What makes you say that?

Tracer: You have no idea how many men and women I've met before joining you guys...

Kiryu: ...

Tracer: Oh I almost forgot! How do you... Think of Tadayoshi right now

Kiryu: Tadayoshi?

Tracer: I just wanted to talk to you about this after the whole fight with him and Amelia so?...

Kiryu: ...

Tracer: ... Still not sure what to do

Kiryu: Yeah... like I have more trust in him after that small chat with him but... I don't know even if that's enough cause-

Tracer: Just go with what your heart decides! That is what I do

Kiryu: ...

Tracer: I know the stuff you said about him is true yet look at me, I'm not complaining

Kiryu: How come?... Have you not been trusting him?

Tracer: I trust him... I just feel like I have so much in common with him that I can't get mad at it...

Kiryu: ...

Tracer: Anyways it's fine you decide to not trust him but all I'm saying is that don't fight against what you want to believe in, it's basically lying to yourself

Kiryu: ... Yeah you're right... I-

Tracer: You what?

Kiryu: Hold that thought, we've reached the bottom floor...

She looks up ahead to see a metal push door with a glowing red shrine through the windows which they cautiously approach it and pull out their weapons

Kiryu: You ready?

Tracer: *nods*

They open the door and prepare themselves if something is there but they find themselves in what seems to be a deserted prison but they start to hear noises down the hall

Tracer: The hell is this place

They begin to carefully walk down the hall as they see each cell is closed by a glass wall to which Kiryu tries to get a closer look to what was inside.

Kiryu: They look like they're activated still...

Suddenly, something immediately slams its face against the glass wall in front of Kiryu, causing him to jump a bit and almost pull out his sword. He soon realizes it is just an infected person who has a decayed smile on his face

Kiryu: A CRAZE infected...

Infected: Hehehe

Zack: An infected? That shouldn't be possible... no one has been on this island for 80 years...

Kiryu: So that means someone is pulling the strings...

He gets a closer look at the infected to see its body is nearly decayed, covered with scars and dried blood, and skinny to the point you could see its bones and organs. He then notices a bunch of other corpses behind the infected with a huge smile on the corpse

Kiryu: It was surviving off the other infection... it must've been here for months

Tracer: Uhh... most of the infected look... off

Kiryu: Eh?

Tracer looked into another cell and she saw an infected brute with machines covering its body and face but could see a grin on its face as it paced back and forth

Kiryu: Whoever is doing this has been using the infected as test subjects...

Tracer: Or is this person trying to rebuild them to something else?...

As they were looking around, Tracer noticed something glowing bright red on the other side of the hall, to which she cautionary approached it and reached out to open the door

Zack: DON'T OPEN IT!

Tracer immediately stops what's she doing and jumps back away from the door

Tracer: What?! What's wrong?!

Zack: If you went in that room, you'd be dead! Not even that cure could save you!

Kiryu: What's in that room?...

Zack: ... Try to get a hard look from afar and you'll see...

Both Tracer and Kiryu squint as hard as they can through the doorway to kinda see whatever the glow is from happens to be transparent and red

Tracer: What is that...

Zack: One of the 7 rare crystals around the world... the red crystal... or what we call it...

Through the doorway is a massive red crystal that is supposed to be contained around by a glass cylinder but is shattered from the aura that was emitting from it. Plants and dirt are overgrown around it which is shown to be crushing all the floors and walls in the decayed rooms

Zack: The Madness Crystal... this is the reason why the Titans went berserk in the Titanomachy war... and possibly the origins of the CRAZE virus...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, Tadayoshi, Amelia, and Vivian continue their way down the stairwell as it seems the deeper they go, the darker it gets

Vivian: Hip-pity Hop-pity! My song will make you smile!

Tadayoshi: That song makes sense...

Vivian: I'm trying! It's hard to think of a rhythm! Maybe I could ask your best friend

Tadayoshi: You mean the boombox head?

Vivain: Yeah! That guy!

Tadayoshi: He's not my friend...

Vivian: Yeah-huh! He is!

Tadayoshi: He-

Suddenly, he had a small chill crawling up his back as he slightly looked behind him to see Amelia, glaring at him to which he turned to Vivian

Tadayoshi: Say kid, why don't you run up ahead!

Vivian: Why? I wanna tag along with you!

Tadayoshi: If you manage to get down the stairs first, then I might stop calling you kid

Vivian: Ok!

She quickly runs down ahead while he notices Amelia speed-walking toward him with the same glare on her face

Tadayoshi: *sigh* What do you want now?

Amelia: If you want to be better than you claim, then I need you to stop distracting her!

Tadayoshi: Me trying to bond with her is a distraction?

Amelia: For her, yes! I don't want her to be like you! Just stay away from her! I'm giving you a chance to prove to yourself you are better! You would know you wouldn't want someone like her to become you!

Tadayoshi: ... You're jealous...

Amelia: Excuse me?

Tadayoshi You're jealous because she's around me, aren't you?

Amelia: I am not jealous! I am concerned about her being an open mind girl around you! Especially since she has no idea exactly who you are!

Tadayoshi: This is what I'm talking about your jealousy! You're taking a bunch of the same stupid excuses on me because Vivian is around me. I get you don't like her choices but you have to respect them whether you like it or not

Amelia: ...

Tadayoshi: You're just pushing her away with that attitude you have-

Amelia: I know what she wants demon! So don't try to teach your way of life to me!

Tadayoshi: I'm trying to tell you to stop making yourself the fool here! If you knew so much about me, you would know you have no right to act like this to me when I used to be like that!

Amelia: I have every right demon!

Meanwhile, Vivian hops down the final step and starts to jump up and down in celebration!

Vivian: I made it to the bot-

Tadayoshi: Then you should know to show some respect to everyone!

Vivian: Huh?

She looks behind them to see Tadayoshi and Amelia reach down to the floor while in the middle of an argument to see Tadayoshi slowly getting annoyed and Amelia's blood boiling in anger

Amelia: You expect me to show respect to you after you destroyed my home!

Tadayoshi: I've done shit that I regret but I know I wasn't there when you lost your home!

Amelia: If you regret it and claim you hate yourself for what you've done, then you should pay with your life for what you've done!

Soon she slowly pulls out her SMGs out of anger to which Tadayoshi pulls out his spear for defense

Vivain: Guys...

Zack: Uhh, Vivian... I'm hearing some arguments... is everything ok?-

Vivain: No...

Tadayoshi: Killing me won't solve your problems

Amelia: At least I'd feel at peace knowing one of many of that group who ruined my childhood is gone!

Tadayoshi: ... It will not bring you peace... I know-

Amelia: You don't know! If you knew, you wouldn't have brought death to every person you saw since you were born!

Tadayoshi: ...

Amelia: AND AT LEAST I KNOW THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE HAPPY THAT YOU WOULD BE GONE FROM THIS EARTH!

Vivian begins to notice that Tadayoshi clinching her spear tightening as his veins were popping out from his hands in anger

Vivian: Amelia... Stop...

Zack: Amelia, That's enough! You're going-

Amelia: I SHOULD'VE KILLED YOU WHEN I FIRST SAW YOU! I WOULDN'T BE FIGHTING AGAINST PEOPLE I CARE ABOUT BECAUSE OF YOU!

Vivian: AMELIA STOP-

Suddenly their argument was interrupted by a loud screeching noise to which Vivian immediately covered her eyes in a bit of pain.

?: Reehaghjdidjjwbbbeeeeeeee...............

The group slowly turns in the direction where the noise came from as they point out their weapons at the shadowed hallway

?: ...........  SoOo.........

Soon they began to hear metal noises slowly getting louder and louder as it got close to them

?: ThIs Is PrOoF........ hUmAnItY iS.... dIvIdeD...

Soon out of the shadow, a mechanical decayed droid walks out with multiple nanobots crawling around him and some of the nanobots that are dead falling out of its eye

?: HaTeD... UnEqUeL... kIlLeRs... UnWoRtHy FoR lIfE

Tadayoshi: The hell is that...

Amelia: Zack... who is controlling that droid?

Zack: I'm searching... but nothing is connecting to that droid... it's-... no... it can't be...

Tadayoshi: What?

Zack: ... That droid is an AI...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Art:

Tadayoshi and Cassie

Me and __8tm__ splatoon persona