Prelude

Looking out the window of a cafe in Shibuya, Amelia watched daily commuters walking through the crossing. Like a floodgate releasing water, droves of people advanced across the intersection at the sight of a crosswalk signal. It was a sight she had only seen in old travel magazines she read at the doctor's office as a child. Even with her status as part of an international detective agency and all the abilities that came with it, she had not taken any jobs in the country, preferring to keep her business closer to home in the West. Though she desired to take a break and relax for a while, circumstances were different. She remembered that she was here on urgent business, not for travel. She took a sip of the tea she bought, feeling its warmth throughout her entire body. Amelia had slept the night before on the submarine, though she still felt her body ache from all the battling the days prior. Not only that, but there was also a nervous feeling creeping around her, one she could only describe as dread. Sitting across from her, Gura admired a strawberry cake sitting on a clean, white plate, ready to dig in at a moment's notice. The Atlantean looked up at Amelia, noticing her troubled expression.

"You feeling alright?"

As if shaken by her words, Amelia's face suddenly lifted to a friendly smile. "Oh, yeah, I'm ok."

"You've been quiet this entire morning, something on your mind?"

"No, nothing in particular."

Gura cut a piece from her cake with her spoon. "You're thinking about her, right? The Ancient One?"

Amelia's smile dissipated, leaving only apprehension in its departure. Her gaze fell to the table in front of her, sighing. "I don't know why I'm feeling like this."

"I don't blame you, Ame. This is the same girl who destroyed your home."

Images from that night flashed across her mind at lightning speeds. When she thought of seeing that face once more, her stomach dropped. She wondered if Cthulhu was right, if the Ancient Ones were truly benevolent. After seeing what only one of them did to the world, it was becoming increasingly difficult to believe.

Gura continued. "Are you sure you're fine with meeting her?"

"Completely," Amelia lied.

The truth was that she actively dreaded the idea since its conception by Yog-Sothoth. She put her fears to the side till she crossed that bridge and now, looking at the bridge with her own eyes, she hesitated to take a step further. However, she remembered that the High Priestess could be a vital part of preventing the end. She would force herself to cross that bridge if it meant bringing back everyone she knew and loved and saving Gura, Emma, and Marine from that terrible fate. The detective had pondered on whether Yog-Sothoth was trying to deceive her, her trust in him weak, but a part of her knew felt that it would not go through all the trouble to assist her. Furthermore, she recalled a certain uneasiness in the Outer God's voice when they spoke for the first time, something that convinced her that it was not lying. Besides, even if the deity was tricking her, what choice did she have? She would be lost in the past searching desperately for how to start her journey. For the time being, she would follow Yog-Sothoth's instructions, until she gained further knowledge of what was going on.

"So where do we start, Ame?" Gura asked, taking a bite from her cake, "Tokyo's a big place."

"We'll need to find a database for all residents living in each ward of the city. We've already got a name, Ninomae, so I don't think it'll be too hard to find her."

"True, I've never met of a Ninomae in my life."

"Me either. I'm assuming then that her name's one-of-a-kind, which makes finding her way more easier. I have clearance from the organization I'm in to access any database I need, under the condition it's for an investigation." Amelia shrugged, "Well, this is bigger than any case I'm ever going to work on, so I should get a pass."

"Great, so getting to her should be quick. I actually really want to meet her, I wonder what kind of person could do all this stuff in the future."

Amelia nodded. "Me too, Gura."

As the two left the cafe, hot, humid air greeted Amelia as she stepped onto the busy streets. Moving away from the ocean of people traveling, the two found a spot away from any commuters. On an overpass overlooking early morning traffic, Gura pulled out her phone, leaning against the railing.

"Alright, where to partner?"

"The Metropolitan Government Building, they should have information there."

"Okie dokie-"

A ringtone interrupted Gura. She and Amelia looked at the unknown number. She swiped to answer and pressed the phone to her ear.

"Hello, who's this?"

"Hey Gura, it's Emma."

"Emma?"

"Put her on speaker," Amelia said.

"Yup, it's me. Amelia's there with you right now, isn't she?"

"I'm right here, Emma."

"So how's it going with you two? Marine told me you're in the area."

"You're here in Japan too?" Gura asked.

"We have headquarters all over the world but I'm here at the Tokyo branch right now."

"The search is going fine, we've got a name, all we need is a location," Amelia explained.

"Sounds good. Marine also told me you three met Mori on the way to the island. Hope she wasn't too much of a pain."

The detective chuckled, "Pain's an understatement. We shook her off our tail though, at least for a little while. How're things going at the corporation?"

"To make things short, not so good."

"How so?"

"Someone stole the mask."

"You know who did it?"

"Nope, I was there when they attacked but the details are kinda hazy."

"Are you ok?" Gura asked.

"Well I'm not dead," Emma chuckled.

"Geez, you really need to take some time off Emma, you've been through a lot in the past week," Gura advised.

"I wish I could, but now that a potentially dangerous artifact is out of our hands, I've got a feeling I'm gonna be working overtime for a few days. Anyways, good luck on finding that girl. Maybe after you sort things out we could eat out at an izakaya."

"Sounds like a plan," Amelia smiled.

-

"Stay safe, you two."

Emma hung up, lying back in her rolling chair. Looking at her reflection in the black monitor of her computer, she could see bags forming under her eyes. A cold bowl of instant ramen sat next to her keyboard with more bowls stacked on the other side. She stretched in her seat, yawning. She wished she could go home, sleep and forget about everything. The white room, the white lights, the white walls of the cubicle she sat in gave her boredom unlike anything she experienced. Emma regretted ever whining about college life, now that she knew how life would be as an adult.

She began to doze off, her vision fading to a comforting black. Before she could drift off and sink into the land of dreams, a gentle voice calling out her name brought her back to consciousness. Hearing her name for the fifth time, she shot awake. Turning around, a woman in a maid outfit stood there holding a tray with a cup of steaming coffee.

"Aqua?"

A gentle smile graced the maid's face. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

Emma shook her head. "No, no, thanks for waking me up."

"I brought you some coffee. It's the strongest we've got right now."

"I appreciate it," Emma thanked, taking the cup.

"I can't believe you've been here for almost a week straight, you really need to take some time off. I'm sure Mr. Yagoo wouldn't mind, seeing how much work you've put in this week."

"If I want to get anywhere in this company, I need to be prepared for things like these."

"But you're already an assistant manager, isn't that enough? When was the last time you actually took some time off for yourself?"

"Once I get to where I want to be, I'll gladly go on a vacation but as of now, this assignment is my first priority. This mission could give me the promotion I need."

Aqua sighed, shaking her head. "That Mr. Yagoo, giving you a difficult mission from the get-go. I heard about what happened, how're you doing right now."

"Could've been worse, at least nobody died in the attack. For some reason the boss didn't chew me out for losing the mask."

"That's because he knows how much you've worked in the past week. Why don't you take a break and let us operatives take over the mission for a bit, I'm sure Gen 3 would love to help you out."

"This mission is my responsibility, Aqua. I don't want you girls trapped in this mess."

"But it's our job to help, Emma."

"Trust me, I'll be fine. I'll find that mask again, I'll make sure of it," the manager assured the maid.

Aqua sighed. "Ok then, we'll leave it up to you. Just know that we're worried for you. You've done a lot to help us in your first few weeks here. Call anytime if you need help. And please, take care of yourself."

Emma nodded. "I promise."

One of the manager's coworkers peeked into the cubicle. "Hey, Ms. Emma, someone just arrived at the offices. They're asking for you."

Emma raised her brow in confusion. "Me? Who is it?"

"Not sure," the man replied, "they just told me you were an old friend."

The manager walked out, Aqua following behind. Descending down to the first floor, her blood ran cold as the doors slid open. A woman stood next to the secretary's desk, fixing her short, light blond hair in the reflection of a pocket mirror. As Emma approached, she snapped the mirror shut, stopping the manager in her tracks.

"Well, well, well," the woman started. "Long time no see, Emma."

To Aqua, this woman's voice belonged to an angel. She had a radiance and brightness that contrasted with her friend's seriousness.

"So it is you," Emma crossed her arms.

"You know know each other?"

"Unfortunately," the manager replied.

The woman chuckled, walking towards the two. "Oh, don't be like that. I'm sure you're happy to see me again."

"Tch," Emma looked away.

The woman outstretched a hand towards Aqua. "My name is Jenna, nice to meet you."

"Aqua," the maid reciprocated her handshake with a friendly smile.

"Alright, enough with the pleasantries. Why're you here, Jenna? I haven't seen you in ages."

"Good question. Your boss called me here to help you out."

Emma's eyes widened. "Mr. Yagoo? But why?"

"Told me you were running into some problems. He knew I was your acquaintance back in the day and asked if I could assist."

"And you agreed?"

"Of course, why would I ever turn down the opportunity to meet an old friend again?"

"He's crazy if he thinks I'll accept this."

"Well I'm sorry to hear that, because as of right now I'm your partner in this mission."

Emma gritted her teeth. "You can't be serious."

"But this is great!" Aqua chimed in. "Emma, you've got someone to help out. You don't need to stress out as much."

"Not her. Anybody but her," the manager clenched her fist.

"Oh c'mon, don't be like that," Jenna smiled. "It'll just be like old times."

"I'm going on my break," Emma grumbled, walking past her towards the sliding doors leading outside.

"I wonder what's wrong..." Aqua said.

"Don't worry," Jenna watched as Emma walked down the street. "She gets like that when we're forced to work together. Give her some time."

-

Mori Calliope walked through the streets of Tokyo, getting passing glances from commuters perplexed by her choice of attire. The reaper sighed, wishing she brought some clothes from back home as she stuck out like a sore thumb in the massive crowd of people. The bustling metropolis was no stranger to Mori. She had to take a few souls from murder victims and people who took their own lives. Her work was unsavory to say the least, but she took comfort in the fact that the souls she carried to the afterlife were free from any pain they felt before they passed. Though she was fine with violence if it was the only way to get what she needed, she despised murder with every fiber of her being. She only used it as a threat as a last resort if all fail and every time she did it she was bluffing. Though she could not interfere, she hoped justice would come to killers with an iron fist of vengeance and they would pay for what they did to others.

Passing through an alleyway to get away from the crowd, Mori watched as a door slammed open in a place where few people went through. A young man was thrown out onto the floor, groaning as he laid on his back. Three sleazy-looking men walked out from inside the building, one holding a sawed-off shotgun. One of the men, who Mori presumed to be the leader, kicked the young in the gut, forcing a violent cough from him. The leader pulled him to his feet, shoving him against the wall.

"You thought you could cross us and get away with it, you piece of shit?"

"Please, just let me go, I can't keep doing this!"

"Don't forget, you owe the gang money. You either deliver drugs for us or it's your head."

"No more, stop!"

The leader pulled out a switchblade and held it to the man's neck. "Will you shut the fuck up?"

Mori watched as the man struggled, tears falling down his face. She turned away to leave, but stopped, hearing the man's whimpers and pleas. She clenched her fists.

'I can't believe I'm going to do this.'

The reaper stepped out into the open, where the three gang members and the man could see her.

"Hey, you three."

The group turned their attention to Mori.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"Back off."

One of the leader's lackeys laughed. "Or what?"

"You look like you've gone down the wrong alley, pretty lady," the leader approached Mori, playing around with his knife.

"Watch your tongue."

"Don't be like that," the man leaned in closer, "why don't we-"

Mori decked the man in the face, sending him flying back between the young man and the leader's two buddies. One of the lackeys picked up a rusty pipe on the floor and ran at the reaper. He swung, but Mori grabbed the pipe with one hand and stared at the fear-stricken man. She head-butted him, sending him into a daze. Mori kicked him in the face, knocking him unconscious. The last man trembled, his shotgun shaking in his hands. The reaper approached him, bending the pipe until it snapped in two with her bare hands. He dropped the gun and ran the other way, leaving only Mori and the young man. He shielded himself with his arms as the reaper picked up the sawed-off shotgun.

"Get up," Mori commanded.

Still apprehensive, the man slowly rose to his feet.

"Go, before someone finds you here."

The young man nodded. "Thank you, miss."

Mori did not answer, prompting the man to ran away. Seeing the bodies lying on the floor, she sighed, wondering why she had to make things hard for herself.

-

Amelia and Gura stood in front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Building in Shinjuku. It was a fairly long ride by train to the place and they had to walk for a bit to get there. The two took sort of a "detour," taking a short break to unwind. Amelia protested at first, explaining to her friend that there was no time to play around. However, Gura convinced her to follow along, remembering even though they needed to save the world, they needed time to take care of themselves. The two could not save the world if they were always worn out. The Atlantean pointed out how they've been on many adventures in the past week and that they needed to take a break from all the tiring excitement. As they hung out in Takeshita Street in Harajuku, eating sweets and looking around clothes stores, Amelia found herself having fun for the first time in a while. The constant weight from detective cases prevented her from doing anything relaxing and she was glad Gura persuaded her to get sidetracked. As they stepped onto the crowded train departing for Shinjuku, Amelia felt a tinge of disappointment as it pulled out of the station.

The two walked into the building, walking over to the secretary's desk. Businessmen and women passing by took passing glances at the two. The woman at the desk took a double take after seeing them for the first time. She looked up from the computer she typed on.

"Can I help you two?" the secretary asked.

"Good afternoon. I'm from the International Detective Organization, I need some help with a case here in Tokyo," Amelia pulled out her card and showed it to the woman.

Seeing the name on the card, the woman's eyes widened. "Of course, how may we help you today, Ms. Watson?"

"I'd like to speak to your superior on an urgent matter."

"Right, follow me please."

Following the two to the elevator, Gura was stopped by the secretary before she could step inside.

"I apologize, but your friend can't come with us. Authorized personnel and workers only."

"Sorry, Gura."

The Atlantean shook her head. "No big deal, just do what you gotta do. I'm gonna go to the park and walk around there, so if I'm not back within an hour after you're done, you should probably start looking around for me," she chuckled.

Amelia nodded. "Definitely. See you."

Gura left the building and made her way to the Shinjuku Gyozen Garden using the navigation app. As she turned a corner, she saw tall trees emerging from the park. Paying the fare at the gate, she walked inside. As if arriving in another world, she left the loud metropolis and found herself in peaceful nature. Walking through the small forest of trees that covered her in shade, she felt an unmistakeable solitude, amplified more so by the fact that a few people were walking around. Though the darkness of the forest made her uneasy, birds calling out overhead reminded her she was not alone. She kept walking until she saw warm orange light pouring in from the exit. She found herself at a pond, the water still, only disturbed by the fish swimming around underneath. In the distance, a building towered over her in the distance. She kept moving, eventually ending up near a pavilion nestled in trees overlooking a pond. Nearby was a bench with a roof covering them. She took a seat and took a moment to soak in the sights.

The trees flowed with the gentle breeze that tickled Gura's nose. The warm glow of the sunset glistened off of the still water below. Though faint, she could hear the sounds of the city. The sky's colors were vibrant, from the orange receding under the horizon , to the pink clouds that littered the sky, to the dark blue that started to come in.

A song soothed her ears, louder than the wind and the city. She sat under the tree in her dreams now, the sun setting in the distance. A river ran at the foot of the hill she was atop. A familiar town laid nearby. She felt the warm embrace of someone and Gura noticed she was sitting on the person's lap. The song was simple, yet the melody reminded her of something long forgotten. She looked up at the person behind her. A girl with blue hair peered back down at her with a gentle smile. Though she was a stranger in Gura's eyes, she could not help but think she knew her all her life. This place, this song, this girl, all of it came from a dream, but Gura could not help but have a feeling of nostalgia.

At the blink of an eye, the Atlantean snapped out of her vision. Tears cascaded down her cheeks and she instinctively wiped them away with her sleeves, confused as to why she was crying. The sky was halfway dark, the setting sun quickly disappearing beneath the horizon.

"Are you ok?" a voice asked her.

Turning to her side, Gura saw a woman in an orange sweater. Besides her purple eyes, the woman's long, orange hair ending in turquoise tips caught the shark girl's attention.

"I'm alright," the Atlantean replied.

"The sunsets here look so beautiful, I'm not surprised they drove you to tears," the woman smiled.

Gura laid back into the bench. "They sure are."

"My name's Kiara."

"Gura. Nice to meet you."

Kiara retrieved a book from her handbag and flipped it open to a page where a bookmark stuck out. Gura tilted her head, reading the cover. Judging from the title, the shark girl assumed Kiara was reading a book on business.

"What brings you here, Kiara?"

She looked up from her book. "I like to relax here after my day's over before I go home."

"You're reading a book on business?"

"Yes. I'm studying it in college."

"What kind of business do you wanna start up?"

A smile crossed Kiara's face. "A fast food restaurant. I know, funny right?"

"No, no, that's great. What are you planning to sell?"

"Fried chicken."

"Mmm, sounds yummy. Can't wait till it opens."

"Well it won't be for a while, but I'll make sure the food put a smile on your face," Kiara giggled. "So why're you here, Gura?"

"My friend's running an errand nearby. I decided to come here while I was waiting."

Concern spread on Kiara's face. "But you're so young, how did you get here by yourself?"

"Well, you see, I'm actually an adult," Gura explained.

"Eh? Sorry I thought-"

The Atlantean quickly shook her head, laughing awkwardly. "No, you're fine. I get that a lot."

The two shared a laugh. They continued to converse, talking about different things. Gura noticed that Kiara had a particular passion for idols and anime. The woman recommended several groups and songs for her to listen to. Despite the night falling over the park, the Atlantean felt a warmth from Kiara, her personality radiating as powerful as the brightest sun. Gura mentioned her love for rhythm games, sparking a whole other tangent on video games. As the dark sky began to settle, the two exited the park together. Gura returned to the real world, greeted by the sound of passing cars and people walking around.

"Thanks for hanging out with me, Kiara. It was fun."

"My pleasure. You better listen to those groups I told you about."

"Of course, I'll make sure I do."

Kiara gave the shark girl a parting smile. "Alright then, see you again, Gura."

The Atlantean watched as Kiara walked down the street, blending into the crowd of people passing by. She disappeared in the distance, and Gura was left by herself. She heard a familiar voice call out her name nearby. Turning around, Gura found Amelia running over to her.

"Heya, Ame," Gura greeted.

"Where've you been, dummy? It been more than an hour, I tried calling you but you didn't pick up."

The Atlantean glanced at her phone, her eyes widening after catching twenty-three missed calls in her notifications. "Oh my-" she grinned, shifting her gaze away in embarrassment. "Haha, sorry about that."

Amelia sighed. "It's fine, at least you're ok."

"So did you find out where our High Priestess's at?"

"Yup," the detective pulled out her trusty notepad. "Her name's Ninomae Ina'nis. She actually lives nearby."

"That's great, we can head there now!"

"Actually, I kinda wanna eat something. I had to spend thirty minutes waiting to get my personal information verified."

"About that, how're you even known in your detective agency? Don't you come from the future?"

"I'm not from too far from the future, just fifteen years. I was already born in this time so the agency has my info on hand already."

"Won't your past relatives know you're here?"

"Of course. Not to brag, but my family's one of a kind. We're the only family with a time-traveling pocket watch. If one of my relatives sees me coming from the future, they'll know I'm here on some business. They'll notify the rest of my family and make sure no one meets me while I'm here."

"And if they do meet you?"

"Then the space-time continuum collapses and I get into a boatload of problems."

"That's sounds like a really big responsibility."

"Yup, that's why I don't like using my watch too much. People make mistakes all the time, and I don't want mine to cost the entire universe. Only at times like these are when changing the timeline is necessary," Amelia felt her stomach rumble, "Anyways, enough about this time travel stuff. I've been through enough boring business for today, I'm hungry."

"There's a good sushi place nearby."

"Sushi, huh?"

-

After walking through the neon-lit streets of Shinjuku, Amelia and Gura found themselves in front of a small, humble sushi restaurant tucked away in an alleyway. Sliding the doors open, dim orange light shined in Amelia's eyes. Businessmen sat at most of the limited tables inside, but Amelia was fortunate enough to find two free stools in front of the chefs. Looking around from her seat, the detective spotted a familiar face sitting right next to her.

"Emma?"

The manager turned to the two, adjusting her glasses. "Well this is a surprise. Didn't expect to see you girls here."

"We didn't expect to see you here too," Gura smiled.

"Any updates on finding the High Priestess?"

"Yup, we've finally found out where she lives," Amelia replied. "We're planning on meeting her tonight."

"Sounds great, one step closer to saving the world."

"So, you're here for dinner?" Amelia asked.

"I'm on my lunch break," Emma stated simply, picking up some tuna sashimi with her chopsticks.

"But it's already nighttime..." Gura explained.

"I know."

"You seem...more tired than usual," Amelia commented. "Anything happen?"

"Someone came by the office today, an old friend."

"Why's that bad?"

"Cause my boss assigned her to work with me on my own job without even asking me."

"Hey, on the bright side you'll have less work on your hands," Gura remarked.

"Trust me, I'd love to have some help, but she's the last person I'd want."

"What's the deal with this girl anyways?"

"She's an old rival. I'm not about to let her take credit for all the work I've put in this mission."

"And what makes you think she'll do that?" Amelia asked, taking a sip from the green tea she ordered.

"Cause I know from experience. That girl's the reason I'm always second best at everything we compete in. I still can't believe my boss called her here knowing all about that."

"Listen Emma, your boss is probably worried about you. You've been through a lot of shit this entire week, he probably knows how much work you've put into the corporation."

The manager remembered Aqua's words to her. "So explain to me why he'd choose her out of all people."

"How should I know? Maybe you had a good team dynamic back then? In any case, you shouldn't take this as your boss not believing in you, it's just that he's looking out for you and wants the best possible partner for you to succeed. Sitting here and being angry isn't going to help. I've had to work with people I didn't like either, but I forced myself to get the job done. Instead of refusing to let your rival help, why not step up to the challenge and prove that you could beat her by contributing more to the mission?"

Emma paused, taking a sip of beer from her glass. "Y'know, you're absolutely right. If I really want to get what I want, I should just face the facts and work with her. I've gotta prove to my boss that I deserve to rise up the ranks."

"Exactly," Amelia smiled.

"Well shit," Emma chuckled, "you could become one hell of a motivational speaker, you know that Amelia?"

The detective laughed. "Hey, I'm just giving a friend some advice."

"Don't give up," Gura encouraged her. "Remember that we're rooting for you one hundred percent."

"Thanks Gura, I really appreciate it."

-

Emma returned back to the office, entering the break room to get some coffee to drink. Inside, Jenna sat at a table, reading on her phone. The manager grabbed two mugs from the cabinet, filling both of them with coffee. She approached her, placing the mug down on the table. Jenna looked up at Emma, taking it.

"Thanks for the drink, Emma," Jenna called out to the manager, who was beginning to leave the room.

"You're gonna need it," Emma glanced back. "We're starting work in the morning, so go get some rest. I'm expecting a hundred and ten percent from you when we start."

Jenna grinned. "Of course, I'll do that and even more."

"Good luck with that," Emma left the room.

-

Amelia and Gura arrived at a small apartment building. They ate in the restaurant for about an hour and it was only a short train ride to where the High Priestess lived. She thought she would be able to handle seeing her, but the sight of the apartment completely floored her. She looked at her notepad, reading the address again and again to make sure this was the right place. Her building was on the second floor, prompting the two to ascend the stairs. With every step, Amelia felt a weight being placed on her shoulders. Halfway up the stairs, the detective felt fear building up throughout her body. By the time she reached the top, she felt as if she ran five miles straight. The third door on her left was their destination.

"You alright?" Gura asked.

Amelia nodded. She stepped towards the door, not stopping until she found herself directly in front of it. She could feel her entire body trembling, not knowing what to expect on the other side.

"Deep breaths, Ame," Gura instructed.

Amelia took a deep breath, her shaking finger pushing the doorbell. For a few seconds that felt like entire hours, the detective's heart skipped a beat as the door opened. A girl with long, dark purple hair wearing a violet sweater stood at the other side of the door, a curious expression on her face.

"Yes?" the girl asked.