“Deep breaths. Deep breaths,” Vivi quietly chanted to herself. Cars whirred by as the red sports car sped down the highway.

“Come on, I’m not going that fast,” Annie laughed.

“Sorry,” Vivi apologized. “I’ve been super antsy all morning.”

“Nervous to meet our mysterious helper?” Melody asked. “I get all flustered when I meet pretty ladies too, don’t I, Annie?”

“Well, yeah… I guess you do,” Annie mumbled. She looked at her tight grip on the steering wheel and sighed. “You were actually talking about me, weren’t you?”

“Who could say,” Melody teased.

“Whatever you say, Miss Flirty.”

“No, that’s Ichika, dear.”

“She said flirty, not flurry,” Vivi giggled.

“There’s that smile,” Melody said triumphantly as she brought her hands together and smiled sweetly.

“Wow, you’re good at this,” Palu laughed as she peeked out from Vivi’s blouse and the girl looked at Melody with a faint blush and a nervous grin.

“By the way, was that outfit your idea, Palu?” Melody asked as she looked over Vivi’s outfit. The teenage girl blushed even more under her careful gaze as she admired the bright pink blouse, with a cute blue scalloped skirt and a simple pair of white leggings to bring it all together. It was a simple but cute outfit.

“Oh, please, give her some credit,” Palu said as her tail wagged around like an instructive finger. “Vivi put this adorable piece together herself.”

“It’s not that cute,” Vivi mumbled.

“Take it from a cute little fox. You’re incredibly cute.” Palu pawed at her hair, the pink undertones glittering in the light from the window. “Still though, I’m surprised that you wanted to go out like this without transforming first. I mean, you know how to turn back and everything, so why not go out in something more comfortable.”

“Y-yeah, but I haven’t gotten to wear these yet,” Vivi said with a sheepish tone. “I got them thanks to Annie, and I want to wear them.” She gripped the fabric of her white leggings.

“I think it’s good for you to do it,” Annie said, eyeing Vivi in the rearview mirror. “Of course, enjoying being Magenta is good too, but I think it’s good to make that form comfier as well.”

“Yeah,” Vivi agreed, a soft smile forming on her lips. “I don’t know how much longer I have to wait, but I want to do a lot of things in this form eventually.”

“Besides, you already look plenty girly now,” Melody added. “And I don’t just mean your clothes. Your face has been becoming super soft and cute looking, your hair is getting pretty long, and your voice has been… well, you know,” she chuckled.

“Y-yeah,” Vivi squeaked unintentionally, a bright blush taking her cheeks.

“Ooh, can you do that on command, Melody?” Palu eagerly asked.

“Let’s see. How about it? Can you make that cute sound again?” Melody teased.

“It doesn’t…” She immediately squeaked again, causing the others to laugh. Vivi continued to blush, hiding her face behind her hands, including the small smile scrawling across her face. She didn’t want to admit it, but it was rather reaffirming, even pleasant in a way.

“Vivi?”

“Yes’m?” She peeked up, seeing Melody smiling.

“Feeling better?”

“Yeah, I am. Thanks, Melody.” Vivi smiled as she bashfully twirled a lock of pinkish hair around her finger. She briefly considered the fact that she couldn’t do that until recently. She smiled to herself. “This really is my body. And it’ll be right soon.” She took a deep breath and looked up out the window, the busy highway replaced by a simple grey wall hanging over a long row of glass doors. Above the wall was a large round dark blue structure, which was clearly a result of the amphitheater inside.

She looked to her side to see several blocky buildings surrounding a familiarly depressing courtyard of the neighboring school. Despite its newer design, it was perplexing and depressing, almost closer to a prison than a school. It was so drab and discomforting that even Mary refused to send her children there. It had four grey blocky buildings of classrooms on one side, with two larger brown buildings for the library and admin office, flanked on both sides by parking lots. Then in the back was a large reddish brown building where the gym was with some other classrooms, and fields nestled in the far corner away from the admin building, which she stood beside.

Immediately before them, lying just outside of the school campus’s gates, was a large and much more inviting building, as it should be. After all, who would want to see a concert or play in a suffocating space like her school. It was for the best that such a bright spot was sequestered away outside of the dull and boring classrooms.

Vivi smiled gently as she quietly thanked her mom for not sending her to such a soul-sucking place. Salt Mountain had its fair share of problems, but the few visits she’d had to this gated school were always rather unpleasant. “There you are!” Carmen’s familiar voice beckoned them. Vivi turned to see her, tearing her mind and eyes away from the malignant campus, spotting Ichika, Wisp and Cleo waiting nearby. “Wow, Vivi, is that you? You’re looking good.”

“Y-yeah.” Vivi nodded, finding her cheeks heating up again as a warm fuzzy feeling filled her chest. “Th-thanks.”

“Wow, you’re big sis?” Wisp asked. Her eyes seemed to shimmer as her lips fell to a frown. “I’m sorry you didn’t change like me, big sis.” She hugged Vivi, her arms wrapping around her waist.

Vivi chuckled and leaned over, hugging the small fairy. “It’s okay. It’s a lot better now than it used to be. And big sis is going to get even better. Just you see.”

“Really?” Wisp gawked. “Then big sis is going to get even prettier?”

“Prettier and cuter too!”

“Yay!” Wisp cheered.

“Aww, you two are adorable,” Ichika commented.

“A lot cuter than they’re being.” Carmen looked over at the adults as they grumbled amongst themselves.

“Well, it’s better than the alternatives at least,” Annie bargained.

“I know,” Cleo groaned. “At least it’s not another mall. Goddess, I hate this state. There’s so few places that we can safely meet up.”

“At least this place has more escape routes than last time,” Melody chuckled. “And the girls know their way around.”

“There’s still the risk of running into security,” Cleo grumbled.

“Still, at least we won’t need Thena to teleport your cars this time… hopefully,” Palu commented. “Anyway, are you all ready to head in?” Everyone gathered together and nodded.

“Wait, hold on, I don’t see her car though,” Ichika noted.

“She wouldn’t have left it near here. It’s likely in one of the nearby housing developments,” Palu answered.

“Dang, we should’ve done that,” Annie groused as they entered the main hall. Immediately before them was a large wide set of stairs that curved around the room, leading to a series of doors at their peak.

“I’ll be waiting outside so you can all talk privately. I have a bad habit of butting in when I shouldn’t,” Palu explained as they approached the doors.

“I’ve noticed that,” Vivi giggled.

“Good luck in there,” Palu cheered as they passed through a heavy pair of metal doors.

The theater was deceptively large. At first glance it seemed to be a good size, even before Vivi noticed the rows of seats hidden to the sides of the doorways. They made their way to the stage itself, which seemed a little small and meager for the more than one thousand seats, or at least Vivi thought as much. It seemed smaller than the one at their school at any rate. Vivi gazed in awe at the woman standing at its center as her long blonde hair tumbled down her back and a white… was that a cape fluttering behind her? All Vivi knew was that it made her look radiantly beautiful. “Are you really her?” she finally asked.

The woman turned around to look at them, her pristine green eyes gazing upon them. She began to smile. “Greetings. It’s good to finally meet you all in person.”

“In person?” Carmen asked as she climbed up onto the stage.

“Yes,” the woman nodded. “Let me introduce myself. Palu’s told you all about me, I’m sure. Even so, I’m Thena.” Annie opened her mouth getting ready to introduce herself when Thena rose her hand. “You don’t have to introduce yourselves. I already know who all of you are, Annie. Or would you prefer Red?”

“Oh… that’s not at all creepy.” Melody frowned.

“Yes, I would imagine so.” Thena frowned back. “Apologies for that, but the reality is that I’ve been keeping track of all of you since shortly after the Magic Mist spread across the planet,” she explained. She looked at Carmen and grinned. “It’s a good term for the phenomenon by the way.”

“You know it,” Carmen grinned.

“You’ve been keeping track of us?” Annie pressed her. “Why?”

“I’ve been following your activities as the Prism Girls for a couple reasons. For one, it was a favor for Palu’s master. And second, I was hoping to ask you for your help.”

“Help with what? And who exactly are you supposed to be anyway?” Cleo asked, crossing her arms as she stared at the woman.

“A little to the point, aren’t you?” Thena chuckled. “But I suppose that’s to be expected. You do want to keep your daughter safe, after all. Very well, enough beating around the bush. You’ve all waited long enough for the truth,” she said, a fierce look filling her eyes, as if catching on fire. “The truth is, I am the goddess of justice and just wars, Athena.”

“Athena?” Carmen asked in shock as the others traded shocked and confused looks.

“Like the Greek goddess, Athena?” Ichika echoed.

“The protector goddess of Athens? That Athena?” Vivi added as she shared a shocked look with the others.

“The very same.” Athena gave a simple graceful smile. “However we wouldn’t describe ourselves simply as ‘Greek’ gods. Although that is to be expected given how things have changed since then.”

“Oh please,” Cleo scoffed. “You really expect us to believe that some random woman is a goddess from the other side of the world? Get real. I can believe a lot, but some antique goddess is just too ridiculous.”

“It is a lot to expect us to believe.” Melody hesitantly agreed. “I mean, even with all the stuff with the Magic Mist, an actual goddess does seem a little… much”

“Yes, it would be hard for you to accept,” Athena acknowledged. “After all, we deities seem to have vanished for over a thousand years. And yet, it is the simple truth of the matter. But if you need proof,” she opened her palm below her breast, “simply observe.” Energy began to gather, droplets seemingly pulling away from her chest as a sphere of golden light began to grow in her palm, its luminous energy lighting the quiet chamber with intense light and a soft tone, as if the air was rippling in awe of her power.

“W-what is…?” Cleo watched it in awe.

“I…” Annie shivered. “What is this feeling?”

“That sphere,” Vivi said in awe. “It’s like it’s speaking to me… no, it’s more than that.”

“Now that you mention it...” Ichika removed her hand from her mouth. “I... Something deep inside of me just knows. It’s telling me that she’s really a goddess.”

“Yeah.” Carmen nodded quietly. “It’s warm, too. Like it’s wrapping itself around me and reassuring me. It’s incredible.”

“I see you’re all convinced, then.” Athena closed her hand, the energy flowing back to her from her retreating digits.

“What was that?” Cleo questioned.

“I suppose the best way to put it would be to call it my soul as a goddess. I don’t recall the particulars, but it proves to others who I really am. It proves that I am truly a goddess.”

“You don’t know?” Melody repeated.

“Yeah, you’d think a goddess would know about this kind of stuff.” Annie scowled.

“Unfortunately, much of my memory is in a bit of a poor state,” Athena confessed. “As are my powers. My revival has not been exactly a simple nor graceful process.”

“Revival,” the others repeated.

“Yes,” Athena nodded. “You of course recall the night that the magical energy swept over the planet, correct?”

“You mean the Magic Mist?” Wisp asked. “I remember it!” She nodded excitedly.

“Yes, exactly right, little one.” Athena nodded with a gentle smile, Wisp bouncing with pride. “The truth is that the Magical Mist did more than just awaken magic in the life of this world. It also seemed to revive many of our kind, deities of fallen pantheons. I cannot speak for others, but my revival has been a difficult and strenuous process, much like others adapting to their new powers.”

“What do you mean?” Annie asked. “What about it is strenuous?”

Athena sighed. “The truth is, before that day, I was just an ordinary girl. In fact,” she gripped at her dress, “one of the hardest people to convince of my identity was myself. I was just a girl living in a small town on the other side of the country. Then suddenly it was like this whole other side of myself woke up for the first time.” She relaxed slightly, her fierce demeanor giving way to her somber reflection. “While I still remember my human life, I have very few of my old life as a goddess. I see snippets of my old life, faces of people I knew, names and thoughts of other deities, some good, some bad. Then there’s this flash of emotion, anger, despair, and then nothing.”

“Nothing?” Carmen looked at her confusedly. “Then you don’t remember how you disappeared?”

“That’s correct.” She grimaced. “I don’t know why I disappeared, only that I did. I think those feelings of anger and despair are tied to whatever happened, and it was something very bad. The next thing I know I was waking up as a normal girl in college, just trying to figure herself out and get by. It’s been difficult for a lot of us.”

“A lot of us?” Melody looked at her. “What do you mean by that?”

“I’m not the only deity to be revived. I’ve met a few others on my travels. I’ve met Loki and Isis, for instance. Palu’s master is another, although she wishes to remain anonymous for now. Which actually brings me to why I have come here.” Her stare filled with flames once more.

“Which is?” Cleo asked.

“I am currently pursuing my father… er, my divine father that is. Zeus.”

“Zeus, the god of lightning and king of the gods of Olympus!?” Carmen yelped.

“Ugh, the one that assaults women in most of his legends?” Annie cringed.

“The very same, I’m afraid.” She frowned. “Father has been wandering around this country and stirring all sorts of troubles. I believe he’s been in contact with a group around here led by a man named Gunther, for example.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Cleo sighed.

“Gunther was…” Melody whispered to herself as she quietly gripped her arm.

“What’s he after exactly?” Vivi asked.

“I’m not entirely certain,” Athena frowned, “but I have a suspicion.”

“Don’t leave us in suspense now,” Carmen encouraged her.

“Well, to put it simply, I believe father wishes to restore how things once were.”

“How things once were?” Wisp asked. “What does that mean?”

“If I had to guess,” Ichika sighed. “In many legends about the Greek pantheon, there’s a huge focus on paying reverence to the gods. Paying tribute and respects and honoring them above all else.”

“That’s more or less it. At least that’s how father always desired it to be,” Athena answered. “And given his recent actions, I suspect he is trying to return humanity, all of its people and countries, to being subservient to deities like ourselves.”

“And how do you feel about it?” Cleo asked.

“I won’t deny that there’s a part of me that believes he has a point. Witnessing how modern law enforcement behaves is rather distressing, for instance,” Athena admitted. “But… I think that’s mostly this new-found nostalgia I’ve gained. When I consider what my human side experienced, and how things are now, I believe such a perspective is at best shortsighted and unusable. And at worst, just a self-serving illusion.”

“For a goddess, you don’t seem to hold your position with much regard,” Melody noted.

“You’re not wrong,” Athena chuckled. “Having our power laying dormant for so long has helped show what humanity can achieve without us. And it’s shown how arrogant and blind we were to how others struggled and suffered,” she sighed. “I don’t want to be ignorant like that anymore. Back then, women like us weren’t welcome in society. If my human half were born when I was a goddess, I fear… no, I know that she would never have been able to pursue her interests or live a good life. She would have just been sequestered away until she was married off for power and prestige, if she were even fortunate to come from a family with such sway. Things could’ve been easily worse than that. I know things aren’t great now either, but you’ve all made so much progress without us. And I don’t want to take that away.”

“Athena,” Vivi whimpered.

“And I’m certain that father… that Zeus wants to take such things away.” Athena grimaced. “I just know that he wants to ‘remind humanity where they belong’ if that makes any sense.”

“It does, unfortunately.” Melody frowned.

“Well, assuming he hasn’t reconsidered things like you have,” Cleo considered aloud, Athena giving a soft snicker at the suggestion, “how do you think he’s going to do it?”

“Given the mumblings I’ve heard, he’s been seeking out other deities like us. I think he’s trying to assemble an alliance between different gods to bolster his power,” Athena explained. “And likely, he wants to be at the top of that alliance, which worries me. Father… Zeus has a penchant for manipulating others to get what he wants. Knowing what I know now about psychology, thanks to what I studied as a human, I can recall some things he did to manipulate and groom me into a tool for him to use. And I’m afraid with others like me being confused by our awakenings, more of us will be willing to entertain his whims than normally would be.”

“So you’re saying if we don’t stop him, we could be facing an army of gods intent on ruling the world?” Carmen summarized.

“Perhaps a dramatic way of putting it, but yes,” Athena grimaced. “And who knows what that could mean. Before the Magical Mists, humanity was getting a bit arrogant, which father will probably see as an affront to us. So, it could be anywhere from forcing humans to serve him and the other gods to destroying whole civilizations to ‘teach’ a lesson. I can’t say for certain.”

“That’s grim,” Melody cringed. “Especially with how he’s depicted in all those legends. If someone like him came into power now…” She shook her head. “I don’t even want to imagine that kind of world.”

“What is it you want us to do?” Vivi asked, the others looking to Athena.

“You mean, you’d be willing to help me?”

“Of course.” Vivi grinned. “We want to help people. And if Zeus has his way a lot of people will get hurt, right? Melody and Cleo were already hurt by Gunther before, and if Zeus is behind his actions, then that means others might get attacked like they were. I think all of us want to stop something like that, as well as what you’ve been talking about.”

“Vivi’s right!” Ichika pumped her arms. “None of us want to see others get hurt.”

“Looks like we’re all in agreement there,” Melody smiled, Annie slowly nodding in assent beside her.

“You know it!” Carmen smiled confidently.

“Yeah!” Wisp cheered as Cleo chuckled beside her with a confident grin of her own.

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” Athena smiled. “In that case. I suspect that he’s going to be making a move soon to take control of this city. I believe he has one of his allies in the city already, and given what’s happened, I believe both the police and several criminal groups here are already working for him. We can’t let him take control.”

“Why does he want here of all places?” Cleo questioned. “Sure, the state has a lot of resources, but most of it’s from mining. That wouldn’t be my first pick to launch a plan to take over the world.”

“I believe he has started other initiatives in other places,” Athena elaborated, “but he has been focusing on this city. I’m not sure why, but it can’t be good. Which leads me to our objective. We need to either make him lose interest in this place…”

“Which we don’t know what he wants here,” Carmen grumbled.

“…we have to convince his partners to stop working with him…”

“I doubt that’s going to happen,” Cleo sighed.

“…or we have to drive him out by force,” Athena concluded.

“None of them seem like good options,” Ichika summarized. “I mean, he’s a god. What hope do we have of beating him?”

“If Zeus has been reincarnated like myself and the others, then I doubt he has that much power,” Athena reassured them. “He’s certainly more powerful than any individual mortal, but a group is a very different thing. And even if all of you aren’t enough, I’ll be there to fight alongside you too.”

“This is so cool!” Carmen declared. “We’re going to fight alongside an actual goddess!”

“Yay!” Wisp cheered. “It’s just like all those awesome stories you read me, Mom! Where heroines work with their goddesses!”

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Cleo chuckled, what remained of her hesitance evaporating upon seeing Wisp’s excitement.

“It is rather exciting,” Melody giggled. “Right, Annie?” She looked at her girlfriend. Annie looked at the floor, gently stroking the top of her lip as she focused upon some invisible object. “Annie? Is something wrong? You’ve gotten a little quiet.”

“Huh?” Annie looked to Melody with confusion. “Oh, yeah. Sorry. I’m just a little confused about something.”

“Is there something wrong?” Athena asked.

“It’s just... I still don’t understand why you came to us,” Annie admitted. “I mean, I’m glad to help, but Palu made it sound like you were looking for us specifically, and I still don’t understand why. Sure, we’re powerful and everything, but what makes us so special that a goddess would seek us out?”

“That’s because…” Athena’s voice trailed off as she looked upon the different girls, her gaze finally falling to Vivi. “She didn’t want me saying anything, but…”

“WE HAVE A PROBLEM!” Palu’s voice tore through the theater as she shot towards the stage.

“Palu!?” Vivi yelped as she and the others looked at the rocketing fox.

“It’s the police! They’re here!” Palu shouted. The girls looked at each other, their eyes growing with shock.

“How did they find us?” Cleo demanded, glaring upon Athena.

“I don’t know,” Athena grimaced. “I know he managed to find you last time at the mall as well, but I still haven’t figure out…”

“It doesn’t matter!” Annie cut them off. “We all came here ready to fight, right?” She looked to the others, the Prism Girls all nodding in solidarity. “Then let’s do this!” she roared, opening her locket. A searing light exploded from the locket, the heated energy curling back upon its owner. A brilliant blaze flowed through her hair, her brown locks alighting a lively red hue. The heat rose her hair, a bright red ribbon forming to hold it in place. Her clothes ignited, the flames dancing about as they formed an elegant blazing dress. Plumes of flame shot off the dress as it formed, wrapping upon her arms and legs before cooling into a fierce red skater dress and a pair of gloves and leggings. The heat licked her eyes, leaving a singe of red dust coating her eyelids. She took a deep breath, and with a fiery pant, cinders shed from her clothes, revealing white streaks running down her dress and the sides of her gloves and leggings, the cinders forming a pair of dark red heels upon her feet. With a final wave of her hand her regal white and gold cape fluttered out behind her, marking her arrival.

“I must say, you all have quite the dazzling set of transformations,” Athena giggled, taking the group aback for a second.

“It is a rather exciting performance,” Cleo agreed.

“Heh, if you say so,” Annie said, doing her best to hide the blush on her cheeks with a confident grin.

“Aww, you look so cute when you make a dorky smile like that,” Melody cooed.

“H-hey,” Annie mumbled, “I’m trying to look cool.”

“A bit too hot for that,” Ichika laughed.

“W-wa…”

“If the ice lady says it, then it must be true,” Wisp giggled. “Right, big sis?”

“Couldn’t say it better myself,” Vivi agreed.

“Not you too,” Annie protested.

“Can you all focus!?” Palu cried.

“Seriously, they’re about to come in!” Carmen huffed. She looked at the others with an agitated look. Vivi blinked upon seeing her face. She seemed so anxious… conflicted even.

“Yellow?” Vivi reached out to her instinctively.

“Vivi!” Annie shouted. Vivi’s eyes shot open as she looked forward. In the instant that she reached out with her white gloved hand, the far door had exploded open, a police officer barreling in and setting their sights on her.

All it took was a sharp inhale before the loud bang rang through the air.

She fell backward in shock. They… they’d shot at her? Her entire body seized up in fright and confusion. They hadn’t even hesitated? Her body trembled and shook. They hadn’t even read their rights or anything? Her breathing was erratic and uneven. They were ready to kill them!? “Why?” Her voice shook.

Gentle white cloth surrounded her as she looked up to the bullet suspended in the air, a barrier of light holding it in place. “Disgusting,” a woman’s voice seethed. Vivi looked up to see Athena staring daggers at her assailant. “Cowards!” she shouted. Her voice exploded through the room, throwing the police back with her sacred timbre. She looked at Vivi with a gentle frown. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah,” Vivi nodded.

“I’m glad.” Athena smiled as she pulled her into a hug. It was nice. Warm, comforting, and… safe. It was like a cocoon protecting the girl from anything and everything. But it was also more than that. It was as if that strength sank into her, burrowing into her, holding her, resolved to protect her. “Be more careful, okay?” The goddess smiled as she broke off their hug. Vivi nodded with confidence before rising to her feet.

Vivi looked across the room, seeing the others already fighting the intruding officers, all save Athena and Annie, who stood beside her.

“Vivi...” Annie looked at her.

“Let’s all make sure we get out of here safely, right?” Vivi smiled.

“Right,” Annie grinned, curbed slightly by a sense of relief. “I’m not letting these bastards hurt any of our friends!” Her voice echoed through the theater, drawing everyone’s eyes to her and a warm glow glimmering in her hand. The light grew brighter as she gripped the warm air, causing it to ignite into a jet of flame which stretched out further and further. Annie held it aloft as the flames gained form and feel, condensing into heated metal, a blade of flame mounted upon it.

She swung it through the air, igniting a wave of flame which fanned out, reaching for the far wall where the police were still streaming in from. The approaching officers stopped and looked on in terror as the flames hurtled towards them. The flames exploded as they collided with the wall, a thick cloud of smoke rupturing outwards.

“Did you get them?” Vivi asked.

“I doubt it.” Annie shook her head. “There’s no way that…” She stopped short as she noticed the smoke move oddly. “MOVE!” he ordered, lunging to her right as Vivi and Athena leapt away from her. In that instant, a flaming mass erupted from the cloud of smoke and crashed onto the stage immediately after. Splinters flew out from the shattered panels on the floor as a pair of scaled wings gave a single mighty flap, dispersing and dust, smoke, and cinders left from the impact. “Captain Habernaker.” Annie grimaced as the draconic police captain rose to his feet. He gave a single glance to Vivi and Athena before turning to Annie, delivering her a menacing glare as flames began to crawl up his claws, singing his uniform. “What? Not even going to say we’re under arrest this time?”

“And waste my breath?” Habernaker scoffed. “Not this time.” He readied his claw and charged at Annie, only to be met by her sword.

“Not this time?” Annie repeated as she kept her blade in place. “I thought police like you have procedures you have to keep to?”

“Foolish girl,” he chuckled under his breath. He prepared to swipe with his spare right arm, only for Annie to pivot to his side, landing near the front of the stage and lobbing a fire ball at his side. “Tsk,” he clicked his tongue as he held his now exposed arm. He glared at his seemingly unharmed scaled skin and then tore off the charred remains of his jacket’s sleeve. “You still don’t understand what’s happening, do you?”

“Meaning?”

Habernaker chuckled again. “Those ‘procedures’ were a needless distraction to control us and prevent us from keeping order.”

“Distraction? Control?” Annie spat. “Aren’t those rules meant to protect people!”

“Yet all they did was get in our way from stopping the worst villains,” he refuted. “And I won’t let them stand in the way any longer.” His voice became gravellier. He stood tall and his wings stretched out. His face lengthened, sharp fangs emerging from his scaly maw and smoke rose from his nostrils. “The world is changing, and we’re going to make sure justice truly rules after it’s all over. Starting with you,” he exhaled, his breath scorching the floor. Annie readied herself for his attack as he drew a deep breath.

“Hypocrite!” Vivi exclaimed. The police captain looked to his side, prepared to lash out at the impudent girl. However, his eyes suddenly grew wide as the floor rose before him. The wooden floor expanded, new growth emerging from the shattered floor where he landed. The growth summoned more planks to grow beside them until a small forest of new trees crawled along the stage. “You say you want to stop criminals and villains, but all we want to do is help people.”

“Not only that, but you sided with my father,” Athena joined in, “haven’t you? You’ve partnered with Zeus, hoping to carry out his bidding, and you have the gall to speak of justice?”

“Impudent…” the captain shirked back. He looked to Vivi and then Athena, grimacing as he realized something. “So, you’re the one. In that case--” He looked back at Vivi. He drew his breath once more, Athena and Annie’s eyes widening as they began to realize what was happening.

“Vivi!” the two exclaimed as the dragon man’s mouth burst with flames.

Vivi took a deep breath and recalled what Palu had taught her. She felt the mana course through her and channeled it into her hands. She called for the plants to rise and protect her. The growth swelled, new foliage emerging to shield her. But it was hardly enough. Even as plants took the flames for her, she could still feel the heat emanate forth, and it wouldn’t be long before they were burnt to a crisp too. She focused on her own magical force. A pink wand appeared in her grasp. She used its might to create a new barrier.

In what seemed like an instant, her foliage barrier had fallen to cinders, leaving only the newly-formed pink barrier to protect the young girl. She stood firm, holding the barrier together with all her might. She watched as beyond it, Annie attempted to charge at the police captain, only for his wings to flap again and again, keeping her at a distance. Vivi tried to focus, hoping her magic could outlast the dragon man’s own.

That was when she felt a touch upon her shoulder. She looked up to see Athena standing before her. She smiled at her, as a warm strength flowed from her grasp and into Vivi. Magic swelled within her as her rod glowed in turn. Vivi took a breath, and nodded to Athena, accepting her might. Her barrier began to glow with a white light. Captain Habernaker began to wince from the light, desperately reaching to cover his eyes, and in the process stopping his assault.

“Vivi,” Athena spoke. “You know what to do.”

“Yes,” Vivi answered. She felt the captain’s magic simmer in her barrier. It then began to gather and congeal upon itself, forming a mass of magic in her shield. She willed the mass to the center of her barrier and shot it at Captain Habernaker. He looked up in shock just in time for it to collide with him.

There was a loud boom as smoke cascaded across the stage, a sputtering cough filling the air as a figure trembled in the smoke. As the plume began to clear, the captain’s exhausted form stood at its center, steam rising from his mouth. And yet, even as his figure stood there, trembling, ready to collapse, his eyes glared into Vivi with ceaseless rage. Vivi took a deep breath as she and the goddess beside her readied themselves for the battle to continue.