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Leviathan swings her legs anxiously. She waits outside the conference room just as she was told. Her master was inside and a meeting was taking place. It had something to do with her recent mission and her newly obtained Access Key. Her hands ball up on her knees. She was unsure if she was in trouble. She mustn't be, right? After all, she saved everyone back then. But then again, she used a found Access Key with questionable origins. Was she not supposed to? Is that why everyone, even Odin herself was currently in the room? Leviathan begins to doubt her actions even though a part of her believes she did the right thing; the part where her master told her she did the right thing.
The door suddenly clicks open and in an instant, Leviathan's doubts leave her. Her head jerks upward and she sees Poseidon calling her in.
Sheepishly, she enters the room. The air was a little looser than expected. The long table was occupied by certain figures. Poseidon resumes her seat next to Heimdall and Ookuninushi. Across them sat Shu, Vidar, and Tyr, whom she's only seen a few times. At the head was Odin with hands clasped together on the table. She looked expectingly towards Leviathan.
As if being able to read her mind, Shu answered her unasked question, "Before we start, let me just say you are not in trouble, Leviathan. We simply wish to hear your account regarding your recent mission to the Peripheral Sea."
This eases her somewhat but she also wonders if the report she made before wasn’t enough. Vidar gestures for her to take a seat at the other end of the table. She looks to her master again and Vidar mouths "It's okay." So Leviathan, with a little more confidence, once again recounts her experience of her time in the Peripheral Sea. The uncharted islands, the storms, the Siren, the strange underwater bubbles... she goes on until she concludes with finding Countertide Whalesong and saving everyone.
Everyone remained quiet after her recounting. They seem to wait for Odin to speak first.
"It's not uncommon for a Modifier to wield two Access Keys. I have known a few who wielded more. In this room alone, there are three Modifiers with secondary Access Keys."
Odin continues, "Some create their own or have it made by other Modifiers. Some will incorporate their power into ordinary weapons and use it against Visbanes. And some obtain a second Access Key by inheriting it from other Modifiers. The point is there are plenty of ways Modifiers gain a secondary Access Key."
Leviathan's eyes search around, curious to find out which of them could Odin refer too. She sees Poseidon give her a nod. On the other side, Shu and Tyr give her the same look.
"In your case, it seems to be... destiny."
"Leviathan, could you please summon your Countertide Whalesong?" Shu asked.
"H-Here?" Her gaze once again falls on Vidar and again she assures her pupil that it was alright.
With this, she closes her eyes. Gathering her Divine Power to call on her Access Key, Countertide Whalesong. A flash of light surrounds her and like a bubble, it bursts revealing a new form.
She held in her hand the umbrella-shaped Access Key. Behind her, a creature floats, moving as if on water and not suspended by air.
“Greetings, my name is Labbi.”
"Labbi is an AI attached to the Countertide Whalesong. It stores a data archive that we're unable to find even in our own archives," Heimdall stated.
"The Divine Power in the Access Key allowed Labbi to remain functional despite its condition," Ookuninushi added. “To be honest, compared to our technology now, this AI seems ancient.”
“Are you suggesting the Access Key belonged to someone from the past?” Tyr asked.
“It certainly reflects the technological advancement of the time.”
Leviathan watched as her fellow Modifiers discussed Labbi’s capabilities and mechanics. Ever since she returned with a new Access Key, she spent a lot of time in the Cryptics lab and testing area. She knew as much as they did and yet it wasn’t enough to answer the questions they had regarding its origins.
“Leviathan recently unlocked the Access Key’s restorative healing. It proved well for Vidar’s health,” Poseidon said.
Vidar affirms this with a nod and contributes a few details about her health.
Interestingly, she realizes Odin had been quiet, just observing and listening to the conversation taking place. Their gazes meet and Leviathan is taken by her golden eyes; sharp and analytical. It suddenly made her so conscious of her own presence.
When the conversation reached a lull, Odin spoke.
“Labbi, is it? Can you tell me what is your purpose?”
Labbi swam forward and with a mechanical voice, it uttered, “My highest-priority task is to guide the Candidate with access rights to the Countertide Whalesong.”
“And this Candidate is Leviathan?”
“The Candidate is whomever meets the criteria to access Countertide Whalesong.”
“Who authorized you?”
“The Countertide Whalesong was authorized by Aether Gazer Ocean Expeditionary Squad for combat against Siren. However, the last attempt was unsuccessful due to the abscence of the Candidate. My data is largely sourced from this battle.”
“It only repeats what we already know,” Heimdall sighed. “And no such authorization exists.”
“From what I can tell, Labbi is in a state of disrepair. Would it be possible to fix Labbi and have more access to its archives, Ookuninushi?” Shu asked.
The bunny-eared girl replied, “It’s too delicate to take apart and fix it. There’s a chance it might permanently reset. It’s not worth the trouble and as far as I know, Labbi is functional and compatible with Leviathan. So I don’t really see a need to fix the component right now.”
Leviathan became anxious at the thought of losing the Labbi. She didn’t want that to happen.
“I-!”
Everyone turned to look at her small figure at the end of the table.
“I don’t want Labbi to be reset. Labbi helped save my friends and heal Master!”
Although no one really agreed to the idea of doing so, no one disagreed with her either.
“Leviathan will get stronger and be the best Candidate for Labbi. Then maybe one day, I can fix Labbi myself and it will answer everyone’s questions!”
The silence takes Leviathan aback. Her figure shrinks behind her hands, a little embarrassed by her sudden declaration. Odin asks her, “Is that what you truly feel, Leviathan?”
“Y-Yes!” she answered. “It’s strange but when I found Labbi, something about it felt familiar. I don’t really understand it yet but that’s why I’ll train harder and maybe one day I can understand why Labbi chose me.”
With that, Odin gives a knowing smile.
“Ookuninushi is right. There is no need to fix what is working. What matters is Leviathan’s proficiency with it,” She looks towards Leviathan, “Having a secondary Access Key must be a big adjustment for you. So if you need any consultation, you’re free to ask Poseidon, Shu, or Tyr. They have experience and perhaps they can offer you some unique insights.”
The trio affirms that Leviathan is more than welcome to visit them and discuss. Her eyes lit up at the suggestion.
The meeting is soon adjourned and one by one, everyone left Odin alone in the conference room. Shu was halfway to the door when she decided to stay behind.
“Is there something you need?”
“I believe I submitted a copy regarding Leviathan’s account and her new Access Key,” Shu replied. “Was this meeting really about teaching Leviathan how to handle secondary Access Keys?”
“I imagine it can be tricky dividing your Divine Power and knowing which one is suited for certain situations,” Odin said matter-of-factly.
“I thought I saw a fleeting look in your eyes when Labbi was answering your questions.”
“Oh? And what look might that be?” Odin turns to face Shu.
“You were… searching.”
There was silence before Odin simply smiles at Shu.
“Leviathan’s use of her Divine Power to summon the umbrella needs a little work. Perhaps you and Vidar can help with that.”
Shu doesn’t press any further. Odin had already turned back to face the skyline. She muttered “Understood,” before leaving the room.
The door shuts and Odin remained fixated on the blue sky. She remembers the sky looked just as blue as it did on that fateful day.
There was nothing but the sound of the waves around. She stood by the shore admiring the sea, her feet bare in the white sand. On one hand she carried her shoes, on the other, she holds her parasol. Whatever protection she had against the sun, she offered to the baby turtle below. The birds were close by but her act deters them. Soon, the baby turtle reaches the waters and she watches it disappear into the sea.
She rests her Access Key on her shoulder once again, enjoying her little moment before it ends.
“She’ll be back, you know,” she uttered softly. “When she needs to lay her eggs, she’ll return here. How fascinating is that?”
“That’s optimistic,” Odin said. “You’re quite certain she’ll even make it to adulthood.”
“I know she will.”
Odin chuckles. “You never change, Leviathan.”
The woman finally turned to face Odin. Her long white hair sways in the sea breeze. She smiles. “Are you here to see us off?”
Odin nods.
In response, she walks towards Odin, collecting her skirt to save it from further getting soaked. Another figure also approaches the pair.
“Captain, we’re ready to go.” Vidar said.
From the docks, they hear a voice call out, “Heeeey, Captain! Snowbreaker is ready to set sail. Let’s hunt down this Siren!”
“Siren, huh?” Odin commented, amused.
“It’s a fitting name, isn’t it? Skadi is quite creative with names,” Leviathan said proudly.
A floating mech appeared behind her. “Siren possesses many points of similarity in power and capabilities with certain monsters of ancient mythology, and thus has been so named.”
“Ah, thank you, Labbi,” Leviathan said as she patted the mech.
“Well, it’s almost time to head out. Did you need something else, Chief?” she asked.
Odin’s eyes remain unmoved. She watches Leviathan clumsily try to put her shoes back on and Vidar lending his arm to keep her steady. At the docks, she watches Skadi atop her beloved ship, Snowbreaker, going through their coordinates once more. It was a fleeting scene but one worth preserving, even if it’s just in her memory.
The voice of Vidar brings her back to the present, “Chief? Are you alright?”
She blinks. “Yes. I just wanted to make sure everything is in order here.”
“Don’t worry, Chief. We’ll return before you even realize.”
“I know.”
With that, the Ocean Expeditionary Squad departs. Odin watches Snowbreaker slowly disappear into the horizon until it was finally unseen.
“I’ll see you later.”