Odysseus nudges Takashi awake. He covers his eyes from the bright daylight shining on his face. After adjusting, he packs up his things while the others get ready. King Aeolus finishes wrapping the winds into a closable bag with a silver cord before handing it to Odysseus.

"What's very important is that they are so powerful that a misstep can be dangerous. Don't release it all at one time. Point in the direction you want to go and release little by little. Best to tie it to your mast," he advises.

The Ithacan king bows to him. "I thank you for your hospitality and help." The men do the same to show their respect.

The king's servants hand out bags of fruit and bread to the men for their journey. They enter the courtyard and are walking to the main gate.

"Hello!" Karisa yells out from the balcony. The men turn to find her in green pajamas with her parents. She clutches tightly the plush bunny Takashi gave her last night.

"Thank you for the fun! Be safe!" She waves at them. The men wave back at her.

Takashi sticks out his pinky finger as a wave goodbye and Karisa does the same. "Continue to be a good girl for your parents!"

"I will! Tell your daughter that Aeolia welcomes her!"

Takashi is touched by her sentiment. It's sad that she doesn't know the truth of where he comes from. That this will be the last time they will see each other again. Still, he smiles at her and walks out the gate with the crew. He wonders if his daughter is going to be adventurous like her.

I wouldn't mind either way because I would still love her.

They head back down to the ship and tie the bag of winds to the mast. Odysseus makes sure to inform the crew to avoid a fatal mistake that Takashi mentioned. Damian nails a note on the mast as a reminder of the warning. They open the sails and get ready to leave.

"A final parting gift!" King Aeolus' booming voice is heard.

A large cloud of his face appears behind the ship and blows gently, pushing the ship out towards the sea. With the push of motivation, Taki helps row the boat to get more speed. He later checks his watch and it's Oct 10th, 12pm in his world. He makes a voice message on his phone and finds he has made several over the past week.

He checks them and finds that he was recounting what happened before they reached Aeolia.

"...I'm here with Odysseus. The man you mentioned in your paper about Greek myths. He's real! He and his crew have taught me how to work on the ship and how to defend myself. They are going to get me to the Oracle of Delphi so I can be home again. I miss you, my bronze goddess. I hope you forgive me."

He "sends" a new message.

"Hey, Penny. We just left Aeolia and we got the bag of winds needed to get to Ithaca. Home is not too far away. Just know that I will make up for the time I lost for you and our daughter. I love you."

After he's done, he walks over to Odysseus with a burning question. Odysseus tilts his head to the side to talk.

"Last night, you lied to King Aeolus about who I really was. Why did you do it?"

"You mentioned being dragged to our world, right? Who or whatever did that is unknown. It could be a creature or worse....a god. Aeolus is friendly with the gods and this might cause one of them to act if he mentions us."

Takashi considers the artifacts and accepts this possibility. "But why did I get pulled here? I didn't do anything wrong."

"The Oracle will tell you. It's best that others know you as a student instead of being from another world. You will blend in easily that way."

The foreigner nods his head.

"In the meantime, let's get home. Men, adjust the sails to the northwest!"

Takashi helps pull the rope to move the sails into that direction. Odysseus goes to the helm to change their course.

"Perfect! Open the bag a little bit to test it! Everyone, hold onto something!"

Everyone holds onto the railings while Sander climbs up the ropes. He loosens the silver cord a little bit while holding onto the netting.

Whoosh!

The ship accelerates with them passing islands in a small blur.

"Stop!" Their king commands.

Sander tightens the cord, closing the bag slowly to avoid jerking the ship. Their ship slows down safely. The men grin from ear to ear. They will be home soon if they do this right.

"We are going to do quick hops just like that! Too much may push us past Ithaca!"

"Yes, sir!"

Takashi checks his watch and it's 12:05pm on his time. I'm almost there. It won't be too long before-

"There seems to be a narrow passage coming up! I also see some smoke going up?" Sander questions with confusion from the crow's nest.

Takashi, Theo, Galen, Damian, and Odysseus' faces twist in horror as they remember what that narrow passage represents.

"Drop the sails! We need to stop!"

The crew, without hesitation, drop the sails to slow them down.

"T-That can't be! They can't be here! Those monsters can't be here! This isn't the place for them!" Takashi stutters out as his heart wants to run away.

"What monsters?" A crew member asks.

"Scylla and Charybdis! But the location is wrong! They aren't supposed to be here!" Taki explains while his right foot taps from the anxiety.

"Who are they?"

"Takashi told me and some of us the monsters we may face. I didn't tell the rest of you because they are truly horrible," Odysseus sighs. "Scylla is a monster that lurks in the caves and will come out to grab anyone or anything she sees. Charybdis is a whirlpool that will chew and spit out anything caught in its trap."

Dread settles in for the rest of the crew. "C-can we fight Scylla?"

"No! We just need to survive! What was said is that she is so fast that our arrows can't hit her. We need to sail between them in order to live!"

"Wait, can we use the winds to go past them if we keep the ship in the middle?" Taki asks Odysseus.

"It's too risky. A single mistake and it will be over for us. We have to row quickly to get through."

"How about using the winds to go around the mountains?"

"It's the safest option," Damian agrees.

"Then let's do that."

"Okay. Men, let's do what Takashi says and go around them!"

The men row the ship to face parallel to the narrow passage. Everyone braces themselves and Sander loosens the silver cord.

Whoosh!

The ship accelerates, pushing them out.

"Stop!"

The man tightens the bag and the ship slows.

Takashi joins the others and helps them row further out to the east of the passage. As soon as they were straight, Sander loosens the cord to move past the mountain range. Eventually, a wide canvas of blue awaits them to their relief. Sander closes the bag.

"Are you okay?" The king asks the trembling foreigner.

He nods as they are now far away from these creatures.

"We will make it home. Your Penelope will be happy to see you again."

"I know."

Maybe using fast forward can– No, wait. What if something else happens? Save it for when we are in Ithaca.

The crew repeats the process of accelerating and slowing down with the hops.

"Another reason that we are hopping is that I want you to have what's left of the bag. It will help you when you are on your own."

Taki takes a step back. "You would really let me have it?"

"Of course. Consider it as a gift," he extends a hand and they shake.

Takashi holds it and gives him a hug with his other arm. "Thank you. Thank you for everything."

Odysseus pats him on the back.

From the side, a wave slaps against the ship. The force almost throws people overboard. Sander grips the netting for dear life while others grip the railings. The splash of water onto the deck slaps their heads.

Their pupils tremble from the waters rising above the top of the mast.

The ship rocks until it settles on the dry ocean floor where some fish flop around.

"YOU REALLY THINK THAT I WOULD LET YOU GET HOME, ODYSSEUS?!"

Poseidon's voice almost takes the will to live out of them. The crew scans around, but the god is nowhere to be seen. They see the waters forming a huge tidal wave that faces them. Its shadow covers the entire ship in near darkness.

"STOP!" Taki yells.

The tidal wave freezes while the watch clicks. A part of him thinks to take the bag of winds and save only himself, but he shakes that terrible thought away. He adjusts his tote bag to the side while climbing up the mast.

I have to release it all.

He ignores the height as he pushes the bag to face downward and away from the ship. His index finger goes to yank the cord-

Takashi's back connects to the wall below the helm. The sudden pain knocks the air out of his lungs. Squirming makes it worse from the left side of his ribs. Each breath is sharp and shallow. The length of a staff grabs his full attention. Following it down leads to a three-pronged pitchfork where his blood–

He blinks numerous times from the agony of being stabbed for the first time. He forces his eyes open to confirm the strange sight of his blood. Expecting red except it's golden iron that's decorating the deck along with the tote bag.

F-Fuck! What's going on?!

He tries to pull out the weapon, but it's akin to moving a tree trunk.

How could this happen? Nothing should be- damn. Fuck, fuck, fuck, he clenches his teeth from the pain. Things shouldn't be movi-

The tidal wave and the crew are still frozen.

"That power of yours is strange."

Taki's body almost jumps, but the agony forces him to remain still. His eyes widen from the deity jumping onto the deck.

A crown of lapis lazuli rests on his long white hair that extends past the seafoam white beard. Royal blue eyes reflect the same color as the tidal wave meant to destroy them. The water sticks on the aquamarine scales and muscles of the towering 7 ft god of the seas. A lower cloth of umber covers down to his ankles where small flippers extend out.

"Hmm, you are different from everyone else," a white-blue wisp emanates from his body. "In more ways than one."

Takashi can't say a word. Too many thoughts of what he can't do flood his mind.

"Nothing to say? Ah, this must have never happened to you before. I am amazed that you stopped my tidal wave, but you can't stop the inevitable," Poseidon grips his trident.

A simple twist forces a scream from Taki's lips.

Time resumes. The crew is unpaused and the tidal wave is kept at bay by the sea god's raised hand. Odysseus and the others jump back from seeing Poseidon. They also see Takashi's blood that rings familiar with them. His torture brings some courage to Odysseus' footsteps.

"P-Poseidon! Leave him out of this! Your grief is with me!"

"Mortal, know your place. This man is part of your crew meaning he deserves punishment as well! The fact that he stopped my tidal wave means he's a potential threat."

Eyebrows rise from the accusation.

"Hmm, seems like he's hiding something from you or he can't even explain it," the malevolent god continues.

"Earthshaker, how did you find us?"

"Very smart that you acquired Aeolus' help, but it will not do you any good."

"D-Did you hurt them?" Taki stutters out from the assumption he formed in his mind.

Poseidon nears his head. "My siblings and I declared him and his family off limits. The punishment for us is Tartarus. Besides, he wasn't the one who told me."

Come on, come on, come on! Think! Who told him? What can I do?!

Taki's vision blurs. This...can't be it.

"I spent too much time talking. It's time to finish you all off," the god declares.

The thoughts of Penny and his loved ones run through Taki's mind.

I can't die. Not here, now...I need to see them again! A burning rage from within helps him force the trident out of his body.

Gasps escape but an amused smile comes out of the earthshaking god. Poseidon sees anger and a flicker of emerald in the mortal's brown eyes.

Takashi places a hand on his knees to stand up. His tote bag drops to the deck. His sword screeches out as he runs forward with a slash!

Poseidon quickly ends his moment with a light uppercut to the ribs. His body gets sent up to the helm. Air leaves his lips along with more golden blood. He turns to his side to see the sea god approaching the crew like a hungry lion.

Sander drops down to the deck. With swift movements, he launches a spear which is caught by the sea god. Within a few blinks, Theo, Damian, and Galen are skewered with their blood dripping on the earthshaker's face. A thoughtless toss sends their corpses to the sea.

Sander clenches his teeth. He throws a shaking fist to avenge his friends, but the sea god flicks him in the head. The force puts a golf ball-sized hole through his head. The proud warrior drops with his body twitching.

"So you want to die the hard way? So be it," Poseidon sighs out of boredom.

Takashi tries to speak, but the pain to his ribs makes it impossible for him to breathe. He's crying as he can't do anything to help them. "Stop" won't affect Poseidon and will put the men's lives in jeopardy.

Odysseus runs up to the helm and gives Takashi the bag of winds with his tote bag. He helps him stand up.

"You need to get out of here! Hold onto this! It will take you to Ithaca!"

Takashi tries to reach Odysseus with his hand, but the leader puts his hand on the bag.

He goes to loosen the cord–

Splatter!

Taki's pupils widen from the sight of the trident through his friend's heart. He can taste the iron that drops on his lips. The god withdraws his weapon and Odysseus' body falls near Takashi.

The king of Ithaca's eyes dilate before becoming motionless. Erratic breaths leave the foreigner's mouth. He scrambles for the cord, but Poseidon takes the bag and tosses it away.

"You will join them all shortly."

The bottom of the trident taps the deck. At the top of the great tidal wave, the foam transforms into horses. The wave gallops down and obliterates the warship.

The sea god rises out of the water, unscathed. "So ends Odysseus and his crew."

The deity goes to his chariot and returns to his underwater domain.

Takashi's battered, black and blue body sinks into the depths of the water. His tote bag rises up to the surface. A rough hand pulls him up to the surface. Taki's bruised eyes prevent him from seeing his rescuer.

The foreigner wakes up. A piece of driftwood supports him on the surface. He keeps his body still while checking his ribs with his left hand. Three distinct holes, but no wound. His mind replays what happened last before the blackout. He pushes himself up-

His heart sinks to his stomach. Damian, Theo, Sander, Galen, Odysseus' bodies are surrounded by their blood. What is left of the ship is sinking into the deep ocean.

He paddles quickly. "Odysseus!" His hand trembles before tears run down his face. He's the only survivor.

Taki's eyes scan around for any hope. No land. No ships. All his possessions are gone. Only a beautiful sunset to overlook this tragedy.

He swallows the lump in his throat. "H-Help!" HELP!"

No response.

He screams until he almost loses his voice. Meanwhile, the family he has found in this world sinks to the bottom.

Why, why, why, why, why, why? Why couldn't I save them? What's the point of this abilities?!

The wristwatch's time of 11pm drowns all hope of being in his family's arms. Penelope will think that he broke his promise. His daughter would live through the same experience of being abando-

No! Stop thinking like that. But what can I do? Think! I can stop and fast forward. What if I-

It clicks together. He closes his eyes and concentrates his mind on the image of Aeolia.

"Take me back. Take me back. Take me back! Restart! Rewind! Reset!"

The face of the wristwatch cracks.