Akira is Odysseus. Obviously. Ann is Penelope. Strong, would hold out for SO LONG waiting for Akira to come home. Savvy when she needs to be. How they GOT their kingdom was overthrowing the previous king, Kamoshida--together. But not just them, Ryuji too. Kicker is, Ryuji is seriously injured. Not a big problem, but it does run a bit of a problem because of a deal Akira made years ago to join some other kingdom when they go to war. Akira is the only one who can go, because Ryuji can't fight and Ann has to stay and take care of him. But he is able to take his comrades Yusuke and Akechi. They think it'll be a short war--it's not.
But the war ends. No one from their crew died. Except now... they have to make the return journey. Akira's entire motivation is to get back to both of his lovers.
Madarame in place of the cyclops, kills Yusuke. Akira and crew take Madarame out. All powerful being, Shido, is not happy about it. Curses the rest of the trip.
They're driven off course Shido and sent to Kaneshiro's island--where they meet the sorceress Makoto, who was trapped by Kaneshiro after a failed deal to save her sister. Very Circe coded, Akira almost dies, until Makoto decides to take pity on him because yeah, that tracks, he's got two people to get home to, no wonder she couldn't seduce him into getting murdered. (Not that I think she'd be good at it anyhow; Makoto is too awkward)
They get to the Underworld. Now I don't know a lot about Strikers, forgive me, but I feel like this would be Sophie's domain. At least, as a computer, she'd probably be able to deliver the prophecy no problem.
But they get out, the big betrayal from Akechi happens. I feel like Sojiro is maybe Zeus? A different sort, though. Maybe he's an Athena or Hermes figure here. Haven't ironed that out. (Probably Athena) Maybe Iwai or Kawakami is Zeus? No, it's gotta be Igor. There's a very... otherworldly sort of vibe with him still. He's not quite a god. Whomever the "king of the gods" is, it's not Igor, but Igor is powerful. And he offers the ultimatum: Akira or his crew. Akira has to get home. Maybe instead of Shido being a god, he's just another king, one of the suitors or merely attempting to wage war on Akira's kingdom, and Yabaloth is the god. That makes more sense, right? Right.
Anyway, Akira choses himself, and ends up on Futaba's Island. It's not love or obsession like with Calypso, but more... she's lonely. And after having someone after being alone so long, she's scared for him to leave, so uses her Demigod powers to prevent him from doing so, until Sojiro shows up and tells her she has to let him go.
Haru has to make an appearance somewhere, but I'm not sure yet. Maybe she's the underworld saga instead? Anyway, after leaving Futaba, Sojiro helps Akira get home. And you know, blood bath. Shido dies. Reunited with his lovers. Cue three way "I will fall in love with you, over and over again, I don't care how, where, or when; no matter how long it's been, you're mine" all through history all the way up to that day in the rain.
I don't know if this is anything, I just needed this lovely, glorious ship included in the chokehold Epic has on like, literally every community I keep visiting.
