Uphill Battle

"It's so huuuuge, there're even mountains here - how is it possible?!" Sayo looked around, impressed with the overall dark aesthetic and vibes that the Land of the Dead is giving her. 

She and Rexis walked aimlessly in the well-organized passages of the Underworld. Every now and then, Rexis would look back just to see if someone else (probably some ghostly guards or the Furies) is following them. So far, they were unnoticed. Psyche probably took the spotlight by announcing that she wishes to see the Queen. Sayo broke the silence between the two of them.

"Oh shit." She said, putting her hands on her mouth. Her face showed a slight look of worry. "Tell me that I reminded Psyche not to open the beauty box, come on, tell me."

But Rexis shook his head, getting why she was looking like that. "I'm sorry, you didn't."

Sayo slapped her forehead and groaned from her disappointment with herself. "I'm so done here."

"Nah, we aren't yet, come on. Let's find that 'One man, a lone one, suffering an endless struggle, ye must aid'. Honestly, the Underworld is so big and I wonder if we can find that guy or keep Psyche waiting forever near the….uh….Charon port." 

"Idiot, she's probably sleeping to death now. Snow-white style." Sayo said, remembering what Essence of Stygian Sleep can do to a person who is alive and kicking. Suddenly, Rexis stopped on his tracks and looked straight ahead, frozen from his position. Curious as to why, Sayo asked him about it. "Hey, something wrong?"

Rexis gulped and pointed at the source of reddish light not far from where they are. "I think I've seen this thing before. And I don't like it. We're near River Phlegethon, the Underworld's river of fire."

"So we better stay away from here then, and move on to somewhere else?" She proposed.

"No." Rexis finally took another step and headed to the direction of the flaming river. "When Julius and I were here before, he mentioned about hearing some noise calling to him near there. I thought that was irrelevant, but that might be our only clue for now. Maybe that voice has something to do with who we are searching for. It's just a hunch…but better this than nothing, right?"

Since Rexis looked serious, Sayo decided that the guy might be right on his hunch. Besides, it's her first time in this place, and she thanked Rexis enough for helping her out in navigating this huuuuuge-ass foreign land. "Hmmmkay, let's go there."

Without anybody else interrupting them, they both got closer to the river without any issues. Just then, a loud noise, like something heavy being thrown down, reverberated from near them, and they both turned to the direction where it came. They looked at each other and made a silent agreement to go to that direction.

"CURSE YOU ZEUS! CURSE YOU HADES! FUCK THIS SHIT!" They heard someone else scream into the void, and when they got closer to see his silhouette, Sayo couldn't make out why he is acting like that.

But Rexis realized who that guy is, and he told his companion, "Hey, looks like we found our 'lone man'."

"Explain?"

"Ever heard of Sisyphus?"

"I'm…..not familiar with that myth." She confessed.

"He was a former king who cheated his way to death. He died twice, and on the second time he died, the gods condemned him to an eternal punishment of pushing a huge boulder towards the top of a hill, only to have it come rolling back down to him in an endless cycle. Basically, a metaphor for man's fruitless labors. It's meaningless, to make him realize that his existence before was the same."

Even though Rexis was not as attentive as Julius or Sayo when it comes to classes, and he's not well-versed with lots of myths, Sisyphus' story remained with him because of its absurdity. He considered the man actually cunning, but not wise. He didn't agree with his school of thought that being alive is already salvation from an inevitable death. Of course, cheating death will earn him the ire of the Lord of the Dead, what else can he expect? His punishment fits his *ignorance* to this oblivion.

"Ara-ara, it appears that Rexis-kun is actually listening to class after all." She teased him, so Rexis scowled.

"Hey, don't use anime language on me. Or if you do, call me Rexis-sama." Weebs.

"Omae wa mou shindeiru." She responded in a low tone and her fist raised up, which made Rexis shiver.

[When translated from Japanese, the term "Omae Wa Mou Shindeiru" literally means "You Are Already Dead". The term, combined with a picture of the character 'Kenshiro' is a just as deadly of a weapon / meme for people on discussion sites to react to arguments like the martial art style he uses in the anime series called "Fist of the North Star".]

"Right. I'm shutting up. You go talk to that –"

"Yohoo ~ Sisyphus! How's it going?!" Sayo talked to the ex-king casually, like they were former friends.

The old man was filthy from head to toe, and the lone loincloth he's wearing barely concealed his privates. For his age, he looked rather strong and bulky, perhaps a product of his endless labor for how many years now. He was lying face down with a great boulder by his sides when he looked up to Sayo and asked in a grumpy tone, "Who are ye?"

From what Rexis told her, it seems that this Sisyphus is indeed the man they are looking for. 'One man, a lone one, suffering an endless struggle, ye must aid'. He fits the description perfectly. His endless struggle was pushing that boulder in an uphill battle, only to be defeated by it each time. The prophecy was clear as to it's instruction with the final verse it uttered, and how this will shape up their future.

/One man, a lone one, suffering an endless struggle, ye must aid

The reward, a thing from your own time. A clue, to what lies ahead

Then you'll see, that revelation will greatly influence thy quest

Son of Time, he will come back to thee, bringing wisdom of the old

Connect thy knowledge, and lead yourselves, more dangers lie await/

Julius will be back with them, and what he learned from the Mythos he hanged out with will shed the light on what they can retrieve after helping Sisyphus. By helping Sisyphus, it can only mean one thing.

"Don't be so mad about it. We're here to help you win that uphill battle. That rock will be resting at the top of that hill in no time." She declared to the man with a wink.

'Is this girl crazy? How can she possibly help me with this punishment?' Sisyphus thought.

Meanwhile, inside Rexis' mind. 'It's 'Sayo Lunatic Hours' now, ladies and gents. Screw the philosophy behind Sisyphud with this incoherent girl who's always screwing things up.' He gets it, okay. They are obviously sent here to help out the man in this eternity of fruitless labor.

--

Ages have passed. Every day the same burden. Sisyphus continued his struggle to get his soul back together.

The skin on his back cracked like mud. It breaks and bleeds when he starts his efforts each day. His feet are muddy with blood-soaked dirt. Beads of salty sweat ran down his face and body all the way to the already gore-slicked ground below his feet. His hands are white with effort. There is no point to this. He was tired.

But just several days (or weeks? Time isn't relevant to him anymore) ago, Sisyphus met a man who tried to help him into pushing the boulder at the top of the hill. They didn't succeed on that one, because the boulder kept on rolling down, unwilling to give him a rest. However, he felt better during that limited time. Having someone else share your burden is a thousand times better than bearing it all alone.

The man didn't tell him his name, but he did left something for him, which he is instructed to give to whoever plans to offer him their help. 

"Do it for me. Remember that someone out there helped you once." The man said.

He remembered this just now, and he thought that maybe…maybe, these are the guys that that weirdo spoke to him about.

"You look alive…How did you even manage to get here in the first place?" He crossed his arms and asked this in a high and mighty tone, unbefitting of his current appearance. 

"And….you're here…to help? You make me laugh." He told the two unknown mortals. Sisyphus is a prideful person who was condemned by the gods because of his hubris, so he won't admit that he actually welcomes the idea of someone else helping him. He did the very same thing to the man who helped him before. He never told him he was grateful for his aid.

"Look, old man. You want your soul to rest in peace? Then cooperate. We better roll that boulder and end your pitiful struggle. I'm sure you want that, you just don't wanna say it, luh. Lots of men like you from my time." Sisyphus was taken aback from the fire that was sent to him along with the girl's words.

'How can you be so damn accurate in speaking of such sensitive things?!' The former king of Corinth wanted to shout.

Sayo knew that definitely hit the 'ego' spot of the old man. A little more push, and she'll get what she wants.

"Don't you get tired of doing this everyday? Without getting any positive results? My, my, that sounds so taxing and frustrating. You want that boulder on the top of that hill, don't you? Then don't be a wuss and let us do what we are tasked to do."

"Tasked to do?"

It was Rexis who stepped in to cover for Sayo on that one, "Hehe, it seems that my friend is just too enthusiastic to help. Let's do it together shall we?"

Sisyphus got up and brushed away some dirt that clung to his very filthy body. He's no king anymore, so he doesn't care. But habits are hard to kill, so sometimes, he unconsciously just does it.

If they are the persons whom the man from before was referring to, then he must take their offer and fulfill the end of his bargain. He took a deep breath, before saying, "Let's go."