Hi everyone, Kinji here with a new reboot of my neptunia crossover fic.

Now let me just say a few things. I'll admit choosing between main characters for this crossover was one of the hardest things I've ever thought of.

I was divided between Ludger from ToX2 and Haseo from .hack. Both characters have ups and downs to them and despite being a silent protagonist, I actually enjoyed Ludger's role in Tales of Xillia 2

And after investing a hundred hours beforehand, playing it, I knew I had to choose Ludger.

Now this chapter in particular does involves a lot of spoilers from the game so those have u who haven't finished it and don't want to be spoiled, plz leave now and come back once ur done.

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Alright? K, so my reason for having Ludger is simple. His life sucks. He and Julius really need a break cuz those two had gone through hell in the game pretty much. And the true ending route gave me so many feels that I wanted to write this fic out of respect for Ludger and the game which I enjoyed so much, prolly cuz of its darker story. I know this game had multiple endings but there's a reason why the true ending is what it is and I characterize Ludger based off that.

And also, bcz of the true ending, it seemed like a great starting point for this fic for me and at the very least, Ludger and Julius will have a permanent reason to stay in Gamindustri.

Don't get me wrong, I also liked Haseo during my time playing .hack, but the lack of .hack games ever since redemption for the ps2 makes it hard for me to stay motivated.

Anyways, this is the first chapter, I hope everything goes well with this.

Prologue: The second gift of life

Part 0

It only has been a few days since humanity has passed Origin's Trial.

All the fractured dimensions were destroyed by the wish made to Origin.

Humanity has once again proven themselves worthy of saving in the Great Spirit's eyes.

However, such a thing could not have happened without loss and sacrifice.

Many have died. Even more have suffered.

Countless worlds had to be destroyed to accomplish what had to be done.

A young man was also forced to kill his own brother and even give up his own life in order to save the world, and protect what was dear to him.

But, that story had passed now.

The story of the man who surpassed Origin's will has ended, and a new tale was about to begin.

Origin and Chronos continued their duty to contain the miasma in a dark space, completely closed off from the rest of the world.

However...

"Hmm, this is unexpected."

Origin murmurs that quietly to himself. Chronos overheard and said,

"It's rare to hear such words coming from you. What happened?"

"It seems there has been a slight error in the soul purification process."

Chronos raised one of his brows,

"An error?"

"Perhaps that isn't the best way to describe it. A 'crack' or 'hole' in the system. Those may be more accurate."

"Enough with the metaphors. Just get to the point."

"I wasn't speaking metaphorically. Their indeed seems to be a hole in the process and because of it, a pair of souls have leaked out from it and are now aimlessly drifting in the dimensional abyss.."

"This is the first time it has happened?"

Chronos mentioned but Origin merely nods his head,

"Yes. Even I wasn't aware of such a gap until now. A fix to this should be easy to apply."

"It's rare to see you make a mistake like this in the first place. As for those lost souls now lost in the abyss, now that there are no more fractured dimensions to travel to, I suppose the only place for them to go would be..."

Origin nods his head,

"Yes, they will continue to drift until they leave the boundaries of our universe. Once that happens, they will be outside our jurisdiction. Even our power would not be able to interfere with them."

"Leaving them to freely drift into whatever universe they happen to run into and be reborn into that new world. And since they haven't got through soul purification, their individual identities will remain intact."

Chronos says it calmly, something Origin had noticed.

"You seem unconcerned."

Cronos crosses his arms, and quietly shuts his eyes.

"Naturally. No matter what the form, humans are humans. What happens to them are of no concern to me...Unless..."

Chronos opens his eyes. He narrows his gaze upon Origin

"The identities of the souls...What are they?"

Origin gave Chronos an answer that he didn't want to hear.

"Julius Kresnik and...Ludger Kresnik."

Hearing those names, Chronos stresses out a heavy, heavy sigh.

"Millions of humans and they had to be a Kresnik...Unbelievable..."

The situation has become more troublesome. Since their souls have yet to be purified, the power of the Chromatus that he himself had given their family should still linger within them.

There's no real guarantee whether or not they could still use that power if they drift out to a new world since its deeply-rooted to their world but considering its power, it might be too dangerous to even take that chance.

"I suppose I should retrieve them then before they happen to drift too far?"

Chronos was about to go but Origin interrupts,

"No, that won't be necessary."

"What?"

Chronos was surprised and Origin explained,

"There's no need to go out of your way. Their role in this world finished when they passed the trial where most Kresnik's failed. There's no need to bring them back into this world, even as a new person."

"Their souls likely still possess the Chromatus. Do you think it's wise to leave such power unchecked and at the mercy of a foreign universe? It could inevitably bring calamity and we won't be able to do anything about it."

"Perhaps. But that would be entirely up to them, wouldn't it? To destroy a world or save it, that is for the humans to decide. It's that freedom they have is what makes them so interesting. I only regret not being able to see what those two brothers will choose for themselves this time."

Origin's words, left Chronos slightly disturbed,

"Origin, could you...possibly be enjoying this?"

After that, the souls of Julius and Ludger Kresnik continued to drift through the dimensional abyss until they were accepted into a new dimension, far different from the one they knew.

Their untouched souls would be reborn, as the same person, but with new memories, living a new life in this new world.

A world called Gamindustri...

Part 1

Years later...

I hear a sound...

It was a low, buzzing sound that echoed into my fading consciousness.

Ah, that's right...I know what this sound is.

The sound of an alarm clock annoyingly buzzing early in the morning.

"Umm..."

My eyelids felt heavy. I didn't feel like opening them right now.

I ruffle around the sheets for a bit. Pulling my hand out, I search for the snooze button using my hand, hitting a few things like my phone and wallet until I hit the snooze button of the alarm sitting on the table next to my bed.

Five more minutes...

I plan to wake up in another 5 minutes...

Usually when people say that, they end up lying in bed for about half-an-hour until they force themselves out of the bed.

Usually, I'm no exception.

I continue to sleep and try to keep my eyes shut.

However, a strong light keeps hitting my eyes. I try covering my head with a blanket but that didn't work.

I opened my eyes and for a moment, I was hailed by a bright light.

It was then that the alarm clock that I turned off entered my line of vision.

I looked at the time and...

"...Crap!"

I immediately sprung up from my bed, tossing my bed sheet aside. A sudden energy runs through my body, an energy that would suddenly burst out of people the very moment their mind realizes that they were late.

That was because I was late.

I saw the time on my digital alarm clock, and I realized I had already overslept by half-an-hour already.

I make a quick run into the closet and tried to change out of my pajamas and into my day clothes as soon as possible.

In a world like this, you can normally get away with sleeping in when you're around my age.

But today was a special day for me and I couldn't afford that luxury.

Also, I'd rather not get another pep talk from my brother.

Ah, that reminds me, I suppose some introductions are necessary.

This world I live in, it's called Gamindustri...Hmm, it really rolls off the tongue, that name...

Anyways, Gamindustri is a land where CPUs rule and game mascots live away from the realm of humans.

CPUs are pretty much goddesses I suppose. Gamindustri is ruled by four CPUs who preside over four different nations.

Let's see, they taught me this in school.

I believe, CPU White Heart rules Lowee, the Land of White Serenity.

CPU Black Heart rules Lastation, the Land of Black Regality.

CPU Green Heart rules Leanbox, the land of Green Pastures.

And CPU Purple Heart rules Planeptune, the Land of Purple Progress.

I never met them myself but I have seen them on TV during news broadcasts for public events.

These four nations struggle for supremacy, and the constant shifts in control make the world stable.

I heard at one point, the four CPUs battled against each other over rule of Gamindustri. That was called the Console War.

However, to stop a powerful, malevolent deity and her vile scheme, the four nations had banded together and successfully thwarted her ambitions.

Or at least, it was something like that.

History can get pretty warped when people start throwing wild speculations everywhere.

Time passed, and Gamindustri became the peaceful realm it is now.

Of course, that's what I was taught growing up. It seems to have happened before my time but due to that event, the four nations seems to have taken a truce-like stance with each other and now they're war looks like a friendly rivalry now.

Oh, I almost forgot.

I'm Ludger. Ludger Kresnik. I'm 18 years old. For as long as I can remember, I've lived a small, humble life with my brother here in a small apartment complex in Planeptune.

"Hey, Ludger! You alive in there? Chop-Chop!"

I can hear my brother calling me from the living room outside.

I quickly respond back with a tired sigh.

"Alright..."

After quickly slipping on my blue dress shirt, I hastily threw a yellow tie around my neck.

Before I left, I quickly made my bed and flatten the sheets.

Overall, I live a relatively peaceful life here in Planeptune.

Although...

There are times where I feel like I'm missing something, like there was something important that I forgot.

But at the same time, I feel like it's nothing that I should worry about too much. I'm not sure how but whenever I try to figure out what the source of that feeling was, I'd eventually shrug it off and start to believe that whatever it was, I had nothing to worry about because I know they can do it.

"They'?

I start to shake my head to try and shake off this weird confusion.

No time to space out now, the day's started and I'm already late.

Part 2

I come out of my room in a haste, shutting the door behind me as I continued. There, in the living room, I see my brother already sitting at the breakfast table, playing with a large, fat cat that was lying on top of the table where we eat.

I hear the kettle sitting on the stovetop in the kitchen was already boiling.

The moment my brother noticed me stepping out, he rests his face on his hand while looking at me,

"Sleeping in on the first day? Smooth move..."

Ouch, he scolds me harshly. There wasn't really much I can say that doesn't sound like an excuse.

Saying things like 'I was up all night, playing video games' would actually make things worse so I opted for the silent treatment.

"Seems like someone is ready for a pep talk from his brother."

He speaks to the cat, sitting on the table, who only responds with a prompt 'Meow...'

A pep talk from my brother, huh? This early in the morning, it would probably put me back to sleep.

"I'll pass..."

When I said that, a small smile appeared on my brother's face.

"Yeah, good call. There's no reason to coddle you. I mean, you're not a little kid anymore. Today's the day, you finally start working to earn your keep."

The man sitting at the breakfast table was Julius Kresnik. He's my older brother. For as long as I can remember, he has taken care of me in place of our parents. I never really knew what my parents looked like or who they even are. Julius told me that they were eaten by monsters but I was so young at the time, I can barely remember it.

So ever since then, Julius has been my acting guardian. He's really amazing. I admire him and one day, I hope to grow up to be just as a great a man he is.

He's cool, mature, understanding and a great fighter. If he had any flaw, it would be...well, he can't really cook even to save his own life. Now that I think about it, I'd say housework in general can be a bit of an Achilles heel for him.

I suppose no one can really be perfect, but seriously though, my brother's amazing.

Julius works for The Guild, an agency that fulfills quests for clients in exchange for rewards. There, he is one of the Guild's top agents and has done more quests there than anyone.

As for me, I naturally want to work at the same place as him. The requirements to become an employee weren't strict. A basic education and some physical training is all that's needed to tackle the jobs offered at the Guild, especially the ones that involve fighting dangerous monsters.

However, starting out in a workplace like that naturally means starting at the bottom and working my way up, like Julius did.

Julius was a prodigy though. I think he's been doing work like this since he was 12 in order to support us and by the time he reached my age, he's already renown as one of the best of the best.

And since I'm his younger brother, the bar has been set pretty high. I need to try my best in order to reach those expectations.

Today, after breakfast, Julius is going to give me my first assignment. I'm a little nervous but I'm also pretty excited as well.

I wonder what I'll be doing? Hunting monsters? Looking for materials? ...Now that I think about it, don't the guilds have another type of jobs?

Oh and the fat cat? His name is Rollo. We took him in one day and gave him a name. I'm not sure what inspired us to give him the name 'Rollo', it just somehow came to us.

Back then, Rollo used to be a tiny kitten; now, it's a miracle that he can even fit through a door. Well, that's inevitable I suppose, since Julius and I wouldn't stop spoiling him with food. Thank goodness, he wasn't a dog. We'd probably need a trolley now just to give him walks if that were the case.

"Meow..."

Speaking of which, Rollo was affectionately rubbing his head against my leg. To most animals, particularly dogs, such an action is how they display their affection.

However, in Rollo's case, that body language basically translates to 'Give me food.'

I smiled a bit and Julius says,

"Looks like Rollo's hungry too. Let's eat."

"Yeah, just give me a minute..."

My brother is usually busy so naturally, I'm left behind to take care of the house. Of course, that means I'm the cook of the house, preparing all our meals. It wasn't easy at the beginning but now I'm quite good at it. I suppose you could say I even enjoy cooking.

"What's the special today, chef?"

Julius asks. I thought about it for a moment. Considering the ingredients we have in the kitchen, the best thing to make today for breakfast for me,

"I suppose I'll make tomato omelettes today."

When I said that, I head straight for the kitchen. Julius was smiling wryly as he said,

"Oh, I see what you're getting at. Trying to butter me up with tomatoes, huh? Of course, that just might work."

Julius loves eating tomatoes. Everyone is entitled to their likes and dislikes with respect to food.

I began to work in the kitchen. Meanwhile, Julius was playing with Rollo.

For a moment, I decide to take a brief look at the two of them.

The fat cat goes up to Julius, who then bends down towards Rollo to pick him up.

"How about you, Rollo? Fancy some deep-fried canary, maybe?"

Julius grabs Rollo from under his arms and lifts them up. My brother sure is strong. Most people would've broken a back or two trying to lift that fat cat.

Julius seems to have noticed the way Rollo's belly seems to shuffle around while picking him up.

If I had to describe Rollo's belly, it's like pudding covered in fur.

"Or how about some diet Kitty Krisps? Gotta lift you from the knees, big boy."

Julius gives Rollo a hug. However, that cat tends to be touchy when it comes to personal space. He begins to press his front paw on Julius' face while trying to get away.

I can't help but watch that scene with a smile on my face before I went back to work, preparing breakfast.

Things like this were a daily occurrence in our lives.

To be honest, I've always thought my life would always be like this. It was just me and my brother, but we were able to make a decent living for ourselves throughout the years.

A quiet, simple life like this was more than I could ever ask for.

So I didn't really ask for anything else, nor would I expect anything to change.

Yeah, that's right, a life like this was good enough for me.

However, at the time, I didn't realize how much that life was going to change from this point on.

Part 3

It was after breakfast and I stood at the sink, washing dishes. Because it was only me, Julius and Rollo living here, it wasn't a whole much for me to do. It only takes about 5 minutes or so for me to finish cleaning up after breakfast.

Julius was watching TV from the breakfast table. It was one of those rare times on the television where they would show something other than anime.

Although I wouldn't call it news either...

"A rare monster has been reported by our scouts at Kobaba Ruins in Leanbox. This monster is said to drop a rare material used to forge powerful weapons that cannot be obtained in stores. Everyone should be advised that this monster is quite leveled and shouldn't be approached without sufficient leveling and gaining experience points beforehand. Also the drop rate is reported to be about 5% so anyone interested in hunting it should prepare to spend quite a bit of time in the Kobaba Ruins."

It seems all we normally get is news like this. I wasn't sure exactly what was the intention of these news headlines.

Are they trying to tell people to stay away from the monster or hunt it down for the sake of those rare materials?

I merely shrug my shoulders while drying my hands off with a few paper towels.

"It seems like the monsters are growing more wild. It looks like the work will be piling up."

Julius says with a bittersweet smile. I start to look at the television while hovering next to him.

A majority of jobs posted by the guilds usually involve monsters in some ways so naturally, Julius would be affected by this kind of thing.

I have yet to figure out whether this is considered good or bad news though for him.

On one hand, the sight of a giant monster appearing could impeded his work.

On the other hand, if he has money signs in his eyes, it could be seen as a chance to cash-in.

Man, monster hunting work sure is complicated.

"You start your first day with guild work and a powerful monster suddenly appears. Most people would take that as a bad omen."

Julius makes that joke while looking at me. In the meantime, I began praying the job Julius has for me doesn't take me to that place.

"Say, I should really give you something to commemorate your new job, shouldn't I?"

Hoh? In that case, I'd like to get that new console that was just released in Lastation. I've had my eye on that one ever since they unveiled it at E3.

...Just kidding. I wouldn't even have time for video games now anyways.

"I don't really need anything."

I tell that to Julius.

"Ah, c'mon, it's your special day. Nothing too crazy, though, no ponies."

I wasn't going to suggest such a thing anyways. The closest thing to a pony in my mind are those horsebirds and those things are just unnatural to me.

Julius' eyes suddenly center around my neck-tie. Seeing it, he stands up from his chair.

"Well, how about a nice neck-tie instead?"

Noticing how poorly done my tie was, Julius starts to fix it for me.

It was my first time wearing a neck-tie to be honest. I'm not really used to dressing up like this.

"With guild work, you'll be dealing with all kinds of people. Gotta stay sharp."

"Yeah, I know..."

He makes it one last fix on my tie and tightens it. I could feel it hugged around my neck, choking me slightly.

It seems this is just something I'll have to get used to.

He pats my shoulder with my hand and says,

"Well, now you're all set! Shall we get on to business?"

"...! Right!"

I reply while nodding my head enthusiastically.

This is it! My first assignment. I need to stay psyched and motivated through the whole day.

While I wore a serious expression, Julius walks over to the refrigerator. His face was also serious.

"Now, you know, normally the standard entry-level job for Guild members would be to hunt Dogoos in places like Virtua Forest. However, I prepared a special assignment for you."

My eyes widened and a bead of sweat starts to crawl down my temple.

"Y-You did?"

I gulped, and I start to become even more nervous now. Julius hand-picked a job for me. Now that I realize that, I definitely can't fail this first assignment...!

I start to feel the pressure. Did he pick an easy job? Or did he choose a really hard one? Do I even have what it takes to meet his expectations? All these questions popped into my head.

Then, Julius takes it a small box out from the refrigerator. I noticed it before while I was cooking but I didn't really knew what was in there.

I was certain Julius was the one who put it in there and I just assumed it was some tomato cupcakes he was saving for himself or something.

Julius' face looks stern and tense. The expression in his eyes remain hidden by the lens of his glasses.

He approaches me, carefully holding the box with both hands, like it housed a priceless, one-of-a-kind gem.

Well, actually since its Julius, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the world's only Golden Tomato or something like that.

"Listen very carefully, Ludger. I'll only say this once: the very future of Planeptune depends on whether or not you can deliver the contents of this package to their Basillicom, and pass it over to the people there. Do you think you can handle that?"

S-Such a huge weight on my shoulders. Does he realize what he was saying? Basically the lives of everyone in this country are placed on my shoulders.

What kind of assignment was this? Was it really a good idea to give such a job to someone like me?

I mean, if I mess up then...

Horrible images come to my mind. Think the city of Planeptune, except on fire.

...I can't afford a single mistake.

There's no way I can do it. I'm too inexperienced.

But wait, I don't think Julius would even offer such an assignment if he didn't think I was capable.

My older brother is willing to entrust this task to me.

Then shouldn't I, as the younger brother, rise to this occasion and make his older brother proud?

Julius must have very high expectations for me. I can't let him down.

"I-I think I can do it."

"You think?"

"No, I will do it."

I nod my head, now more sure than ever.

I try to keep the determination on my face. No matter what, I must not waver.

Julius smiles, entrusting me with the box as he pushes it into my arms.

"Very good. I'll leave it to you, Ludger. Be careful with the box and don't let it shake too much. Also, it needs to stay refrigerated. There's no telling what might happen if it stays out for too long."

"I-I see..."

At that moment, my goal changed from 'becoming a great man like Julius' to 'get through the day alive'.

Part 4

"How did this happen? I thought I would just be out hunting Dogoos at Virtua Forest for my first job like a tutorial in an RPG. Now I'm left with this important assignment..."

"Meow..."

"More importantly, what was Julius thinking? If this was such an important assignment, then why didn't he do it then?"

"Meow..."

"Right? I mean, Julius is a top agent. A task as important as this shouldn't be trust to a beginner like me."

"Meow!"

"Yeah, I know. There's nothing I can do about it now. I already accepted now I need to see this job all the way to the end."

I let out a big sigh, dropping my shoulders.

Right now, I was walking through the streets of Planeptune, talking with Rollo, who decided to tag along with me.

They often say that a dog is man's best friend, but when I look at Rollo, I sometimes disagree.

While walking through the populated streets, I carefully held the chilled steel box in front of me with both hands, careful not to let it accidentally bump into anyone on the streets.

While walking, I was making guesses as to what the contents were. Based on Julius' words, I was too scared to actually look inside so I just played around with ideas.

Mystery Item Idea #1: A powerful crystal that can be dangerous if left in the wrong hands.

Mystery Item Idea #2: An unstable isotope.

Mystery Item Idea #3: A thermonuclear bomb.

If the third one is true, I'm going to toss this things right to the edge of the city.

I keep playing with ideas while heading towards the Basillicom. It isn't hard to find. In fact, it was a large tower-like building at the center of the city that can be seen anywhere.

All I had to is move the same direction as the Basillicom and eventually, I'll get there.

"Now that I think about, it's the first time you and I ever went to the Basillicom, huh, Rollo?"

"Meow..."

"I wonder who we'll meet there..."

I start to get nervous. The Basilicom is an organization that directly serves thegoddessesand governs each land.

The place where people go to worship the Goddesses and also the place where the Goddesses reside. There are two parts to a Basilicom. The sanctuary where the goddesses are taken care of and the parliament for political activity. There is a Basilicom on each Landmass. The only way to travel to another landmass is to get permission from the Basilicom on the current landmass one is on.

Long ago, Basilicoms were created by CPUs (Goddesses). Basilcoms assist goddesses in governing the world. They also perform missionary work to spread their beliefs.

A Basilicom is split into two sections, one being the Sanctuary where the Goddesses are cared for, and the parliament, which is for political activity.

When I think about it like that, there is probably a chance I'll meet Purple Heart. I never met any of the goddesses personally and I've only see them during public events.

So naturally, I was feeling nervous. And this important box which I suspect is a bomb isn't helping me ease the tension.

After going a few streets and crossing a few intersections, I eventually made it to the Basillicom's front door.

As expected, the entrance was a set of twin doors that looked like it reached the skies.

It was pretty quiet and that only made me even more tense.

"Umm, hello...?"

I call out to the door. Naturally, the door didn't answer. That was stupid of me.

I re-thought my approach and simply went for the most orthodox way to get their attention.

I knocked on the door. My fist lightly hits the door, releasing a light tapping sound.

"Hello? I have a package to deliver to this Basillicom, to a Miss Neptune! If someone can come to the door to confirm this, that'll be much appreciated!"

...After a few seconds, there was still no answer at the door.

Maybe they didn't hear me...?

It would feel rude if I just barged in so I take a step back and look both to the left and then to the right, scanning the edge of the doors.

"Is there a doorbell around here I can use...?"

While murmuring that,

"Meow..."

I can hear Rollo from under me. I look down and I see Rollo sitting right in front of my feet. His eyes seems unnaturally focused at what was in front of him.

"What is it, Rollo? Did you find something?"

I noticed that he was staring at a scrap sheet of paper sitting at the foot of the door. The strip of tape at the top of the sheet looked like it was holding onto the door like its life depended on it.

Even a gentle breeze would be more than enough to sweep the paper away so I bent down and grabbed it before it could run.

I look at the piece of paper pinched between my fingers and noticed,

"It looks like a note was stuck to the door. And rather poorly at that."

I felt sympathy for that worn down strip of tape. More than that, my eyes hurt upon reading this crude handwriting in front of me.

What is this...?

The person who wrote this must either be an infant or a chicken.

I couldn't really make sense of all the pen scratches.

I didn't even think what I was looking at to be words. It looks like somebody just drew lines everywhere.

Let's see...

I squint my eyes as narrow as possible and word by word, I slowly began to decipher this encrypted text.

"Out...playing...with...Nep...Jr...At...Virtua...Forest...Be...Back...Whenever...P...S...If...Histy...asks...where...we...were...tell her...we're...working...Nep."

I think that's what this note says. Apparently, this person called Nep has decided to sneak out to play with...Nep. Jr. I'm assuming Nep is short for Neptune...Or Nep. Jr is short for Neptune.

...Then why the note?

"Are you serious? What am I supposed to do now?"

It doesn't look like anyone else is here.

I certainly don't want to hold onto this box for much longer and I can't exactly just leave the package right at the front door like some kind of gift basket. Someone might take it...Or worse.

And the note was so vague that I have no idea when exactly they're gonna come back.

I juggled between the few options before me, until there was only two left for me to choose from.

[Screw this! I'm going home!]

[Maybe I'll find them in Virtua Forest.]

...Well, this is a no-brainer.

I wasn't even sure why I even considered that first one.

"Virtua Forest shouldn't be too far from here. If we're lucky, we can run into Neptune and deliver the package off to them along the way. Let's go, Rollo."

"Meow..."

I turn around and head down the one path that leads outside the city.

Virtua Forest was just on the outskirts of the city. Julius took me there a few times when he was teaching me how to fight against other monsters.

It was then while I was walking through the streets of Planeptune, that I realized I was talking to Rollo too much in public and I got a lot of weird stares from the people who only saw a lonely guy whose only companionship was a cat...

Oh boy...

Part 5

Virtua Forest...It was the home of...rather weak monsters now that I think about it.

I stand at its entrance. It was a small forest but I saw lush grass and tall trees surrounding the wide, dirt path in front of me.

It wasn't a tricky area. Just a few hills here and there but it's virtually impossible to get lost in this spacious forest, especially if you already have a map of this place. I have a copy of it in my phone. It even has a positioning system to show my current location on it.

It's a place often used as a training ground for those who are just getting to know how to fight. Julius takes me here sometimes and I had my fair share of whacking Dogoos around for fun.

The primary wildlife consists of Dogoos and Tulips.

Dogoos were essentially slime-like creatures with dog-like features. Their bodies are mainly composed of some kind of clear blue gel and they possessed the face, ears and tail of an actual dog. Bringing Rollo with me might not have been a good idea, after all.

Tulips were...well, tulips. Basically, flowers with faces and violent tendencies.

It wasn't a large place. The whole area can be covered in a matter of minutes.

This isn't a place for people, so if there's anyone here, I'm willing to bet my client, Neptune is here somewhere.

"Let's go, Rollo..."

"Meow..."

Rollo walks alongside me as I continued down the dirt path.

I'll admit, bringing a fat, juicy cat in a den of monsters is quite up there in the list of stupid ideas that a human can come up with, but Rollo's a smart kitty. He always knows when to stay out of trouble and run in the first sign of danger.

It also helps that the monsters usually want nothing to do with him. Lucky cat...

We continued heading deeper into the forest. About half we in, the two of us come to a stop. Rollo's fur starts to frizz up. His paws firmly claws at the ground and he looks to the side of me,

"Meow...!"

The sound Rollo makes was a lot sharper than how he usually meows.

Such a reaction was natural. After all, our path was blocked by a couple of monsters.

Dogoos to be exact, and several of them. My eyes count 5 in all. A herd of Dogoos like this is actually quite normal.

Rather, I'd be an idiot to think that I could walk through this place without getting into a fight or two.

The Dogoos all start to aggressively bounce towards my direction.

It was clear that I had no way of getting passed here without fighting my way through.

I didn't want to turn back either.

So I was left with one option.

"Rollo, safeguard the package for me."

"Meow..."

I gently place the steel box in my hands down. Rollo waddles over to it and firmly plants his rear on the ground, sitting next to the box.

I then take a few steps forward, separating myself while keeping feet firmly planted. I stand between the Dogoos and the package.

I made sure that there was enough space behind me so that Rollo and the package don't get caught up in the fighting.

Satisfied with the 2 meter long distance I gave myself between them, I face the Dogoos bouncing towards me.

I reached behind me and drew out my weapons.

A pair of dual swords. Twin blades no longer than short swords with a firm, rubber grip specifically designed to be contorted to my hands. The blades were double-edged and yet possess a slight curve to it.

Julius was the one who custom-ordered these blades for me.

I spun the blades in a half circle, holding both the swords in a reverse grip. It was an unconventional way to wield a sword. Most sword wielders use the blade in the standard, forward grip.

It was Julius that developed this unique reverse-grip dual sword style and then taught it to me.

I'm not up to his level yet but I can handle at least a few Dogoos by myself.

This will be my first time fighting on my own, without Julius to watch out for me.

I had to be psych. Do not leave any openings.

"Haaah!"

I simply ran straight forward.

I set my sights for the Dogoo bouncing in the middle. I slashed both swords simultaneously.

I make a cut horizontally with my left blade by slashing inwards. Then I follow up with a second cut upwards using my right blade.

Like a pair of hot knives going through butter, my swords effortlessly cut the middle Dogoo's gelatin-like body into four equal parts.

The defeated Dogoo then disappears, its remains release a brief flash, break down into pixels, the space around it warps with a strange violet light before completely vanishing before my eyes.

Yeah, that happens a lot sometimes when monsters get killed. Why is that? No idea. I didn't make this world.

I'll admit, at least I don't have to worry about cleaning myself up afterwards.

Two more Dogoos bounced from my sides. One came from my left. The other from my right.

They leaped at me. Relatively, these little guys are harmless. They tackle you and it would only sting a bit.

Not to mention, feeling those sticky bodies feel gross.

I take both my blades. Using the hilt of my swords, I strike the Dogoos away, blocking their bodies before I could hit me.

I spin the grip on my left blade, holding it in a forward grip.

Bending my body until my torso was parallel with the ground, I leaped slightly off the ground, spinning my entire body around one foot.

I spun a full 360 degrees, slashing my blade while drawing a full circle around me.

Both my blades slash the two Dogoos in the air, destroying them simultaneously.

I quickly regain my stance the moment my feet touched the ground.

Three of them were defeated. Now only two were left.

I raised my head up. There was quite the distance from me and the last two Dogoos left.

I made my move before that distance could close.

"Azure Edge!"

Using the sword in my left hand, I slashed upwards through the air, releasing a blue blast of wind through the air. Travelling through the air, it blasts through, striking one of the Dogoo, killing it instantly.

This was an attack taught to me by Julius. It was an art that simply involved swinging a blade with great force, firing a blue projectile wave that deals damage to the enemy. Basically, it's just a shockwave attack that travels through the air.

Only one was left. That single Dogoo was bouncing before my eyes.

A simple attack with my swords will be more than enough. However, I wanted to take this opportunity to try something new.

I had my right foot forward. I bend my legs slightly and placed all the weight onto my back leg.

I gripped the blades in both my hands tightly as I put all my focus on the last Dogoo.

I cleared my thoughts and-

-Everything from then on, all happened in an instant.

"Falling Snow!"

I kick off the ground with my back leg, releasing an explosive speed. My body moved at that godspeed.

Falling Snow. It was a basic attack. Simply a strike done with one of my swords, in the form of a slash or a thrust. The movements themselves are basic and the attack itself is straight-forward.

However, it is a high speed attack, meant to deal the attack before the opponent realized the user had moved.

Naturally, the user had to move at high speed and strike like he was one with the air.

I spun my body once, quickly flipping the grip of my right sword.

Then I slashed my blade diagonally across in the momentum of my spin.

The blade strikes its target. But the sensation in my hand was like I'm simply cutting through air.

My feet then stopped. I now stand behind my target, on the other side of where I just launched my attack. The blade in my right hand was perfectly clean.

The body of the last Dogoo behind me was split diagonally in two, before it even realized it's been cut.

The style of fighting I have is unique. Holding a pair of dual blades in a reverse grip isn't something you normally come across.

Of course, I never came up with this style on my own. Julius taught me this style of fighting. So naturally, a lot of the moves I have were just adopted from his.

Falling Snow is one of those techniques he can do effortlessly. Julius can perform the attack even in the air, simply by launching his own body like a bullet firing without a gun. I, on the other hand, require some kind of support like the ground or a wall to kick off from in order to get the same speed and momentum to do the attack effectively.

As I thought, I have a long way to go until I reach Julius' level.

"Hah..."

Well, all the Dogoos getting in my way were defeated. I'll admit, I was sort of happy to have a little action from this mediocre delivery job.

It was a completely one-sided battle. Of course, that was expected. In this world, if you cannot beat a simple Dogoo, then you're either an infant who has yet to learn how to walk or a dead man walking in this world.

I put away my blades behind me while stretching my arms for a bit.

"That was a good warm-up..."

I turn around and casually walk to Rollo, who was still sitting like a good cat, next to the box.

"Let's go, Rollo. It'll be bad if we take too long at this."

"Meow..."

Rollo meows, raising his butt off the ground.

I bent down and picked up the box from the ground. It was then where I would hear a strange pair of voices from a distance.

"Aaaaahhh! Neptune! Please slow down! You're running too fast!"

"Nonsense, Nep Jr! Once this nose of mine smells pudding, everybody run for your lives! Nothing will stop me from meeting the source of this heavenly scent!"

Brr...I feel this strange chill in the air.

For some reason, I feel it coming closer towards me. My instincts were ringing dangerously.

I turn my head to the right and at the path ahead, I see...

...Two young girls dangerously charging towards me. The girl in front had an expression on her face that reminded me of a mad beast thirsting for fresh meat.

"Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuudiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggg!"

The girl jumped up and lunged at me with drool coming out of her mouth.

"Wah!"

I felt like a matador in a bullfight. My body moved on its own. I took a quick step to the side and held the box over my head to keep it safe.

The girl flew past me, with the side of her barely touching the edge of my shirt.

She then crashed, head-first. Her body digs through the ground until it came to a stop. She was like a meteor the way she flew across and yet her appearance reminds me of that bird who likes to stick its head into the ground.

That was too close. If I hadn't stepped to the side, I would've received one painful full body tackle from that girl.

Rather, why'd she even jump me like that in the first place? What did she say just then? Pudding?

And then it begs the question, what is it about me that gives the girl the misunderstanding that I was a tasty, light dessert?

Such a question, might be impossible to answer.

"N-Neptune, you can't just jump people without permission like that!"

The other girl, dressed in a white sailor uniform cries out to the girl in the ground.

Huh, so it was possible to get permission to attack others. Personally, I'd like to meet someone who would actually give permission to do that.

The girl that was running behind soon stopped close to me,

She had fair skin and long lilac-purple hair with darker coloured eyes.

Upon closer look, I realized she was really cute. And really young too. She wore what looked like a school uniform consisting of a white jacket-dress with purple lining consisting of thin double white stripes. A white choker, and around her neck is a pale yellow ribbon/ascot like piece with a N in the center. At her chest is a small pink marking while the pockets and buttons are purple. On her right leg is a white belt like purse object and she wears pink and white striped socks with white and purple shoes. In her hair she wears a single direction pad button.

Right now, she grasped at her knees, panting her breath. Raising her head up, she looks at me with a tired smile.

"I'm sorry for what happened just now. My sister wasn't trying to be rude or anything. She just tends to do things without really thinking things through."

...Isn't that worse than being simply 'rude'?

I look at the girl with a strange expression. After regaining herself, the girl stands up straight and smiles cheerfully at me.

"Umm, are you hurt or anything?"

I shake my head at her question.

"No, I'm fine...Rather, I don't think I'm the one you should be worrying about."

I pointed at the other girl who still had her head stuck in the ground. You would think there was some weird human-shaped clothed vegetable growing in a place like this.

A sight like that would certainly ruin the lives of a few gullible kids.

The girl then sprang up spontaneously, throwing dirt all over the place.

She shook her head violently, shaking out all the dirt still clinging to her hair.

Once that was done, she turned around and faced my direction. With a big grin on her face, she says,

"Woo! I'm 100% perfecto! Check it, I didn't even lose a single point of HP!"

It could just be the youthful energy she was giving off, but I got the impression she was younger than the girl next to me.

This loud girl is a fair skinned girl with light purple eyes and a matching shade of hair. It's shoulder length with somewhat messy bangs with many strands sticking up and few framing her face. She wears two gamepad-shaped hairclips. She wears a deep purple dress with lilac lining along the bottom, center, top, and pockets, along with white spiked edging at the hem. She wears a white, short-jacket over this with a big N button, purple plug-like strings, and purple lining and buckles on each shoulder sleeve. Her choker remains the same, along with her socks and shoes. On her wrist she has white bracelets with a soft spiked material and small powder blue spots in the center.

You could tell just from one look at these two that they have a striking resemblance to each other. No doubt they must be sisters...Or clones.

"Umm, Neptune. I think it's for the best if you apologize to this person. If he hadn't jumped out of the way, you could've seriously injured him."

The sailor uniform girl lightly scolds the bubbly girl.

The lively girl then looks at me, playfully sticking her tongue out while pressing her finger to her cheek.

"Right, sorry about that. I wasn't trying to attack you or anything and take all your money. It's just that once this nose of mine smells delicious pudding, my instincts sorta go wild."

...Is this girl an animal? Pudding normally doesn't have a strong odor to it. This girl must have an excellent nose.

Hmm, I do remember making pudding for dessert a few days ago. Is the scent still stuck on my hands after all that time?

There's no way...

"Umm, please excuse her. She really didn't mean any harm just now. She just really loves pudding. I hope you can forgive her."

The long-haired girl seems to modest and polite. She bows her head slightly at me in apology.

"It's fine. Rather I'm thankful none of my bones are broken yet."

The long-haired girl breathes out a sigh. She smiles with relief.

"Thank goodness. I was afraid you were gonna hold this against her. Please don't get the wrong idea. Neptune is a nice person."

"Neptune?"

The sound of that name rang bells in my head.

"Ah, right. I suppose we haven't introduced ourselves. I'm Nepgear and this is-"

Before this girl, Nepgear, could finish her sentence,

"Heeeeey, no fair, Nepgear! I'm the main heroine of this story so I need to be the first one the main character meets!"

The other girl clenched her little hands into tight fists while blathering nonsense that I'm not even gonna try to understand.

"Oh, I see. Sorry about that, Neptune."

Despite her apology, Nepgear says that while mentioning her name anyways.

...I should have said this earlier but this is a weird situation I'm finding myself in.

Then the other girl, whose name I already know, introduces herself to me.

"Hiya, I'm Neptune, the main heroine of this story! Feel free to call me Nep, Nep-Nep, Neppermint, Neptuna, whatever works for you! Pleasure to party up with you!"

[Neptune has joined the party without your consent!]

After Neptune gave me the weirdest introduction I've ever heard, Nepgear also bows her head towards me.

"W-Well, as I was saying, I'm Nepgear. It'll be a pleasure to work with you."

[Nepgear has also joined the party without your consent!]

"I see Neptune and Nepgear, huh? Pleasure to meet...Hmm?"

Somehow those names ringed a bell in my hand. Particularly Neptune's. I paused and thought about it for a moment and then,

"Ah, so you're Neptune, right?"

I exclaimed astonished as I look at the more energetic girl of the two.

While placing her finger on her cheek, she says,

"Yep, the one and only!...Well, unless you decided to name yourself Neptune as well."

She makes it sound like I just came out fresh from a Character Creation screen or something.

...I don't think anyone really has the kind of luxury to decide their own name at birth...

"Ah, no, my name is Ludger Kresnik. And this here's my cat, Rollo."

"Meow..."

Me and Rollo introduced ourselves. Nepgear then approaches Rollo and kneels down at him with a friendly smile.

"Aw, he's such a cute cat...And a fat one too."

"Meow!"

It was ambiguous to say whether Rollo reacted to her words with insult or pride.

I look back at Neptune and said,

"Anyways, I'm here because I have something I need to give to you."

I extend the box in my hands out to her. Neptune merely stares at the box with stars in her eyes.

"Ohhh, is this a present for me? We've only just met and you're already pulling out the gifts to raise my affection points! You work fast, Ludger!"

"Ha?"

What kind of misunderstanding is that!? How does that statement she said even makes sense in the first place?!

For starters, giving out gifts to girls you just meet is very creepy when you think about it. It's also very expensive too.

"No, it's nothing like that. I'm just here on a job from the Guild. I'm supposed to deliver this package to a Ms. Neptune who lives at the Planeptune Basillicom."

"Well, I am a Ms. Neptune who lives at the Planeptune Basillicom!...Wait, could it be?"

Neptune accepts the box from my hands. Holding it right in front of her, Neptune proceeds to...sniff the box.

This girl really is an animal...

"Hmm, I knew it...My nose never lies to me...My pudding has arrived!"

"Pudding!?"

Words cannot describe my shock.

What's a good metaphor for this? It's like an entire world has been dropped onto my head.

"Man, I've been waiting for this pudding to come ever since I made that request to the Guild and now it's finally here! Sweet!"

Don't use the Guild for something so trivial! Use a patisserie!

But wait a minute...No, it can't be...You're telling me the contents of the box was pudding!?

I was nothing more than a delivery boy, goaded by my brother's words!?

I didn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it.

Neptune flips open the lock and flips the lid open. At that moment, I felt a cold breeze of air hit me from the box.

I take a step forward. I gulped. A part of me starts to hope that there was a dangerous isotope in the box. Instead, I see...

"Ah yes! It's my pudding! Ohh, and it came in a six pack too! This day just gets better and better!"

While Neptune was smiling ear-to-ear, I had my jaw open so wide, you could fit a fist in my mouth.

I was tricked! Julius, you lied to me, damnit!

I see six custard puddings with a caramel topping sitting in small, chilled boxes within that larger steel box.

And it wasn't just any pudding either. It was the custard puddings I made the other day on Julius' request! At the time, I thought he just needed a break from tomatoes! Don't tell me this is why he wanted them!

Ludger Kresnik, you sir, are an idiot who let your own big brother deceive you!

Now I understand what the steel box and the fridge was for. It was to help maintain the pudding's cool temperature.

It also offered Julius the best excuse to trick me into believing this is some big, important mission.

The fate of Planeptune rests in my hands with this job!? Don't screw with me!

"Oh wow, this pudding looks really good! It doesn't look like something you can find in just some convenience store."

Nepgear peers into the box with glittering eyes.

Meanwhile, Neptune was already drooling out a waterfall.

"C'mon, let's take this back to the Basillicom so we can eat it! Actually, forget that! Let's just eat it here instead! We can use our hands instead!"

It seems 'table manners' is a foreign concept to this girl...

"We shouldn't do that, Neptune. I don't think it would be as enjoyable if we do it like that!"

Nepgear urged,

"Aw, but I want to eat to it now! Alright, fine, I suppose I'll wait a bit more. It'll only take a few seconds to move from here to the Basillicom anyways...Hmm, Ludger, what's wrong with you? You look like your cat died or something."

"Meow!"

Rollo shrieks with a panic, while I just stand there, completely shocked.

Pudding...There was pudding in that box that whole time. The package that I was prepared to protect with my life...only had pudding inside.

I was at a loss for words...

"What should we do, Neptune? Ludger looks really pale. Should we take him to a hospital?"

"Hmm, nah, he's probably fine. Instead, we should bring him back to the Basillicom and enjoy these puddings with us! We can have Compa look at him later!"

Nepgear claps her hands together with a delightful expression.

"Oh, that sounds like a wonderful idea! It's been a while since we had guests! I can prepare snacks for everyone!"

"Meow!"

Nepgear kneels down towards Rollo. The cat suddenly becomes alert at the mention of the word 'snacks'.

"Yes, of course, you can come too, Rollo."

Nepgear says with a friendly smile.

"Alright, it's settle! Off to the Basillicom!"

While declaring that with a boisterous tone, Neptune abruptly grabs my hand and starts pulling me towards a direction.

"Huh?! W-Wait! Hold on!"

I get dragged by Neptune, going who knows where while my feet barely kept up with her. Nepgear slowly follows behind along with Rollo as well.

To be honest, I could've broke free and ran if I wanted to.

But I was curious at what might happen if I continued to follow them.

I think it was at this point, that my life began to change in ways I never expected.

The future was unclear for me now. Even I had no way of predicting what might happen next.

My world was beginning to change.

The choices I make from here on will spin my future.

Will I be able to make the right choice, to create my perfect world?

Skits:

The Story Begins

Neptune: Hoo, this fanfiction is finally out! I thought it would never come out!

Ludger: I wonder if it's alright for someone like me to be the main character? I don't know. I feel like I don't deserve it.

Neptune: Oh, come on! What's with that attitude?! You gotta treat yourself to nice things once in a while! Especially after that trauma conga line you went through!

Ludger: Trauma...Conga line?

Neptune: Well yeah! I mean...You failed your entrance exam to become a Spirius Agent, got involved in a terrorist attack, got slapped with a 20 million gald debt, your brother was branded a terrorist by the media, forced to destroy worlds, most of them I might add are rather happy worlds if you think about it. Let's see, what else is there...You lost a friend, realized that you killed all your other friends in another timeline and then forced to kill yourself, who also happens to be the father of the little girl you were close to. Oh and did I forget to mention you killed him right in front of her? And that the power you were using was slowly hurting her? Oh and you were forced to kill your own brother when she was in danger, and in the end, you had to sacrifice yourself in order to save her and the world. And that's only one of your good ending routes. Ludger...your life sucks.

Ludger:...

Neptune: So yeah! Treat yourself to this! You and your brother deserve something better. Hopefully you'll earn a happier ending for yourself this time...Ludger? Hey, Ludger! Can you hear me?

Nepgear: I think your words broke his spirit, Neptune...

Siblings

Ludger: So Nepgear, you and Neptune are siblings, right?

Nepgear: Yes, Neptune is my older sister.

Ludger: Ah, I thought so, you two look similar so I thought...Huh!?

Nepgear: Wh-What is it!?

Ludger: You're telling me...Neptune is the older one out of the two of you?

Nepgear: Yep.

Ludger: But Neptune is so...childish, though.

Nepgear: Well, I suppose she could take her responsibilities a little more seriously. But don't get me wrong, there are times where Neptune can act like the cool big sister I always admire.

Ludger: I-I see...I hope I see it soon, or else it'll be traumatizing...