AN: My first fanfic involving my now favorite Tales game and RPG Tales of Berseria which is damned good game. Before my favorite game was Tales of Vesperia for a while. The other Tales games I enjoyed were Tales of Symphonia, Tales of the Abyss and Radiant Mythology 3 on PSP as the first one was a mess and I'd never gotten to import and play the second one. Anyways let's see how this one goes. Let's get this show on the road.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Tales games or the characters. Just the OC is mine.

Prologue

Nighttime, on an unknown place

Standing on a mountain a good distance from an island is a man clad in an outfit consisting of a black tri-weave bodysuit consisting of an outer and inner layer made from a titanium-dipped tri-weave fiber mesh, covered by flexible armor plates on his upper body and legs and laced with red fiber material and it's all topped by a grey hooded duster coat. Sheathed behind him is a unique weapon that looked like a fusion of a gun and a bastard sword.

The man in question stood at 6'2" in height and had short black hair with red streaks blowing in the wind.

He's staring at the island with an advanced kind of binoculars. The spot he's standing on was devoid of life of any form. Dead if one could put it.

"Soon I'll get you out of that there." The man began in a deep cold voice, "And when I do, heads will roll." His blood red eyes shone with bloodlust and withheld rage.

Long before that...

Man seems to desire immortality. The ability to live forever is something many seem to desire as that means they don't have to worry about dying at all and living for eternity to do whatever they want.

Unfortunately, I call bullshit on that and would advise anyone seeking immortality to give up on it while they can. Why? Simple. Immortality gives way to mental instability on so many levels. Why do I know this? Well that's because I'm living proof of that.

I was born a normal kid with a father, mother and two older siblings. If there was one thing we had in common it was our love for the martial arts. Father was a Muay Boran practitioner, Mother was a ninja, my older sister and brother were judo and freestyle wrestling respectively and I was the brawler. Growing up I learnt from all of the family and overall life was good until the bitch known as Mako Yashiro decided to turn it to hell. Long story short she had my family killed and used me for some insane super soldier project for her insanely clichéd global domination plan. It didn't end well for her at the end and the result was me a battle-crazed lunatic, skilled in many forms of combat and very adaptive to any situation. Did I say I was insane?

Oh did I forget to mention I was bonded to a negative energy elemental who's a self-proclaimed goddess of war. Yeah, the good, bad and salty times we had together. Unfortunately this damned forced symbiosis that Mako pulled on us had doomed us both and merging together was the only way to save each other. It was a success and also a fucking curse. Ever since we'd become one I'd transcended humanity and become an immortal and as a mercenary I'd lived through many conflicts and seen governments rise and fall, ideals come and go and people live and die. One of those conflicts was World War III which was started by those Islam extremist fuckers who decided to declare war on almost the world in the name of their twisted version of their religion. It was that very same day that I'd nearly given up on humanity as it'd proven once again its inability to just stop being fucking idiots.

That war didn't last past a month as I along with a group of similarly pissed off people made sure to put an end to it with authority as we killed every last fucker in that pathetic group along with their just as moronic supporters who seemed to deny reality even if it slapped them in the fucking face most of them being from the stupid liberal fucktards, similar groups of apologists and SJWs and people who supported the NWO. Even when we'd put an end to those group of radicals and morons there were still other morons that were condemning my actions that prevented an even bigger body count, not like I cared as those idiots were in the minority now as the people in the world finally woke the hell up and obliterated the bullshit political correctness and other bullshit ideals which had helped those radical morons to begin with. Islam still existed but this time the followers were the types who wouldn't shove their ideals down others throat. They respected other people's ideals and let them live with it. Good for them.

Now millennia have gone by and I've seen civilizations pop up all over the place and technology has advanced just as much too. Human ingenuity for you. Too bad I was still around. Well I wasn't the only one as fellow immortals Renato Agba the umbral dragon and Alexandra Lin the Seraph were still around and we were just as fucked up in the head thanks to immortality. Not growing any older and watching loved ones wither away would do that to you not to mention similar bullshit from the past still existing in the world.

The reclusive Renato had decided to stay out of the world's business and "just watch the insects fuck themselves over." Which was true and also bullshit at the same time because he had his vast shadow network keep tabs on things and would take action when extremely necessary. Alexa had chosen to still be self-righteous heroine establishing a shadow counter-terrorism/peace keeping unit to keep order in the world and it gave people hope. Me? I chose to remain as a mercenary who'd work for anyone willing to pay for my services and also make sure that things don't get worse. That got me crossing paths with Alexa a lot. I swear that woman seems to enjoy it when we fight each other in an obsessive kind of way...just like Samara was with Rodrig when they were alive. Very creepy sense of déjà vu if you ask me.

One day on my way to meet a client I found myself in a battle with Alexa Lin and her Neo Azure PMC. Apparently Alexa felt that I was too much of a threat to the world and needed to be removed from play altogether to protect the peace and her answer was by using a banishment spell to rid me from the Material Plane.

Unfortunately for her I took out the men and women who foolishly got in my way before focusing on Alexa and engaging in a duel like our predecessors did millennia ago. To make things worse in her desperation Alexa used a different spell entirely which resulted in the both of us teleporting to a whole different dimension altogether. For someone who wanted to eliminate me she couldn't even do it right!

...

"Hey wake up. Are you alright? This isn't a good place to sleep in you know."

I heard a female voice trying to wake me up and found myself answering her call.

"Ah! You're awake. Thank goodness." I turned my sights on the one who had woken me up and was startled. A young lady with light skin, orange eyes and long wavy black hair tied at the tip wearing a red shirt with belt-pouches and brown pants as well as maroon boots with a gauntlet in her right arm which I noticed had a hidden blade in it.

The young lady stared down at me with a smile on her face. "I saw you here and wondered why someone like you would be sleeping in a dangerous place like this. Good thing you're alive too, there are many hungry beasts in the forest that won't think twice about eating you."

Damn...I swear to God she looks like...

"V-Vella?!"

"Vella? Sorry my name is Velvet. V-E-L-V-E-T." The girl corrected, "Is Vella someone I should know of?"

Realizing my blunder I quickly cleared my throat and replied, "No. Not really. And as for the monsters I'd dare them to try."

Velvet shrugged her shoulders, "Okay...So what's your name stranger?"

I looked at Velvet for a few seconds as I contemplated on what name to use. I could clearly see that I was not in a familiar area at all and I doubt that I'm even known here either. I only let those very close to me call me Remy. I used the name my mother gave me 'Jin' whenever I laid low or was not on the job and Neon was the name I mostly went by and was well known as.

"Jin...just Jin." I answered her.

"Jin." Velvet repeated the name trying to get a feel for it before smiling at me. I swear that smile just makes her look like Vella so much. "So what were you doing here in this forest?"

"That's a good question indeed." I muttered much to her confusion. "Sorry but can you tell me where I am exactly?"

"Sure. You're in the Eastgand continent." Velvet happily replied.

My mind went to a screeching halt when I heard that. 'Eastgand?! The hell?!'

"Eastgand?!"

"Yes, Eastgand. I take it that you're new around here considering your attire. Are you a soldier or something?" Velvet asked as she looked over my attire.

"Or something?" I replied with a look of realization. 'So I'm in a different realm after all. Looks like her plan to end me failed.'

"Um Jin?" I turned to meet Velvet's concerned face while ignoring the obvious cleavage she was unconsciously showing when she bent down to look at me.

"Yes Velvet?"

"Are you really alright?"

"I'm fine. I was just thinking of something, but that's neither here nor there."

A puzzled expression came on Velvet's face before shrugging it off. "Oh okay...Well can you stand?"

I carefully got to my feet and stretched, smirking in satisfaction as I felt a few bones popping and all. Moving my arms and legs, closing and opening my fists I was sure that my body was just fine. Well it's always been in tip top shape, I just did all that to ease whatever worries the young lady would have.

"Looks like I'm alright." I said.

"That's great!" Velvet said excitedly, "So how about you follow me home? It's much safer there than this forest."

I shrugged, "Sure. I don't mind that." And with that I followed Velvet through the forest to her village and it was also then that my new life here began and found...love again.

...

Her name is Velvet Crowe and she's the one person I live for.

This warm and happy girl lived in a small village of Aball with her younger brother Laphicet Crowe or Laphi and her brother in law and teacher Arthur, a swordsman and exorcist who'd long since fallen on hard times and it was thanks to his wife Celica Crowe who was Velvet and Laphicet's older sister that he'd been able to enjoy a normal life but it was as if these people were cursed. It was bad enough that Celica, Velvet, and Laphicet had lost their parents years ago, Celica herself soon died some months before I arrived in Eastgand in a daemon attack during an event known as Scarlet Night. All of them had been messed up by that incident but had managed to move on though I could see that they were still hurt by it especially Arthur as Celica had been pregnant when she died to which sucked too. Worse Laphicet had been ill for a while and had been taken medicine to fight his ailment but all I could see was it delaying the inevitable.

If that wasn't bad enough daemons run amok in this world. I know this considering that I'd killed a lot of the weak savages. Arthur too had been using his exorcist skills to help too though only at half efficiency as his dominant hand had been injured some ways back but he still adapted himself to fight with his weaker hand and did a good job at it. Arthur was so impressed by my skills that he asked if I could join the exorcists and put my skills to use for them, but I politely turned him down.

I operate better without any authority figures ordering me around and all that crap. Not to mention if they saw my hidden abilities in action they'll think I am a daemon and try to kill me though that will fail epically.

Anyways back to Velvet. Like I said I live just for her now just like I'd wanted to live for Vella when she was still alive. I'd already agreed that both Velvet and Vella are completely different. Even with the bad hand she'd been dealt in life she'd been able to push on and enjoy the present. Something that took awhile for me...Moving on! This kind and family oriented girl initially saw me as a big brother though through the years that became more than that. Heck even her best friend Niko pointed out to her that I was the only guy who could keep up with someone athletic like her which made Velvet a blushing mess at times.

Laphicet saw me as a big brother...which took some getting used to as I was the youngest in my own family in the past. Little kid was sickly but very intelligent and with a hunger for knowledge. Something I had but only for martial arts.

Speaking of that the combat here is different as the abilities they have here are called Artes. Wow...how original. There's the martial artes for the melee fighters, hidden artes which were advanced version of them and malak artes which are for the spell casters here. Which brings in another subject; malakhim.

Malakhim are spiritual beings who have always existed, invisible to the human eye due to their poor spiritual powers. Of course yours truly could see them, with the only malak I've seen being Arthur's familiar Seres whose secret I soon realized but kept to myself. The fact I could see Seres also made Arthur more determined to convince me to be an exorcist but once more I politely turned him down. Damn he's persistent!

Anyways life was good for us all until a series of events occurred where things spiraled to hell. And it all started with me...

...

"You're going to be gone for a week?!" Velvet asked worriedly as I geared up for another hunt.

"A week at most. Meaning I could be done and back in no time." I replied just as I sheathed my combat knife.

"Are you sure you have to take this job? Can't the exorcists handle this one?" Laphi also asked worriedly.

"If they could handle this daemon then they wouldn't have contacted me at all." I replied. "Don't worry you two I'll finish this as quickly as possible and return to you all victoriously as usual." I reassured them. "And Laphi, make sure you don't cause trouble for your sister while I'm gone alright?"

"Okay big brother!" Laphi said hugging me which I happily returned. After that Laphi went to his room with me and Velvet looking on.

Velvet then hugged me tight. "You'd better come back. Or else I'll hunt you down, bring you back and beat the ever loving hell out of you."

I returned the hug and said, "Sure, sure. I'll do whatever it takes."

"Good to hear." Velvet said before she kissed me. After she broke off she added, "Be safe, Jin."

"I will Velvet. I will."

...

It took me two days to track down the daemon in question that had been giving the exorcists a hard time and causing a lot of trouble in Westgand continent. It had made its way to the Northgand continent and it was there I found the slippery and SOB. It was armed with what was essentially a hand cannon revolver and it knew how to use it well. It took a while but I soon closed the gap and took it down without an issue, ruthlessly cutting it into pieces. Or so I thought.

It was then after I absorbed the negative energy from the corpse however that I realized that the SOB had purposely let me kill it. Then shit hit the fans as the damned thing took action and tried to possess me and I found myself in a real fight for my very life in a very long time with that last fight being against Samara herself. But I dug deep and fought on. No way in hell was I going to just die and go away especially when everyone back at Aball was waiting for me to return; many of the villagers, Niko, Arthur, Laphi and Velvet. So, I came out on top and destroyed the SOB at the end. Unfortunately for me that battle destroyed my body and it took me months to recover and come back with a new body, abilities, and a new weapon, the quadruple barreled hand cannon the daemon used which I learnt was called 'Revenant'. Either way I returned much to the surprise of the exorcists and got my payment before returning back to Aball.

However, when I'd arrived in Aball I'd discovered that things had gone to hell. Everyone was dead and there was no sign of Velvet, Laphi and Arthur. During my investigation of the place for clues I encountered a group of exorcists who tried to take me out, claiming that I'd become a daemon and all sorts of BS. The pathetic ningen and malakhim among them didn't stand a chance against me as I ruthlessly eliminated them except one ningen whom I purposely left alive for answers. After a few minutes of interrogation the answers I got pissed me off to no end. Arthur who now went by the name Artorius Collbrande massacred everyone in the village yesterday during a Scarlet Night and if that wasn't bad enough bastard killed Laphi and Velvet became a daemon and in a mad rage before he captured her. Not to mention one of Artorias' old friends had planned for me to be taken out during that last hunt because they'd seen me as a threat to their plans. Of course before I could ask about Velvet's whereabouts my prisoner was taken out by a magic missile and when I turned to confront the killer I was surprised.

"Sorry. Can't have him spilling too much beans. Besides he was already damned when you got your hands on him Neon." A feminine voice said.

"Alex...You're a sight for sore eyes." I replied sarcastically.

Yes, it was my obsessed nemesis Alexandra Mei Lin. The very woman who got me into this new world I'd been enjoying. She was wearing her grey Neo Azure undersuit/armor combination topped with an extravagant white cape resting on her left shoulder, bound by a black belt connected around her torso. In her visible hand she had her signature dueling sword Severance in its sheath and from what I could sense she was much more powerful than before.

But guess what? So am I.

"That's my line. I'm surprised that you've been alive all this time, not to mention the negativity in you has become much more overwhelming. What happened to you?" Alex asked.

I narrowed my eyes at her, "I should be asking you the same thing since the goodness around you has become much more nauseating but that's irrelevant now." I drew out Revenant and pointed it at her, "Now tell me the whereabouts of Velvet and I won't eviscerate you."

"Oh so scary...Sorry Neon, but as one of the head Exorcists of the Abbey I can't reveal that to a threat like you." Alexa responds and draws out her sword...more like gunblade, which radiates holy energy. Looks like she did some customization to it. "By the way nice gun, where did you get it?" She asks about Revenant.

"None of your business." I replied, "If you won't tell me then you're dead to me."

With that we fought and we both found out that this was going to much tougher than our last fight as we both fought with more intensity and savagery than before. Alex's mix of martial and hidden artes with her gunblade and malak artes and my mix of martial and hidden artes with my punches, kicks, combat knife and Revenant made for an interesting but challenging fight. At the end our fight ended in a stalemate as we once again couldn't find any openings to exploit not to mention more exorcists were coming not to mention another head exorcist was also among the reinforcements. So I had to disengage and escape.

...

Two years later I'd been attacking exorcist bases and camps just to get info on where Velvet was being held and just to spite Artorius making me a wanted man or may I say shunned and mentioned to be a being feared by the world.

Like I give a damn.

Eventually I struck gold when the last exorcist camp I hit got me the answers I wanted. A praetor told me that someone matching Velvet's description was being held at an island prison called Titania before I devoured him and made my way there.

Present Day...

Neon looked at Titania. He could feel Velvet's presence there and it had been mixed with darkness that didn't surprise him thanks to the asshole that dumped her there. Well it's time for a breakout and reunion.

With that Neon blurred and was soon gone.

Prologue End.