After much effort, we had finally found the sword. It didn't look like much, it was rusty and worn out - like it hadn't seen the light of day in quite a few decades. The others were saying that we wasted our time, but I disagreed. This sword… we had heard it should be able to defeat the Deity of Sin. Even if that was just a legend… I wanted to believe it was true. I'd leave this as last resort, if worst came to pass.
I strapped the sword to my back before taking off towards the Gamindustri Graveyard along with the other CPUs. We had to destroy the Deity of Sin before she destroyed us.
I had spent the last few days polishing and fixing up the sword. I could finally tell what colour it was. Underneath all that orange rust and brown clots, was a pale purple blade attached to an even darker purple hilt. A blue indentation on its centre gave out a feeble light. This surely should be that legendary sword those people talked about.
As we walked through the Gamindustri Graveyard, Histoire's warning came to my head. She had warned us that the sword should be able to kill a CPU and grow in power when it did. I… I refused to power up the sword. Surely it should be able to stop the Deity of Sin as it was now, if the legends are true…
We finally arrived. The Deity of Sin stood before us in all her ugly glory. Her single red eye stared directly into us. She knew we were here, and what we were about to do.
She roared as we approached her. All of us quickly activated our HDD forms and a fight broke out. The Deity of Sin against all eight CPUs. This was a fight we could not lose.
The battle went sour very quickly.
We were not prepared.
The Deity of Sin swatted us out of the sky like annoying flies, our attacks barely managing to graze her skin. Rom and Ram's magic proved futile against such a large opponent, and they were quickly knocked out. This angered Blanc. Before the Deity of Sin could deal the final blow on the Lowee Candidates, Blanc managed to get her attention. Uni and I quickly grabbed Rom and Ram as Blanc dealt with the Deity of Sin.
The twins were badly hurt, their transformation had run out, their coats torn and their hats askew. Fortunately, they were still alive. We left them resting out of the way of the Deity of Sin, we couldn't let her get near them.
Uni rejoined her sister while I stayed behind to look after Rom and Ram, sitting over a small hill made of cables that separated the Deity of Sin and the twins.
Uni shot at the Deity of Sin from a distance as Noire distracted her with her sword. Neptune joined in on her barrage of attacks.
It… wasn't enough. The Deity of Sin roared in anger, creating orbs of dark energy in each of her four overgrown hands. She threw them at the other CPUs. Neptune and Noire managed to avoid the attack, but Vert and Uni were not so lucky. They fell from the sky, their transformations spent. I looked at Rom and Ram before hurrying towards Uni. I managed to prevent her from crashing on the uneven rocky ground of the Gamindustri Graveyard. I noticed Blanc helping Vert. I called out to her and pointed towards the twins.
We carried the injured CPUs off to the side, allowing them to rest. Blanc nodded at me before rejoining the fight. I tried to get a better look of the fight but a hand stopped me. It was Rom holding my leg. I looked down at her and smiled, "You're safe here. Don't worry." I said kindly.
"I… I can heal us..." She muttered, her staff appearing on her hands. She motioned towards her. She needed some help. I helped her stand upright as she pointed her staff towards the others, a green glow surrounding us all. I could feel the healing energy taking out my tiredness and healing everyone's wounds.
"We… won't be able to fight… but… you can help them… M-Miss, Nepgear..." Rom said shyly. Even now that we were friends, she was still timid. I nodded encouragingly, leaving my friends to join in on the fight.
I flew over the small hill that separated us and pointed my MPBL at the Deity of Sin. I shot a couple of rounds before flying towards my sister. Noire floated besides us, she glanced at me, "Is Uni okay?"
"Yes. They're all okay." I replied as I glanced back to where I came. Noire nodded.
We heard a crash nearby. Blanc had been thrown against the ground, cracking a small grey device that resembled a TV screen. The Deity of Sin stood over her, ready to strike her down. Noire acted quickly, flying in front of the Deity of Sin and blocking her huge punch. She slowly managed to push her back before counter attacking. She held her attention while Neptune and I took Blanc out of the TV screen, her legs bleeding from small cuts caused by the screen shattering.
We carried her away from the battle while the Deity of Sin focused in on Noire. We left Blanc in the care of her sister, hoping that she would be able to heal her.
Neptune and I rejoined the fight as Noire was knocked into the ground. Neptune rushed to her friend's aid, blocking the final strike from the Deity of Sin as I watched in shock as both my sister and Noire were knocked away. Their transformations faded in midair as they flew towards me. I managed to reduce their speed before they crashed, but their momentum carried us forcefully into the ground. I stood up on one knee and looked around me, all the CPUs untransformed. I was the only one left… I couldn't do this. We had to retreat.
I felt Neptune's hand on my leg. I'm sure she could feel my fear, "Use the… Sword… Nep Jr." She muttered, her left hand pointing to my back. She smiled kindly before face planting. Rom rushed to her side.
Of course… The sword. Why hadn't I thought of that? This blade was supposed to be able to kill the Deity of Sin. I should've used it from the start. I gently placed down my MPBL on the ground and unstrapped the sword from my back. I admired it's purple edge which I had worked so hard to obtain when polishing it. Now, this blade should be able to secure our victory over the Deity of Sin!
I noticed the sword slightly shining, the glow barely visible in the Graveyard's red atmosphere. I shook my head, I couldn't dawdle on small details like that. I readied myself and flew towards the Deity of Sin, shouting with all my heart. I pulled all my strength into this one attack.
The Deity of Sin turned towards me. I could feel her piercing glare go through me, yet she did nothing. I felt her look directly into my blade. Did she recognise it? Maybe she knew what this blade was capable of? She would surely dodge at any moment now, there was no way she would stay still and accept her demise after the fight she put up. I looked directly at her feet, trying to predict which direction she would dodge. Her muscles tensed… I just had to-
CHUNK
Wait, what? She… didn't dodge. The Deity of Sin stood there and took the hit directly into her chest. We… I had defeated the Deity of Sin. Her body slowly collapsed on the floor as I took the blade out of her body, blood coming out of the wound. I could feel her weak red eye look directly at me. A putrid smell came out of her as her body slowly faded, leaving nothing behind. I heard a faint whisper, but I couldn't make out what it said.
Nevertheless, I had defeated the Deity of Sin! Gamindustri was saved! I victoriously climbed the hill towards my friends. They looked up at me as I proudly announced the Deity of Sin's defeat.
They looked at me for a few seconds with bewilderment before breaking out into cheers. Goodness, this feeling… It was something I don't think I've felt before. I was proud of myself. The legend had proved true and we defeated the Deity of Sin.
But something bothered me. Ever since I started climbing the hill back up, the sword started to feel heavier and its glow much brighter. It was probably nothing, so I ignored it.
Everyone started walking back towards our exit point. They celebrated as they walked, Uni and Noire happily talking at the front while Vert chatted with Blanc and her sisters near the middle. Neptune walked cheerfully in front of me while I lagged behind. My feet… they felt heavy. It was like walking through water.
...Thank you...
Was that… a voice? I didn't let it bother me, I had to catch up with the other yet I couldn't quicken my pace, I struggled to walk until I finally came to a stop. My feet would not respond. A heavy feeling rested on my back. I tried to call out to Neptune, but my voice wouldn't work. I just stood there for a while, unmoving.
Neptune eventually noticed that I had stopped walking. She hurried towards me with a worried expression on her face, "Hey, Nepgear. C'mon. Let's get outta this place." She said cheerfully.
I couldn't respond. My voice wouldn't work. What the goodness was wrong with me?
...Your body will make a great vessel...
That… That voice again. It… It couldn't be.
My body moved on its own, approaching Neptune slowly. Tears fell out of my eyes, "Neptune... " I said… slowly? It was as if I was testing out my own voice. What… What was going on? I kept talking, "Can you… give your sister a hug?" A hug? Why now? Why would I want a hug now of all places? It wasn't me. I wasn't talking. Something… or someone was controlling my body.
Neptune approached me, "Uh, sure Nepgear. I don't see why not." She came close to me and embraced me.
"No, Neptune! It's a trap!" I tried to scream, but my voice wouldn't work. I could only watch as the event unfolded before my eyes. I saw my hands behind Neptune's back, my sword held firmly between the two. I was sure I had put my sword on my back, so how did it get there? Something was wrong! The sword was pointed directly towards Neptune's back. She wouldn't suspect anything…
I… I had to do something! Neptune… She would die if I stabbed her with this sword! I tried to call out; to move away; to throw the sword; to scream; to shout. But nothing worked. I watched in horror as the blade slowly sunk deeper into Neptune's back.
"Hng." Neptune coughed up blood, her eyebrows meeting each other as she stared in pain at me. I… I couldn't bear it, yet I couldn't close my eyes, "Nep...gear…? What..." She muttered weakly, the sword still on her back.
"You were naive." My body said, my voice filled with mockery. What… What was going on? Who was using my body?
"Nepgear…?" Neptune questioned weakly as I laid her down on the floor and removed the sword from her back. Her eyes slowly filled with horror as some realisation must've come to her, "No… You are… not… My sister..." She said, her life draining quickly from her eyes, "Who… are you…?" She asked as life drained completely from her eyes. Her blank stare looked straight up towards the red sky.
"I'm your demise." My body replied as Neptune started to shine white before disappearing. She… My sister was dead… By my own hands… I… Had killed Neptune… This… This couldn't be happening…. No! No! What was going on?!
My body examined the blade before walking towards the others. I… I ambushed Rom and Ram from behind while they did not expect me. They screamed in agony as the blade pierced them from behind. Blanc and Vert were quickly alerted of my presence. They looked at me in disbelief as Rom and Ram fell to the ground with a hole on their chests. They, too, vanished in a white light, their bodies nowhere to be seen.
"W-What the hell, Nepgear?!" Blanc screamed in fury, her hammer appeared on her hands.
Vert looked at me with utter bewilderment and horror. I… I'm not sure how they felt. To see me, kill Rom and Ram from behind… I was a monster!
My body chuckled, a small smirk appearing on my face as a white light enveloped me. I… I didn't activate HDD! Why was I transforming?!
My body advanced towards Vert and Blanc, who were unable to transform after the fight with the Deity of Sin. I wanted to scream. They had to escape. I couldn't control my body! I wasn't safe!
But I couldn't. I could only watch as my body moved on its own, breaking Vert's spear in half and piercing her through the stomach with the purple blade and managing to cut Blanc in two… It was too gruesome to watch… yet all I could do was watch… I couldn't even turn away… I observed as life faded from their bodies before they vanished in a flash of white light.
"Two more..." My body mused, licking my lips as I looked at the blade caked in blood. The purple glow got stronger the longer I watched it.
I… my body did something strange… It wiped away the blood that covered the blade and… and… I smeared it over my clothes and my face. Why… Why did I do that? Covering myself in the blood of my friends?! Killing them was low enough, but covering myself in their blood?! What… Was going on?!
My body shook the remaining blood out of the blade before going directly towards Uni and Noire, my boots making a loud sound as they hit the ground. Noire and Uni's backs were open. My body lunged with the sword, directly towards Noire's back… I watched as the blade got closer to her back… And to my surprise miss. Noire had dodged to the side, pushing Uni opposite of her.
I turned around, looking directly at both of them. They were glaring at me. I'm sure they noticed the blood in my clothes and hands. They couldn't miss it. I… They must see the blood and realise.
"Please… Uni… Noire stop me! I… Need to be stopped!" I begged, but no sound came out of my mouth. I couldn't do anything to stop this…
Noire pointed her sword at me while Uni pointed her rifle. They were still too weak to transform… Even with the advantage, they had no chance to beat me…
"What the hell, Nepgear?!" Uni shouted, repeating Blanc's last words. She glared at me with anger and confusion, "Why… did you try to kill Noire?! And… that blood… It… wasn't on you when you killed the Deity of Sin..."
My body started laughing. It was an evil laugh that echoed throughout the Gamindustri Graveyard. I could feel a thin smile form on my face, "Just Noire?" My body asked mockingly, "You two really are in your own world..." I could feel a smirk on my face, "This blood isn't from the Deity of Sin… Look behind you."
"W-What… No, you couldn't have..." Noire looked in fear at me before glancing behind her. She slowly returned her glare at me, her breath becoming unsteady, "You… You killed them all… You… bathed in their blood..."
"W-What…?" Uni looked behind her, no one left standing. She returned and glared at me before firing a bullet. My body cut it in half, "You… You killed… All our friends?!" Uni exclaimed, her rifle pointed directly at my face.
"Why, yes." My body responded immediately, "You two are all that's left preventing my complete conquest of Gamindustri."
"Conquest… Nepgear what's gotten into you?!" Noire demanded. Her sword pointed at me, lightly trembling.
"I don't need to answer to you. Now, down." My body said as it pointed my hand towards a few cables in the distance. The cables appeared to gain a mind of their own and wrap themselves around Noire and Uni, forcing them to their knees. Their weapons clattered against the rough ground. I stood over them, licking my lips. I watched as the blade slowly entered Noire's body, leaving a nasty wound on her abdomen. Her body disappeared in a flash of light.
"Noire!" Uni cried out as her sister vanished. My body slowly approached her, cables wrapped completely around her body, forcing her down. My body spun the sword a few times with my hand, delaying Uni's death. I looked down on her as she attempted to reason with me. But I couldn't do anything. All I could do was watch as the blade left a deep cut on her neck. I wanted to turn away… But I couldn't… I… I didn't want to see Uni bleed to death. I could only watch as she stared at me with pain and agony. I wished I could at least give her a painless death… but my body wouldn't do anything! It felt numb… I felt numb… Why...
Death finally arrived for Uni, a white light taking her body away. My body laughed. It was a deep, evil laugh filled with satisfaction. It echoed across the entire Gamindustri Graveyard, "Nepgear, was it? I must thank you. If it weren't for your body, I would've never have been able to win."
I… My body… It had been taken over by someone… It… It must've been… But… How? How did the Deity of Sin possess me?
"I can feel your despair, Nepgear." The Deity of Sin said with my voice, "You see, Gehaburn is a sword created out of my body! Members of ASIC were told to spread the legend that it was able to defeat me in hopes that one of you fools would fall for that."
… What? No. It couldn't be. It… was a trap? The legend? This sword… It was… all a trap… We… all played straight into ASIC's hands… I… I killed my friends…
"I must thank you for your body, Nepgear." The Deity of Sin continued, "Now, I shall become the sole goddess of Gamindustri!" She laughed with my body again… I couldn't bear it… Even after all of our attempts… we were still defeated… The Deity of Sin had killed us all… And now, she would rule with my body…
This couldn't be happening!
My body walked on its own, being forced by the Deity of Sin to do her bidding… I was a passenger in my own body… I watched as my friends were killed and… What would she do now? The Oracles would find her out, surely… they would know something is wrong with me, right? They should… I'm covered in blood, after all… She could never pass off as me, could she?
Doubts swirled around what was left of my own mind - the small fragment that the Deity of Sin didn't erase of my consciousness - and before I knew it, I was standing before the portal back to Planeptune. The Oracles must be waiting on the other side… I prayed that they would stop me… That they would realise something was wrong…
My body took a deep breath. Tears started to fall from my eyes. I took a step forward and collapsed on the Basilicom floor, the Oracles of all four nations standing over me. I could feel their concerned expressions on my back. I heard a collective gasp as they looked down my body, looking at the blood that covered my entire body. I hoped they realised what had happened…
"Nep...gear…?" I heard Histoire say slowly. It wasn't common for her to be in a panic, but the way she said my name… She must've realised something, "Where… are the others…?"
"More importantly, where's my darling Vert?!" Chika added rudely. Her clothes rustled as she positioned herself.
"Don't forget Noire and Uni. Where are they?" Kei said calmly. I could feel her piercing glance go through me.
"The twins and Blanc are also missing…" I could feel Mina's regret in her voice.
Please! Realise what happened!
"They… The others..." The Deity of Sin said in my voice, she collapsed on my knees and hands, tears streaming down my face. She… She was putting up an act! She had no shame, "They… they were killed by the Deity of Sin… I… I had to defeat her alone… for them… I… I'm so sorry…!"
Another gasp. I heard Chika to my right side collapsing on her knees. Out of all the Oracles, she was the closest to her CPU… I felt terrible. I had killed the only thing that she looked forward to every day…
From my position, I noticed that Mina had quickly left the room. She… was the caretaker of Rom and Ram… Killing children… How horrible of me… I could never face her again, I had sacrificed what meant to be human… for a small victory. A victory that was quickly taken away from us...
Kei stamped her foot in anger. She… never showed emotions before… so for her to be this angry… She must've really cared for Noire and Uni… I… I felt repulsed just breathing the same air as her. I felt her sigh in frustration, "So, Noire and Uni have passed… I'm sorry, but I'll take my leave. Lastation needs to be ready for… a change of leadership..." She broke down with her last words. Her steps slowly faded as she left the Basilicom.
"Vert… can't be dead..." Chika said in denial. I could hear her hyperventilate, "She must be back in Leanbox! She's just playing 4 Goddesses Online. She didn't return with you to play a prank with me! Hahaha, silly Vert… She's… Definitely… back… home… She can't… be dead..." She was slowly breaking down… She was definitely going to break soon… I wish I could bring Vert back… To help Chika in any way I could… I'm so sorry… Chika hurriedly left the Basilicom. I could hear her cry as she ran.
"Neptune… has gone..." Histoire said, placing a hand on my back. Her tome floated directly next to my head. I could see her legs dangling in front of my face, "I… I'm sorry Nepgear… It must've been horrible for you to experience that..."
"Histoire…!" My body cried out. Tears fell even harder than before. A small puddle formed under my hands. Yet… I felt something else. A smirk had formed on my face. The Deity of Sin had the audacity to smirk using my body while grieving. The thought of that utterly disgusted me… But I couldn't do anything… I was powerless… I was useless…
"There, there Nepgear." Histoire tried consoling me, "I'll… deal with the Paperwork… you take a break. Defeating the Deity of Sin at the cost of your friends and sister… You deserve a rest."
My body stood up slowly and wobbled away from Histoire towards my room. How did she even know where my room was?! She was stopped at the door frame by Histoire, the door slightly opened. She grabbed my sleeve.
"This… This is not the Deity of Sin's blood." Histoire said in horror. She floated away from me, looking disgusted. She put her hand over her mouth, "That's… Their blood… You… You killed them..."
My body sighed, closing the door. The sword - Gehaburn she had called it - materialised in my hand. I approached Histoire menacingly, "Histoire… Histoire… Histoire… You know too much... " She said, reading the sword. She was going to… No! No! Not another kill! Anything but that!
"Who are you?!" Histoire demanded, a small orb of light on her hands, "You're not Nepgear."
"Oh but I am." She said with my voice, she approached Histoire. She tried to attack me, but 'I' just slashed the orb of light away. I felt a sneer creep up on my face, "You should've just kept quiet. But you had to go and ruin it, didn't you?"
Histoire panicked. She flew away towards the purple desk in the distance. She pressed a few keys and moved the mouse in a hurry as 'I' took my time approaching her, "Nepgear is not-" She couldn't finish her sentence. Gehaburn embedded itself on her chest… With her stature… the blade had cut her chest completely in half… I couldn't bear it… Histoire was…I felt her wheeze painfully as life left her body, "- h...er...self..." She managed to croak with her final breath.
'I' picked up her tome, her blood seeping into its pages. With one swift move from the sword, the tome split in half before being torn to shreds. My attention was turned to the screen of the computer where I could see the horrified face of Kei and Mina staring back at me. They had found out… Just like I hoped… But it was too late…
My body smirked. 'I' pointed at them before making a motion… It was a simple one… My stretched out finger going past my neck… 'You're next'...
Two years have passed since the Deity of Sin took over my body and killed everyone I loved… She fooled the Oracles long enough to be able to kill them one by one… She mercilessly slaughtered each of them… Even IF and Compa were not spared… neither were the others that helped me in the past… As soon as they realised 'I' wasn't myself, they were disposed of.
With the absence of the CPUs and Oracles… I was supposed to rule the four nations… But my body was under the Deity of Sin's control… and there was no one to oppose me… ASIC members were granted amnesty and protected under her rule. Anyone that opposed 'me' would be killed by 'my' own hand.
Gamindustri is now in shambles. It's a husk of its old self… Piracy runs rampant, and ASIC rules over it all with an iron fist and I can't do anything but watch.
Please… If someone is out there… If someone can hear me… Save us… Save Gamindustri…
If only… I could turn back the clock… and make it like nothing ever happened…
I'm sorry… Everyone..
I'm sorry
I'm sorry
I'm so so so so so so sorry.
Achievement Unlocked: Conquest Ending