This oneshot is just a little side project to help me gather a little inspiration for the next chapter of Relationship Problems! I hope you ladies and gentleman like Nikki, because she's going to be the protagonist here.
Have you ever wondered what her secluded little world is like inside her own head? Let us indulge such fantasy! This chapter is partially inspired by a song called Bushido from the game Kenzan! I suggest looking it up if you like Japanese music! It's the song I listened to while I wrote!
Final Level
The guardians controlled the entire world with an iron fist. There was no escape from this place as long as they barred the exit. Powerful suit clad protectors skilled with the sword. One of them blocked the way to every point in and out of the simulation. Something needed to be done before the clock ticked over and all of the other people were trapped in here for good. Only one woman was capable of bridging the gap between their incredible skills to face them on an even playing field, and she was loved and loathed by many in this land.
Long blue hair and shades, her entire body concealed by a mysterious black trench coat. She was the legend known only as Sapphire. Who she was outside of this strange foreign land was of no consequence. In here the lady of blue held renown as a living legend. More importantly, she could take any appearance that she pleased...
A dim alleyway littered with the broken bodies of fallen warriors. Their swords lay strewn across the bloodied ground as testament to their crushing defeats. The bright neon lights of urban Japan flashed brightly in contrast to the murky surroundings of the backstreet.
"It's the last boss," the female warrior tilted her sunglasses downward and eyes her an opponent. "A standard class three Guardian with B ranked combat skills. You shouldn't be a problem."
A gruff man in his mid-twenties stared back at her powerful eyes of ocean blue. His face scrunched in a scowl of bitter hatred. Faint alleyway lights flickered at his back and to his sides, "Sapphire. The woman samurai of Katayama. They say we should fear you, but I see no reason to run from one such as you." His slick Japanese accent oozed with undeniable flare. This person looked smooth at a glance, really smooth.
However, Lady Sapphire let out a faint chuckle of disinterest. Such a lowly peon dared to address her in such a confrontational manner? He clearly did not know his place. She gave a faint smirk and sensually slid a glowing steel katana from the confines of her dark coat. "According to my detection skills you're the only one in this area standing between me and the exit."
The blue haired mistress of the sword placed one foot ahead of the other in a combat stance. Her thin white fingers slinked around the hilt of the blade as her hands held it tightly. An aura of immense violet colored energy swirled around her body to form a ghostly outline around the edges of her slender form. "Buffed and ready to go."
The Guardian let out a hearty bellow from the pit of his stomach. With a snap of the fingers a pair of shiny daggers of a mysterious red metal materialized for him to wield in battle. His shined shoes tapped impatiently against the dirtied ground as an expectant grin of confidence crept in from the corners of his lips. "You think that such a petty display of power will be enough to strike fear into my heart? I am Takeshi Suruga, the second hand of the Taido district."
Sapphire focused the supernatural energy she held into the expanse of her blade in a simple act of closing her eyes. Everything was ready at last. It was time to strike and leave this place.
"I guess I should see what you're made of, huh Takeshi? They say nobody has defeated you in a really long time."
"A scar for every defeat." The greased Asian gentleman decked out in the guise of a hitman ran the tip of one his daggers across the length of a long; clean scar that he brandished across his left cheek. "As you can see, I only have one at this point, Lady of the Blue. I am sure you are capable of doing the math from there."
"Alright." She spoke simply in reply as her slow footsteps brought her closer and closer to the enemy she was fated to battle. This loathsome enemy had to fall to her weapon for the greater good of freedom. "Time to give you a second scar for that collection."
The clanging of blades resonated throughout the expense of the starry night sky. This towering city of concrete and neon bore silent witness to the dance of battle between two foes of a truly frightful level of strength. Sparks flew as the pair of synchronized crimson daggers struck out against edge of the blue legend's smoothed katana. Enchanted steel would not break, and cursed iron would not bend. Flickers of power resonated from both the body of the man and woman alike as neither one was willing to give an inch amidst the fearsome battle of fates.
"It looks like you can't break my weapon." Sapphire held fast in a deadlock as her larger sword clanked loudly against the two smaller armaments of her Japanese counterpart.
Takeshi sneered with gleeful arrogance over this most curious development. "Likewise, an enchantment does not have the power to overcome a curse without the proper blessing from a Neon Deity."
"You're talking about the gods of the towering electric city." The woman smugly threw back her exquisite hair of blue. Using sheer force, she pushed forward. Her determination alone would be her weapon in breaking this difficult stalemate. "However, Takashi, second royal thug of the night, you and your boss forget one thing….."
Her story was amusing; Takeshi gave her that much, "Oh, and what is that? Have I neglected to fear you in a conflict you clearly cannot win?"
"No!" Sapphire let out a mighty scream from the depths of her throat. Its intensity escalated into that of a roar in a mere moment. A colossal wave of strength coursed through her body. By simply utilizing it, she was effortlessly able to shove her foe several clear feet back. All the while, her body glowed a powerful shade of the most deadly neon green….
Such a bright glow was simply blinding for sight to behold. Takeshi shielded his eyes as best he could as they burned under the intensity brought forward by Sapphire's aura. "Impossible…."
The might of such a powerful source of energy was far beyond that of a normal warrior. The street began melting around the feet of the woman. Her once blue iris' now held a color of the deepest green. "You're such a fool. You honestly thought you would win Takeshi. I'm so high in the order that I… am a neon god."
"Your power level…." a fearful stammer slipped forth from the lips of her Japanese foe as he clambered desperately for cover behind anything he could find. A lone trashcan was the only thing left intact…. "The amount of power you hold is over nine-thousa-"
Sapphire gave a stern shake of the head. Her blade readied, she lunged with great vigour "No way in hell am I giving you a chance to finish that line."
A single swift slice of the blade through the middle. In a powerful flash of light, the mighty sword glided deftly through her foe. The cut, it was clean in focus and of a lethal level of strength.
"Curse," crimson liquid seeped from the Japanese swordsman's lips as he writhed in agony, "Curse you, Lady of Blue…. This… is not over! My kin will avenge me!"
Takeshi's body slowly fell into a tiny swirl of pixels. Slowly but surely he evaporated into a fizzling; digital mass until nothing was left at all.
A sigh of great relief slipped free from Sapphire's lips. A grimy metal door stood directly ahead of her. Above it a faint exit sign flickered softly, "Not bad…. I am getting better with this new Combat class after all. Whatever…. It's time to go to the other side."
Game over…. You win….
A bright white screen stared back at a pair of tired and bloodshot eyes. The words 'you win' were plastered in a bright red text across the expanse of the monitor. A sluggish left hand made a few clicks with the mouse to close the current window. Once everything minimized, those same exhausted eyes looked with what little strength they had left toward the clock on left side of the desk….
"Oh for goodness sakes. Five in the morning… so glad I don't have to work until the afternoon..."
Nikki let an annoyed grown escape her lips. With a couple of frustrated clicks, she finished shutting down the computer for the night. "Urgh. I wish work were more like one of my games. I could turn into a werewolf and scare all the customers or something…."
A black screen finally stared back at her grumpy; translucent reflection. Her right hand insticitvely fumbled around the desk in search of something sweet. A moment slid by before the tips of her fingers lightly clinked against something metallic, "Soda…. There it is."
In a single hearty gulp, the young woman chugged down the last of her flat beverage. Her body indulged in an unhealthy little twitch of the muscles as she did so. With an empty can now in her hand, she gave a wonky little smirk and tossed it uncaringly toward the trashcan.
"Missed. Damn." The lone sound of the small aluminium drink can as it rolled seemed to last for an eternity. Thankfully, one of the desk legs stopped it before the noise became too unbearable.
Nikki gave a satisfied little yawn and wheeled the oversized office chair in which she sat back against her large bed. With a final washed out grumble, she allowed her achy body to effortlessly flop onto the mattress. Thin streaks of morning light from the sunrise served as a reminder for most it was time to wake. Miss Anne-Marie however had a different internal clock. The morning sun meant time to sleep most days of the week….
"That was a good level grinding session considering the new updates. Stupid Guardians with their stat boosts…."
Some people called Nikki a geek and a shut in. She didn't give a shit though. This was just another night in the endless struggles of gaming. In fact, it was a very good night indeed. Content, she hugged her arms around her sweater-clad middle and closed her eyes to sleep….
"I need to quest for a new sword after work…."
The End
Thank you very much for reading this little protect of mine. I felt like trying something a little different compared to the other things I've written so far. I'm very grateful for your support. Please feel free to leave me some feedback if you would like. All of your opinions are both appreciated and welcome. Please continue to support Huniepop, and I will see you in the next thing I write!