Glad to have got this one up now as I feel that it was time to create this moment of sweet stuff for the story.
The Fall Festival
Inside the throne room, Zeabolos listened carefully as Mammon told him what she had seen.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!" Cerberus barked in surprise.
"So that's what his scarf does." Zeabolos said. "To think that he possesses that level of magic and strength."
"Yeah it was really weird and all, but I gotta admit that he's really strong." Mammon replied.
"Yes, he could even be stronger than all of you, perhaps be almost on the same level as I am."
"Then should we be on tender hooks?" Baphomet asked.
Zeabolos shook his head. "No, I have the feeling that his power is well controlled, so we wouldn't have anything to worry about."
"Then what should we do, dear brother?" Elma asked.
"Hmm, why don't we leave this to you, Mammon."
Mammon pointed at herself. "Huh? Me?"
"Yes. Since you are the one he's able to speak to without any problems, you should get to know him more and it seems that you're becoming quite friendly."
"M-m-me?" Mammon was blushing a little. "Well, I guess I can do that, but..."
"But your feelings are unclear right now?" He sighed. "Yes, I've learnt about feelings as well, thanks to Faust."
"Yeah, but it's something I haven't felt for ages and not since..."
"Ahhh of course, your days from the orphanage." He hummed. "Where is Callum when you need him?"
"I know! Why not go on a date with him?" Elma suggested.
Mammon was surprised to hear that come from Elma. "A d-d-d-date?!"
"Why yes, it would help you be closer to him."
"Lady Elma, where did you learn that from?" Baphomet asked.
"Ashmedia said it when we ladies were talking about dates."
"Oh thank goodness...for a minute I thought that winged lowlife had sneaked into the castle again."
"Speaking of which, it would be entertaining to see what Uriel thinks of Neo's power." Zeabolos said. "But that can wait for a while."
"So yeah, about the date thing." Mammon reminded the others. "Sure, I'll do it, but I may ask Callum and Levia as well so it's awkward."
"That sounds wonderful." Elma agreed. "You should go and get ready."
"Already on it. See ya." Mammon left the throne room. "A date...maybe it won't be so bad..."
Meanwhile, in the training arena, it was Ragon's turn to provide training for Neo who was fr exceeding his expectations as the training went on.
Callum only blink with his jaw almost dropping several times. The magic side of training was shortly over afterwards as Ragon stood in awe.
"Truly magnificent." Ragon praised. "I have never felt that much power and magic from one's soul for as long as I can remember."
"No kidding." Callum added. "He was giving your magic training a run for his money."
"Indeed, I must now go and rest as my magic needs to rebuild." Ragon left the training arena.
"Well Neo, I think I now understand a little more about your magic." Callum said. "I mean, you were giving Ragon a real challenge with his spells."
"It's all thanks to my power and my training." Neo replied. "But it isn't really special, I just use whatever power is needed based on the situation."
"Speaking of which, those eyes of yours. Mind if I have a look at your right one?"
"I can't let you do that." Neo shook his head. "You'd probably be freaked out."
"Considering what I've witnessed in this world, I'm more than prepared to have a look. It could help me and everyone out in case a threat comes along."
Neo was reluctant, but hearing the words like threat or perhaps enemy caused him to sigh. "Alright, but only you are allowed to see this."
He flicked his hair aside, showing his right eye. Callum could see that it was in a different colour and it had an infinity mark. Suddenly, Neo's right eye began to glow unexpectedly and Callum stood well back in surprise as Neo fixed his hair back to covering his right eye.
"Well it's very rare for have two different eye colours. But that infinity mark on it, what does that represent?" Callum asked.
"These are Infinity Eyes and they represent the power Yin & Yang, the powers of light and dark." He explained. "Think of it like the opposite to holy and shadows."
Callum nodded.
"I also have the power to gain powers from my enemies and use it to either increase my own abilities or exploit an enemy's weakness."
"I see and you mentioned about being a martial arts champion, so you know a bit of chi as well?"
Neo nodded. "I do and you may have already seen about what my scarf can do."
"Yeah I saw that it can turn into any weapon which is really cool." He smirked. "Are you trying to show me up or something?"
"N-no, I've heard about your accomplishments as a swords person. But that's why I'm wondering if you could help me out with something."
"Sure, what is it?"
"Well, it's about Mammon..."
Just as Callum was about to respond, Levia came walking in. "Ah, there you are."
"Oh Levia, what's up?" Callum asked, holding her hand.
"Mammon came to me with an idea that I would agree with."
"Oh boy, is it to help with a girl's night out?"
"No it isn't that." Levia kissed him. "Mammon thinks it would be wonderful if we invite her and Neo to an event tonight."
"An event, why what's going on?"
"It's the Fall Festival tonight and I would love it if we could go."
Callum smiled and kissed her back. "For you, Levia, we can do that definitely." He looked at Neo. "So how about it, you wanna join us with Mammon?"
Thinking of being able to talk to Mammon, Neo nodded. "Y-yeah, that'd be cool I guess."
"Marvelous, than we'll see you later." Levia said as she and Callum left.
As Neo was left alone, he suddenly got a headache as voices began to play in his head.
By the scared powers of the dimension's ancestors, we bestow these powers among the chosen soul!
They shall be our protectors for when our greatest adversaries arrive in this dimension we live in!
"Ow!" Neo rubbed his head as his eye began to hurt as well before it subsided. "But why am I remembering this now?"
He would have to put it to one side by the time the night arrives.
When nightfall arrived, Callum and Levia were outside the castle waiting for Mammon and Neo.
"Callum, what do you think of Neo?" Levia asked, holding hands with him.
"Definitely stronger than I am, that's for sure." He replied. "He's got a lot of power, I just pale in comparison."
She nodded. "That's what I feel too. But you are the man I fell in love with."
Callum held her close. "Yeah and I'm very grateful to be in love you as well."
They weren't alone for long as seconds alter, Mammon and Neo came out.
"Hey thanks for waiting, we can go now." Mammon said.
"Cool, then we'll lead the way." Callum replied.
Callum and Levia started walking and Neo and Mammon walked behind them as they made their way to the city. The citizens were in a bustling mood today since the Fall Festival had just started, they were too busy to notice the four passing by. The decorations were similar to what Callum would remember as Halloween but this was the Underworld and not the human world.
"Umm, doesn't this look like Halloween?" Neo asked quietly.
"It sure does, but we're not in the human world." Callum answered. "This is the Fall Festival as Zeabolos calls it and it's celebrated on the last day of this month."
"Heeey, there's a shooting gallery this time." Mammon pointed. "I am so in!"
"Woah..." Neo felt his hand being grabbed by Mammon.
"It appears that lady Mammon has taken quite a liking to him." Levia said. "Just like how you were with me."
"Umm, I think it was the other way around." Callum replied. "Although that dance we had did seal my decision to be with you."
Levia blushed and sighed. "Dancing with you..."
"Hm?"
Levia regained her focus. "Oh uh, I was daydreaming for a moment."
"Alright. The four of us shall meet up by those benches where the food stands are."
She nodded. "Good idea, let's tell them first."
Following a quick talk to regroup, they begun enjoying the attractions, especially the haunted house ride that was thrown in by this narrator at the very last moment.
"Hey, you're not supposed to break the fourth wall!" Callum spoke loudly into the sky.
"Umm, who are you talking to?" Neo asked with question marks around his head.
"Oh, just a random moment, I get those from time to time, it's nothing serious."
"Umm okay...sure..."
After agreeing to take a break by the benches, Callum and Levia sat on one side and Neo and Mammon sat on the other side.
"Lady Mammon, how about we get drinks for the men?" Levia offered.
"Sounds good to me." Mammon agreed. "You tow boys don't go anywhere, ya hear?" They walked over to the refreshment stands.
"How are you enjoying it, Neo?" Callum asked.
"Umm, sort of good I guess." He replied.
"As for you and Mammon, that was pretty quick."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I mean as in you two getting along well. Do you like her in some way?"
Neo blushed a little and looked away.
"Oh it's okay, you don't have to answer now, give it some time."
He nodded in silence before coming up with a question. "What about you and Levia?"
"Oh, we've been together for a few months and we're very much in love." Callum smiled.
"But what about her uhh, crest of envy, doesn't she easily get jealous?"
"Well it happens a little when I'm talking to the other overlords, but then when it's just Levia and me, she calms down and I hold her real close."
"That sounds very nice."
"It's kind of a blessing, really since I never had a girlfriend before when I was alive in the human world, but I wouldn't change it for anything now."
"Speaking of the old world, what was your life like?"
"Well, I had an accommodation I lived in for a few months until one day when I was on my way to a job interview, I got into a fatal road accident and I thought that it was all over but then, that was how I ended up here."
"Geez, that's horrible...a heck of a way to go."
"Agreed..." Callum sighed.
Levia and Mammon then returned with two drinks that had heart shaped straws each.
"Oh, what are those?" Callum asked.
"These are shared drinks." Levia replied bringing it close to them. "You drink this at the same time as I do with these straws."
"Oh I get it, then shall we try this together?"
"Yes, please do..."
"Well look at you two, wasting no time with your love." Mammon smirked. "Hey Neo, can we try this too?"
Neo was feeling a little shy at the thought, but at the same time, it was tempting. "Umm..."
Callum and Levia were already drinking with the straws whilst looking at each other and holding hands under the bench.
"Hey don't be shy, Neo." Mammon said before she blushed. "I was curious to have a go at this, but I never had anyone to share it with."
Neo blushed in response although he didn't know he was that time. "Uhhh, alright."
Neo and Mammon drank together with their straws and for a while, their faces were close without noticing.
Callum and Levia had already finished and were cuddling close, watching Neo and Mammon just finishing.
"Look at the two of them." Levia said quietly.
"Yeah, they don't notice it at first, but they do look good together." He kissed her cheek. "Of course however they move forward from here is entirely up to them."
She nodded and then sighed.
"What's wrong, Levia?"
She blushed redder. "Oh...it's nothing too serious."
"Levia, you've sighed twice now and as your boyfriend, I'm worried for you."
"Callum...well, it's something we should talk about in private, so would it be okay if we save it for later?"
He nodded. "Alright, we'll talk about it later."
She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Awww right, we're done." Mammon said, feeling proud of herself. "So how was that, Neo?"
"Well, it was nice...I hadn't done anything like that before either." Neo replied. "But umm, you were very close to me."
Mammon blushed. "Oh haha, was I? I didn't notice I was whilst drinking."
"Well, I would consider this as a successful night." Callum said. "Wouldn't you agree?"
"Yes, love." Levia replied. "The two of us are going back now, but you're free to hang out for a little longer."
"Sure Levia, we'll be back at the castle later." Mammon said. "See ya both."
"See ya, Mammon." Callum and Levia walked away from the city and back to the castle.
Neo was beginning to see why he and Mammon were asked to come along and looking at it now, he was glad it happened for he was starting to like Mammon a lot more.
If only their time with each other was this peaceful, but that peace will soon come to an end as a new threat was about to arrive in the dimension...
Far across the dimension and in the Heavens, a dark mixture of black and purple colours formed into a vortex portal above the sanctuary that overlooked the Heaven world.
"Wh-wh-what is that?!" One of the angels exclaimed, pointing at the increasing vortex portal.
"It's the fallen angels!" Another angel yelled. "We need to fly!"
Suddenly, several angels with black wings and black robes appeared from the portal and the citizens spotted them, running in fear.
A messenger paid attention and witnessed the scene from another yet smaller sanctuary.
"Fallen angels!" Uriel exclaimed. "As the last archangel and God's messenger...I must warn the Underworld about this!"
He flew away fast but not before he was attacked by a few fallen angels along the way.
"Ugh! Get away from me, you cursed fallen ones!"
He chose to deal with them first until the coast was clear and flew to the Underworld as fast as his wings could carry him...a new threat was about to arrive into the dimension.
I forgot to say that no Neptunia-related story is complete without breaking the fourth wall at least once. ;)
NEXT TIME! A weakened Uriel returns to the Underworld with very disturbing news from the Heavens...