There's a story poll on my page. It's about what I'll write after all the short OC stories have been written and uploaded. With that being said, your feedback on that would be greatly appreciated.


[Chapter 9]

My eyes met Black Heart's. "I want answers... I want to know what really happened! So tell me! I don't want to hurt these people! All I want is revenge on the person who had caused this! So tell me what happened!"

"…" Black Heart watched me quietly for a moment before answering. "It's true, I am to blame for that incident. But, I didn't know what would come from it..."

"…!" I felt the anger boiling inside of me beginning to seep out. "WHY!? WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU KILL YOUR OWN PEOPLE!? THEY'RE THE VERY PEOPLE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING!"

"Just let me finish," she quickly interrupted. "Make your choice once I tell you the entire story..."

"…" Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to lower my katana. "Fine then. Tell me your story..."

She let out a sigh, closing her eyes for a brief moment. "The truth is, it was my fault that that accident had occurred. Not too long before the accident, many problems began surfacing up in Lastation. Unable to handle it all on my own, I enlisted the help of a stranger that I had met... However, she had created even bigger problems..."

"…" I quietly listened to her words. Clearly, she didn't seem to be lying about it.

She continued on with her explanation. "Soon after I agreed to allow her—some strange—to help, she betrayed me by grabbing a hold of me and absorbing my powers. Luckily, it was only a mere fraction as I was able to escape. However, I was left extremely weak. In that weakness, that person took a form to look like me and began slaughtering my people and creating chaos. After that, not only was my name tarnished but many people lost their faith in me. In return, I lost a majority of my shares."

I silently took in the words I heard. "So, you weren't the cause of that accident?"

She didn't respond with a nod or a shaking of her head. "No, it was my fault. I trusted her and had allowed all of this to happen. In fact, it's probably my fault that you became what you are today... Besides, she'll be back soon. She wants to take the powers of all four goddesses."

"…" Maybe I had been too quick to judge after all. "So, that person that had caused this, and was there in that accident, was somebody who had been pretending to be you and wants to absorb the power of all four goddesses, am I right?"

"Yes, that's the case," she confirmed my questions. "That person, Arfoire, has currently copied White Heart and Green Heart's powers. All she has left to copy are my powers and Purple Heart's."

"…" I looked up at her. "You didn't do it, did you? Kill all of those people?"

"No," she confirmed my suspicions. "It was not my doing. It had been Arfoire..."

"I see..." Instead of feeling relieved, I felt even more anger. Deceived by somebody named Arfoire. And their goal sounded strangely similar to Avenir's client. "When I find her, I'll rip her apart!"

"I'm curious... Who are you going to rip apart?"

"…" The two of us spun to the voice.

"Y-You! You're...!" Even though I hadn't ever met them, I didn't need to ask to know who it was.

She smiled. "That's right, I'm Arfoire. A pleasure to meet you, Hikari."

A woman with a gothic appearance, white hair, sharp eyes and ghostly pale skin. That was Arfoire.

I glared at her. "How the fuck do you know my name!? What do you want!?"

"Well, there's really no need for me to say again," she answered calmly, wearing a smug expression. "After all, that CPU just explained it all to you, didn't she?"

My eyes turned to Black Heart for a moment before returning my attention to Arfoire. "You're the fucking reason that I became like this! You slaughtered all those people and ruined Lastation's reputation!"

"What about it?" She smirked. "You're alive and have a far superior body now, don't you?"

"I didn't ask to be like this!" I took a stance.

"Heh!"

*BOOM!*

"I'LL FUCKING SLAUGHTER YOU!"

I dashed towards her, with the full intention of killing her.

"You fool!"

*Clang!*

A spear suddenly appeared in front of her. Using that, she parried my blow before kicking me away with tremendous force.

Somehow managing to quickly recover, I bounced off the side of the building, lunging at her once again.

*Sk!* *Crash!*

Catching her by surprise, I slashed at her and managed to graze her shoulder.

However, she managed to step away. Grabbing me by my head, she slammed my face into the ground, followed by picking me back up and throwing me away.

I smashed into the side of a truck before falling to the ground.

Picking myself up, I found her slowly making her way towards me, wearing a wide smile. "You know, Hikari, I thought that the two of us could work together... Considering your hate for the CPUs and the potential for your abilities..."

*Shk!*

"G-Gh!"

Suddenly appearing in front of me, her spear drove through my body, also pinning me to the truck as blood trickled from my gut and the weapon slowly sapped my strength away.

She whispered in my ear, "But I guess those plans have changed, haven't they?"

"H-Heh..." Mustering any strength I could get, I grabbed her by the back of the head, prying her away from me. "Y-You know what...? I just...realized how useless and hopeless you really are..."

Her expression didn't change. "What are you blabbering on about? You're about to die. Angering me won't do you any good."

I smiled. "I'm not trying to anger you. I'm just stating how dumb you really are..."

For some reason, her expression turned smug as she slowly turned the spear in my gut. "Oh, are you sure about that?"

*Clang!*

Arfoire suddenly spun around, freeing herself from my hold, and shot a blast of energy towards Black Heart—who had been creeping towards her—and knocked her weapon away.

*Shk!*

Before the CPU could react fast enough, Arfoire managed to pin Black Heart down to the ground, materializing a pair of blades and stabbing them through her wrists, pinning her in place.

Arfoire stood back up and turned her head back to me, wearing a bigger grin than before. "Well, do you still think I'm so dumb now? Did you really think I wouldn't notice something so blatantly obvious?"

My nostrils flared and I gritted my teeth. "…"

"What's wrong? Where'd all your big talk go?" Arfoire let out a cackle.

Even though she was strong, she still laughed like the hag she was...

"Oh, that's right..." Arfoire's attention returned to Black Heart. "You're what I really came here for. I still haven't copied all of your powers yet..."

Crouching down, Arfoire shot out a hand and pulled Black Heart's head up by the hair. Using her other hand, she placed it over her mouth with a tight grip.

"M-Mmf!"

Arfoire continued to smirk. "Don't even try to struggle! Your powers are mine!"

While Black Heart struggled to escape Arfoire's hold on her, I could only watch helplessly as Arfoire absorbed Black Heart's power.

As she continued to drain more and more of Black Heart's power, Arfoire's eyes flickered with a blue tint for a moment and her body began to radiate a faint white glow.

"HAHAHA! This is great! To think that you would be so easy to drain!" Arfoire let out another cackle.

I could only watch helplessly, unable to pry myself free.

"You CPUs really are pathetic!" Arfoire returned to her sneer. "To think that you all are the people that are worshipped... It's pathetic. Maybe I could get the people to see you now, like this..."

Arfoire let go of Black Heart, allowing her to drop to the ground and causing Black Heart to pass out. For a moment, Arfoire just stared at her body. "… Heh..."

*Ching!*

A white light enveloped Black Heart as Arfoire radiated a dim white glow. Her eyes turned to me, now a blue color. "Now, since you're the only one here, why don't I have some fun with you?"

She materialized a broadsword, slowly making her way towards me. "Now, how about I try to make you sing, shall we?"

*Shk!*

"Gh...!"

As Arfoire slashed at me, a burning sharp pain ran through my arm. "What's wrong? You seem to be in pain. If you want it to stop, why not submit to me?"

However, I only glared at her. "Fuck...you...you dirty hag!"

"You really are like everybody else in this nation..." Arfoire shook her head, raising the blade to my forehead. "If you really want to die that badly, I'll end your life now."

I closed my eyes. "Fine, do it..."

"And to think that you could have been so much more..." Arfoire stared at me, disappointed.

"I don't care," I said. "At least I know the truth now..."

"Then you'll die knowing that you had been deceived this entire time, unable to exact your revenge..."

I let my body relax, waiting for the moment where the blade would strike and kill me.

At least I had found my answer...

"Die!"

"…!"

*Clang!*

"…"

Instead of the expected pain, I slowly opened my eyes to see nothing impaled through me. Instead, Purple Heart stood in front of me. Looking past her, I found Arfoire had stepped back.

Arfoire sudden shock had been quickly replaced by her usual smug look. "Neptune, I didn't expect to see you here... You're just in time to see your friends die!"

Neptune?

"Leave, you got what you came here for," Purple Heart raised her black katana towards Arfoire. "We can still defeat you."

"We?" Arfoire smirked. "Who? You and that idiot mind of yours?"

"I believe she's referring to us..."

Arfoire and I turned our attention to the top of a mound of rubble. Standing there were Green Heart and White Heart.

"You really think that you three stand a chance against me?" Arfoire snorted. "Last time, I may have been weakened because of you all. But now I have the power of three of the four of you! Besides, do you really want to fight me right now? I'm overflowing with power and Neptune is the last CPU I need to copy. If you lose right here, you're all doomed!"

White Heart cast her a glare, lowering her gigantic hammer axe. "Damnit! I hate to admit it, but that old hag's right..."

"Then I'll say it again. Leave us," Purple Heart demanded. "You got what you came here for. So just leave for now..."

"Wise choice..." Arfoire nodded. "I'll see you all soon enough..."

And like that, Arfoire disappeared in a bright flash.

Purple Heart let out a sigh, turning back to face me. She smiled. "Well, I didn't expect to see you again so soon, Hikari."

I stared at her, dumbfounded. "A-Are you really...that one Neptune girl I met before?"

"Oh, sorry," she apologized. "This form must've startled you. Here, I'll change back to my normal form."

*Ching!*

A white light engulfed Purple Heart and her form changed to the girl I had seen at that cave. The girl that was named Neptune.

My jaw fell open and I stared at her. Was I really this dumb? "S-So...back then...you were the CPU...but..."

"Hey, don't leave your mouth open like that!" Neptune said. "If you do, you'll swallow a fly or something like that!"

"Y-Yeah..." I nodded and closed my mouth.

"By the way..." Neptune's eyes slowly went to the blade that Arfoire had impaled me with. "Shouldn't you be, y'know, worrying about dying...?"

"O-Oh," I had completely forgotten about the sword actually. "You're right. Here, I'll pull it out."

"Don't," Green Heart quickly said, floating down to Neptune's side. "We don't want to take any risks. For now, just let us take you and Noire back to our base of operation. We'll fix you up until you feel like you're ready to go."

Noire?

"Wow, you actually sounded like a real CPU and not like some shut-in for once, Vert!" Neptune said.

Green Heart let out a disheartened sigh, shaking her head. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that for now, Neptune."

"You have no right to say shit like that anyways!" White Heart barked. "Have you seen yourself recently?"

"Bleh, you two are such party poopers!" Neptune's shoulders slumped as she looked at the two CPUs. "By the way, why are you two still in HDD? There's no point."

"I guess you're right," Green Heart let out a sigh, looking over at White Heart. "Blanc, shall we revert back to our normal selves?"

In response, White Heart shrugged. "Neptune's actually got a point. Might as well. We're just wasting energy."

*Ching!*

The two of them changed back to their human forms before turning to face Neptune. "What do you say we get Noire and your friend and head back to base now?"

Neptune gave a military salute, trying her best to look serious. "Sir, yes sir! Oh wait, we're all gals... Well, whatever! Roger doger! I'll go get loner Noire; you two get Hikari and we'll bounce!"

The two CPUs nodded at Neptune before turning to face me. "Now, how about we get you out of there?"

I smiled. "I'd appreciate that."

"Right," Green Heart smiled and she and White Heart hurried to my side. "Once we get back, we'll explain anything you want."

And like that, the CPUs took me to their base.

Maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to judge...

But now, I knew my proper goal.

And that was to take down Arfoire and exact my revenge on her.