Disclaimer: While it might seem smart to take three engineering courses over a summer semester, it's not. I made a huge error. Classes have kept me pretty busy so I'm sorry for the lack of writing.
"Arrival complete! The superheroine takes a moment to pose as she steps onto the land of Lowee."
...Well, I guess that saves me from having to narrate. I'm not sure how it takes us all day to search a dungeon, yet it only took a couple of hours to walk from one nation to another.
"Wow… it's so cold, but the scenery is breathtaking," Nepgear noted.
This is true. Lowee was a land of extreme beauty, covered in a permanent layer of snow. Unfortunately, that also makes Lowee extremely cold. I'm not sure how walking a couple hours north can see such a drastic change in temperature, but this is really ridiculous.
"I think I need to get a jacket. Or Pea Coat. Or anything that could make this situation better. I'm really cold," I complained.
"Lowee is covered in snow year round. We should all go buy some warm undies to keep the heat in," Compa suggested.
Oh hell no. I'm not going into a lingerie store with a bunch of girls. I mean, it'd have a lot of nice sights, but I'm pretty sure IF may end up shortening my life if I get caught staring at them.
"Compa! That isn't something you should bring up with a guy in our midst. Besides, do you want him to walk around with us while we try on new lingerie?" IF reprimanded her. "Besides, we can do that in our spare time, when Nate is off doing his own thing. Right now, we'll just stay warm by doing some legwork and collecting information. We need to focus on getting to the mascot character ASAP."
Oh, thank goodness!
"Right. To the Guild, then?" Nepgear asked.
"No, the Basilicom. I haven't heard anything bad about the Oracle here, so we'll be fine," IF replied.
"Alright, so we need to go down this street to get there, right?" Nepgear began walking some way, but then ended up stopping.
"Oho, it seems as though something big is going on over there," Nisa noted. "Shall we take a look?"
"I already said that we are in a hurry… wait, is that-" IF cut her sentence short.
"Step right up, folks! The fun and magical ASIC team is here to bring you all some joy and cheer!"
Oh great, this girl again. The Underling. It's weird how she's able to conduct business in the middle of Lowee's streets without any soldiers or policemen trying to apprehend her.
"Join ASIC today and get instant access to any and all games you want to play, for free!"
I look to the others.
"So are we just going to sit here and watch or actually try and put a stop to this?" I asked.
"Is that even a question; the Basilicom can wait!" IF stated as we hurried towards the Underling.
"*sigh* Why the hell do I have to do the sales pitch grunt work? Passing out fliers and crap… I wouldn't have gotten stuck doing this if it wasn't for that meddling magical girl troupe and their stupid plus one."
"So you got demoted from Underling? What should we call you now?" I said as I jumped up in front of her.
"Waagh! Why are you here!?"
"Oh, you know, just hanging around. After beating you ASIC goons up so much, we thought we'd abandon our quest to get the mascot characters' powers and go on vacation to Lowee… Why the hell do you think we're here!?"
"Don't get sassy with me. Wait, where's the ditzy airhead, the transforming baby, the broad that acts like a dude, and the misplaced superhero junkie?"
"Hmm… kind of glad I decided to come around your front; I don't think I'd want to hear what insulting name you'd call me. Hmm… Oh, right, to answer your question, they're all right behind you," I answered.
The Underling turned around a gave out a startled shout.
"I'd like to think I'm a well-mannered woman with a lot of feminine qualities," IF stated.
"Aw… transforming baby…? Do I really look that little?" Nepgear said, disheartened, sounding like she might cry.
"I'm neither misplaced nor a junkie! Everyone loves superheroes, especially me - a superheroine!" Nisa shouted, trying to make herself sound very important.
"Where do you get off, creeping up behind me like that! How'd you even find me!?"
"Oh yes, how did we find you along a major city roadway in which you were causing a massive commotion?" I said, sarcastically.
"I thought I said not to get smart with me! Ugh! That's it! Hey you! Kid!" the Underling dashed past our group and grabbed a small girl.
The girl was wearing a pastel blue colored jacket with puffed shoulders over a dress and a matching hat. She had light brown hair that reached to her shoulders and looked like a small child. This might get ugly...
"You're my ticket out of this mess! Don't try anything or this girl gets it," Underling said, threatening the little girl.
"See? This is the reason why I don't think kicking that talking rat off the side railing was that big of a deal," I stated.
"You did what to whom?" the Underling asked. "Wait, no! This isn't the time! Don't make any sudden moves!"
"Let her go! She has nothing to do with this!" Nepgear pleaded.
"Shut up! ASIC isn't afraid of gettings its hands dirty, you know. Now, if you'll excuse me..."
The Underling backed away from us with the little girl as hostage. The little girl was crying.
"*sniff*... help me, Ram!"
"What should we do? Miss Underling just kidnapped a little girl!" Compa stated.
"Well, we could call Uni and see if she's any good at sniping," I suggested.
"That'll take too long. We have to move now!" IF pointed out.
"Tch! The only ASIC goons we've run into are her and the rat. If we get rid of them both, we'll have a much easier time dealing with things," I argued.
"No, no, Nate. We shouldn't end anyone's lives. We can just cause them enough pain to make them change sides!" Compa suggested.
This woman is absolutely terrifying.
"As JUSTICE's greatest superheroine, I can not let this villainy persist!" Nisa shouted as she took off after the Underling.
"I agree with Nisa. Let's go after her!" Nepgear commanded.
We arrived at what looked like an old factory, or possibly an old expo facility that had succumbed to the elements long ago. The roof had given way and the entire place was covered with a layer of ice.
"Be careful not to lose your footing," IF warned us as we followed the Underling into this dungeon.
"I'm surprised she's still keeping a decent lead with a hostage and navigating these icy corridors," I said.
We followed her to the deepest part of the factory and she finally ran out of places to go.
"Stop right there, evildoer!" Nisa shouted as we were approaching the Underling.
"Sunova… you followed me!?"
"If you let the child go, we'll leave you be," IF said.
"Like hell I'd do that! This child is my ticket out of this mess! Come any closer and she gets it," the Underling brandished her bat.
Hmm… even though we came all the way out here, we still don't have any means to deal with the hostage situation.
"I don't think we thought this through well, Iffy," Compa said.
"Hm? Hahaha! Did you idiots really chase me here without a plan? How could you be so stupid!?"
"Well, we had a plan, it just would take hours for Uni to get here. Also, for some reason, these girls disliked the idea of us killing you outright," I defended our group.
"Wait, you wanted to kill me? That's kind of harsh for a hero to do…" the Underling said, looking a bit nervous.
"Hey, I'm not the one who goes around claiming to be a hero. That's Nisa. I just want you to stop doing what you're doing. By any means necessary," I replied while raising my sword I borrowed from Nepgear. I was trying to look intimidating but I still have issues with proper posture, though it looked like the Underling was a bit taken aback.
"W… well, at any rate, I still have the hostage. So today you will be fighting…" she pulled a strange disk out of her pocket, which began to glow and a monster materialized from it. "Right, this guy! If you fight back, she gets it!"
"Tch!"
"I can't believe I rushed in without thinking of anything we could have done…" IF grumbled.
"Well, I did make a suggestion… but now's not the time for excuses or accusations. Perhaps we should run away?"
"Unacceptable! Warriors of JUSTICE can not leave a citizen in the hands of such evil!"
Damn… wait, doesn't Nepgear have a gun in her HDD form? No, that won't work… our foe would realize something was up the minute she transformed…
"Let Rom go!"
A voice came from the sky.
"Wha-? Above?"
A beam of light flew into the ground beneath the Underling and caused a small explosion, causing her to step back, lose her balance due to the ice, and she let go of the child to try and catch herself before hitting the ground. Another young girl with pink hair came flying in from the sky and grabbed the hostage. She was wearing a skinsuit similar to Nepgear's and Uni's, obviously a CPU Candidate.
"You okay Rom?" she asked the hostage.
"Ram! Waaahh!"
"Ugh! The hell? Another CPU! Damn!"
"You got some nerve making Rom cry this much! I'll make sure to beat you to a pulp! You transform, too, Rom!" the Candidate ordered.
"'Kay."
With that, the girl who was the hostage was enshrouded in a bright light. When it dissipated, she was replaced with a young girl with blue hair and a matching suit to the first Candidate that arrived.
"A-another one!? Pardon my language, but what the hell, man!? This shit is getting ridiculous!" the Underling yelled in disbelief.
"Twin CPUs…" Nepgear said.
"She dropped her guard! Everyone let's go!" IF ordered.
Nepgear transformed and charged the Underling with IF. Nisa and Compa took care of the other monster, which turned out to be pretty weak (possibly something I could have handled even with zero combat experience), and then ran to take assist the others. The Underling decided that with the odds out of her favor, her best bet would be to run. IF and Nisa began to chase her, but tripped over the ice. Nepgear, having reverted back to her human form, turned her attention to the other two Candidates who seemed to have lost interest in the Underling and were now celebrating their victory.
"Yeah! We rock!" the pink haired Candidate shouted.
"Rock!" the blue haired one echoed.
I helped IF and Nisa up.
"Damn she's fast," IF said while brushing the ice off her coat.
"Um…" Nepgear tried to speak up for the two other Candidates.
"What? Who are you?" the pink one responded, seeming to just notice Nepgear.
"They… tried to save me," the blue one answered meekly.
"Is that so? Well, they didn't. So they're a bunch of failures, right?"
It hurts to admit it, but we did kind of suck.
"Um… are you two the CPU Candidates of Lowee?" Nepgear asked.
"Sure are! We're the pride and joy of Lowee! I'm Ram and this is Rom!" the pink haired girl said.
"Uh-huh," Rom agreed.
"Oh, how wonderful we ran into you both so soon! I'm a CPU Candidate, too. I'm Neptune's younger sister, Nepgear!"
"Neptune? Then that means…" Ram began.
"Planeptune," Rom finished.
"That's right," Nepgear said. "I would like your help to save our-"
"That ALSO means that you're our enemy!" Ram said, raising her weapon, a staff… rod… spear? thing.
"Enemy," Rom mimicked, raising her weapon as well.
"Wha- what? Goodness, no! I'm no one's enemy!"
"You're another nation's Candidate which means you came here to steal away our shares!" Ram accused.
"I read that… in a book," Rom added.
"What the goodness? No! That's not why I'm here! Please, listen, I…"
"Enough talk! We'll send you back to Planeptune!"
"Um… please… wait," Nepgear was still trying to talk.
"I don't think they're going to be listening, Nepgear. I'd prefer not to fight myself, but it doesn't look like we'll be getting out of here without one," I mumbled in her ear while placing a hand on her shoulder to let her know we have her back.
Nepgear seemed troubled, almost as if she believed she could talk these two down. She looked at me as if to say something, but then they two shot magic at us.
"Watch out!" I pulled Nepgear back and took a blast of ice to my back, causing me to lose consciousness.
"Nate!" Nepgear shouted.
"What? How did we take him down in one hit? He must be pretty weak…" Ram stated.
"Weak," Rom agreed.
"Oh good, he's only unconscious. Compa, please take care of him," Nepgear commanded as she felt Nate's pulse. Then she transformed.
"I didn't want to fight if possible, but hurting my friends isn't something I can overlook! I will defeat you!" Nepgear yelled as she charged forward, shooting at the twin CPUs as she closed the distance and dodging their magic blasts. They were definitely strong foes, but strength is nothing compared to actual battle experience. Ram caught Underling off guard, so that's why she was able to win that fight. But since these two don't have the element of surprise now, they will lose this time.
"I got you!" Ram shouted, shooting an ice blast at Nepgear.
Nepgear gracefully stepped to the side, dodging it, with the blast flying past her and hitting Rom.
"Owie! *sniff*" Rom began to cry.
"Oh no! Rom! You jerk! You made Rom cry! How mean can you be?"
"G-goodness! That wasn't my intention. Besides, you attacked first and hurt my friend…"
"Come on, Rom! Let's leave this bully here," Ram said as she helped her sister up and they flew off.
"And there they go…" Nepgear said, going back to her human form. Then she remembered why she began fighting them to begin with. "Compa, will Nate be okay?"
"Don't worry, Ge-ge. He'll be fine. His body is still a bit weak. This is his first time being struck by magic, so it probably just shocked him into unconsciousness. We should probably take him to an inn to rest, though. After that, I'll stay with him and you guys can go to the Basilicom."
"So much has happened today, but we finally made it to the Basilicom," Nepgear stated. "Um… excuse me. Is the Oracle of Lowee here?"
"Welcome to Lowee's Basilicom… Oh, my. Are you…?" A bespectacled woman wearing a red cap and gown with long light blue hair appeared to greet the group.
"Yes, I'm Nepgear, Planeptune's CPU Candidate. I have business about which I wish to speak to you."
"You're just a Candidate, yet not even the other three CPUs have ever travelled this far. Very well. This must be a matter of the utmost importance. I am this nation's oracle, Mina Nishizawa. Allow me to hear you out."
"I see. So you require aid of Lowee's mascot character to help free the other CPUs…"
"So will you help us?" Nepgear asked.
"I must apologize but I can't accept your request."
"What? Why not?" IF asked.
"Our mascot is on a mission concerning our nation's national security. I don't exaggerate when I say that abandoning its quest would spell disaster for all Lowee… no all of Gamindustri."
"And I don't suppose you would be willing to divulge in us the details," IF said.
"Sorry, but I cannot tell visitors. I do hope you understand," Mina apologized with a bow.
"Hold! Surely you realize what will happen if the forces of evil discover the mascot before us? It is in danger!" Nisa pleaded.
"If you insist on withholding information, then I hope you understand that we will seek out the mascot on our own," IF said.
"I will not stop you, though even if you find it, I know it won't go with you," Mina warned. "That said, it would be in poor taste for me to dismiss you after traveling all this way. Have you heard of the folklore passed down here in Lowee about the Deity of Sin, Arfoire?"
"Folklore? Do people still listen to stuff like that these days?" Nepgear asked.
"It is said that Lowee is the land in which the Deity of Sin was born. Do you know who or what Arfoire is?"
"Well, if an entire syndicate is dedicated to reviving her, she's probably some goddess that grants untold power," IF said.
"No, there is no such being in this world that can give such power. No, the term 'deity' is a misnomer. She represents the malice in the human heart, much like how the CPUs are representative of human virtue. It is said that when she first emerged, the people of Gamindustri have given up hope and morals and wished for self-destruction. As a result, she almost caused the destruction of all Gamindustri."
"Then how come that horrible Ass-sick group wants to revive an evil deity hell-bent on destroying the entire world?" Nisa asked.
"It is possible that their aim is just a false pretense to gain followers, for if they know even a bit of the folktale, not even the most sadistic person would ever wish to revive her," Mina suggested.
"Maybe their followers were never told. Or were even lied about it. You know how easy it is for a charismatic person to fool the masses with false promises," IF added.
"If that's the case, then the true leader of the organization must not be human. Something that exists solely to resurrect what will end their life… Anyway, I'm all done. That was the story," Mina finished.
"That gives us quite a bit to think about. Thank you. We should inform Compa and Nate when we get back," Nepgear said.
"Mina, I'm so hungry. Feed me!" a familiar voice said. Suddenly two young children came walking into the room.
"Candy," the other child said.
"Let's mind our manners, kids. We have guests right now, so hold out a little bit longer," Mina scolded them.
"Guests?"
"..."
"..."
"Ah! It's the CPU bully!"
"Scary!"
"CPU bully? Don't be rude," Mina said.
"Actually, earlier today…" Nepgear began to recount the tale of what happened earlier that day.
"Oh, dear. I can't believe these two did such a thing. Is your comrade doing well?" Mina asked.
"Yes, he's fine. He's just resting for the rest of the day," Nepgear answered.
"You have my sincerest apologies," Mina said with a deep bow.
"No no! Please don't do that to me! Don't bow your head to me, please!" Nepgear pleaded.
"I'm afraid I must. I am their guardian and their source of knowledge. I must apologize on their behalf and for my failure as a teacher. You too, kids. Say you're sorry."
"No! She was so mean and made Rom cry!"
"Mean…"
"You will apologize now," Mina said, still keeping a nice temperament.
"But she attacked us!" Ram argued.
"Losing… hurt…" Rom said.
Suddenly the atmosphere grew very heavy.
"What. Do. Good. Little. Girls. Say?"
"We're sorry." Ram bowed.
"Sorry." Rom followed suit.
"Did anyone else sense a dark aura just now?" Nepgear asked in a whisper.
"I guess there's more than meets the eye with her, too," IF responded.
"Really, it's all right. Actually, I would like to request their help if possible," Nepgear suggested.
"As their guardian, I must vehemently refuse. However, if they wish to join you as fellow CPU Candidates, then I will not stop them," Mina answered.
"No! I won't ever help the CPU bully!" Ram replied.
"If Ram doesn't, then I won't either," Rom stated.
"It's pointless to try arguing. We might as well take our leave," IF said.
"That may be best. I'd like to check up on Nate and see if he's awake yet, anyway," Nepgear responded.
"I'm sorry we cannot be of more help. If there is any more which you need to ask, you can come by whenever," Mina offered.
"Um, okay. Thank you for… all the stories and stuff. Goodbye," Nepgear said with a bow. Then, the group headed back to the inn for the night.