Chapter 11: Alliance Leaders Gather; Histoire's Strategy Revealed

"I'd like to thank all of you for your promptness in responding to my summons." Histoire said, as she addressed all those in attendance. "Before we begin the meeting, would you mind handing out the refreshments, Shizuku?"

"Hold the flip phone!" Neptune suddenly cried out. "Am I hearing things right?"

"Is there something wrong, Nep-Nep?" Compa asked.

"Well, duh?! This is highly unsual behavior coming from you, Histy? What's the occasion?"

"Since when did you become so hospitable prior to one of your lectures?!"

"I have no idea what you mean, Neptune?"

"Did seeing me so beat up the other day scramble your processor? Surely you're not feeling responsible for my injuries…"

"D-don't be ridiculous!"

"You sure about that, Histy? You're blushing pretty hard over there?"

"N-no I'm not!"

"Awwww…were you really that worried about me?"

"Pipe down at once!" Histoire shouted, steam coming out of her head. "Stop jumping to wild conclusions!"

"Teehee! You're so cute when you're embarrassed, Histy!"

"That's enough!" Histoire finally snapped. "Not another word, unless you want be forced to watch as everyone else enjoys their tea, while you get nothing!"

"Ahem!" said Shizuku, as they turned to her. "The drinks were my idea, actually. Histoire was originally against it, citing the need to focus on the crisis at hand. However, I managed to convince her otherwise, after I pointed out how, with all the stress we've been dealing with, and with major battles just ahead, the CPUs and other high-ranking AFG officials could use a bit of something to help them relax and clear their minds, before they head off to war."

"This is a special blend of herbal tea, who's recipe has been passed down within my family for generations. It is specifically made to help someone enter their peace of mind, soothing the soul and clearing the mind of negativity. It also contains several essential anti-oxidants which aid in maintaining one's health in body, mind and spirit."

"Finally, a touch of sugar and peppermint give it just enough flavor to make it enjoyable to even the pickiest of children. Please, accept it as thanks for all you've done for us so far." Shizuku said as she left the room.

A few minutes later, everyone had a cup of hot tea in front of them. "Please be careful, everyone. Shizuku said as she returned to her seat. "It's still very hot."

"Now then, let us begin." UD Histoire said. "To start with, we should discuss what we know about our enemies so far."

"As I'm sure you're all aware, our enemies launched their invasion of Hyper Dimension a week ago, ultimately resulting in the defeat of the CPUs and the capture of Hyper Dimension."

"However, what many of you may not be aware of, is the exact reason why the CPUs lost, and suffered such horrific injuries."

"During the battle, a group of seven extraordinarily powerful swordswomen suddenly appeared and launched a brutal and deadly efficient assault upon our Goddesses."

"Calling themselves the Seven Swords of the Apocalypse, these seven warriors were tasked by Rei Ryghts herself with the CPUs' extermination."

"Each of these Seven Swords of Apocalypse are extremely dangerous adversaries, being categorized as elite, S-class warriors, with powers equal to, or greater than that of our CPUs. As such, they should not be confronted by anyone except our CPUs and CPU Candidates. They are also extremely loyal to Rei Ryghts, to the point of fanaticism."

"These Seven Swords of the Apocalypse have proven themselves to be a grave threat, and must be dealt with as our top priority. However, their power is such that only our CPUs and CPU Candidates are capable of facing them. For anyone else to challenge them would be not just foolish, but suicidal. The only CPU who will not be participating in the upcoming battles is Peashy, who remains in a comatose state."

"Peashy was grievously wounded during the last battle, and due to being so young, her injuries have affected her far more severely than they normally would have. We can only hope that she recovers by the time we are ready to depart for Earth Dimension, following the conclusion of the upcoming Hyper Dimension campaign, as her strength would certainly be invaluable. In any case, let us go through each members profile, one by one, according to the intel we have gained thus far…" HD Histoire suddenly turned to UD Histoire, who moved to dim the lights, before activating a holoprojector, which now illuminated the dimly lit room.

"Each of the Seven Swords has an epithet which, save their leader, refers to each one's unique special ability. This is important for figuring out a means for overcoming their powers, especially given that five of them are elemental based powers, hence their collective title of the Five Elements. We know of this title only thanks to the intelligence I've recieved from my scouts."

"In any case, let us begin with the aforementioned Five Elements, starting with Aqua, 'The Tsunami', who single-handedly brought down Leanbox."

Suddenly, an image of a fair skinned woman with long, turquoise hair that was tied in a ponytail, and sapphire blue eyes, was projected before them. She wore a black tank top and a pair of short blue shorts, held at the waist by a utility belt that featured the Coalition's insignia on the belt buckle. A knife holster was strapped to her left thigh, and a sword scabbard was strapped to her right hip.

"Aqua is a calm and level-headed kunoichi, and as such, is a ruthless and efficient warrior. As you can probably ascertain from her epithet, she wields the element of water."

"Anyways, let's move onto our next two profile." HD Histoire said, as the image changed to show two women. The woman on right had fair-skin, wild, flaming red hair and scarlet eyes. She wore a black T-shirt with the Coalition insignia on the front, a pair of green cut-off shorts, and a sword scabbard was strapped, diagonally, to her back.

The woman on the left had tan skin, short, messy brown hair and green eyes. She wore a blue jeans jacket with the sleeves cut-off, over a black T-shirt with the Coalition insignia on the front, and a pair of black leather pants. Instead of a scabbard, a large battle-axe was strapped to her back.

"Flannery, 'The Eruption' and Roxie, 'The Earthquake', both of whom were instrumental in the downfall of Lowee. Flannery wields fire, and is quite literally a pyromaniac."

"Meanwhile, Roxie's wields the element of Earth, and can harden her body to near steel-like toughness. This latter ability is used both defensively and offensively, giving her tremendous resistance against an enemy's physical attacks and greatly amplifying her own."

"Damn brute literally shattered my weapon arm during our battle." Blanc said, in a scathing voice. "I've never been felt so much pain and humiliation in all my years as a CPU! Having to regrow my bones in time for the upcoming battle was excruciating..."

"In any case, let us continue our discussion." HD Histoire said, as the image changed once again to display another duo. The woman on the right had dark skin, wild, almost jagged, medium-length yellow hair and electric-blue eyes. She wore a black track suit with the Coalition insignia emblazoned on each shoulder, as well as over the right breast, and a sword scabbard was attached to her left hip.

The woman on the left, had dark skin and long wavy white hair. She wore a black tank top with a medium-length skirt. She had a knife holster strapped to her right hip, and a large halberd was strapped to her back.

"Electra, 'the Thunderbolt', and Gaela, 'The Hurricane'. The scourge of Lastation, these two are particularly noteworthy for their barbaric ruthlessness on the battlefield."

"Electra is a cruel and bloodthirsty lightning user who takes pleasure in torturing her enemies with her powers. She is also, by far, the fasted among her comrades, using her lightning-powers to amplify her speed, allowing her travel at nearly the speed of light."

"This alone makes her among the most dangerous members of the group."

"Meanwhile, Gaela is a powerful wind user who loves combat. She can quite literally cut steel with her wind-based powers, and also incredibly strong, being second only to Roxie in terms of pure physical strength."

"They also appear to have a mutually strong dislike of one another, often bickering among themselves, even while in the midst of a battle."

"Despite this, however, when they decide to focus on the enemy in front of them, their teamwork is virtually flawless."

The image changed again to show a figure Neptune knew all too well. She had fair skin, medium-length, violet hair and blazing blue eyes. She wore a black kimono of medium length, and the Coalition insignia was stamped onto the back of her right hand. A pair of scabbards were strapped to her left hip, both of which contained her twin katanas.

"Kyoko, 'The Valkyrie'. By far the most powerful of the group, Kyoko is also their designated leader, and also holds the rank of General within the Coalition's vast armies."

"She is single-handedly responsible for the fall of Planeptune. In fact, so powerful was she very nearly ended up killing both Neptune and Peashy. A truly bloodthirsty, sadistic and psychotic individual who revels in bloodshed, she also possesses a foul temper."

"Also, unlike her fellow swords, Kyoko's epithet does not refer to her special ability, but to her prowess with the blade. In particular, she has displayed prodigous skill in the rare art of dual wielding. Such is her mastery of the blade that even Neptune, herself among our best swordswomen, on par only with Noire of Lastation, struggled to fend off Kyoko's strikes. And mind you, their battle was a mostly physical battle of pure swordplay. Very little in the way of magic-based attacks was used.

"According to Neptune, Kyoko told her the true nature of her special ability as she was preparing to finish her. Luckily, she was saved in the nick of time by Plutia."

"Apparently, Kyoko's special ability is to utilize all the powers of the Seven Swords simultaneously, an ability she refers to as 'Channel', though it is unclear whether she is as adept at using them as her comrades."

The seventh member of the group is still a mystery, with neither her name, powers nor epithet known at this point and time. However, from the intel I've received from my scouts, we believe we do have a suspect." An image now appeared showing a fair-skinned woman with long black hair, dark gray eyes and a cold, emotionless expression on her face. She wore a black kimono similar to Kyoko's with the exception that it had the Coalition insignia emblazoned on the sleeves, and the dress was a bit longer. Her sword scabbard was attached to her right hip.

"As with Kyoko, the woman you see before you was among those who successfully infiltrated our Basilicom. While we know next to nothing about her, several reports from people claiming to have seen an individual who roughly matches her description suggest she was, in fact, present during the Assault on Planeptune. Indeed, since then, she has been seen regularly alongside Kyoko herself."

"For some reason, however, she did not participate in the previous battle, choosing instead to observe. It is my hypothesis that this was intentional, likely an order from either Kyoko or Rei Ryghts herself. If true, I think we can safely conclude she may be the Coalition's strategic officer. It is also possible she may have had underlings watching the other battles as well."

"I do believe strongly, however, that she will likely participate in the coming battle. As such, I advise extreme caution in the event she decides to confront you, especially since her powers are virtually unknown, thus giving her the superior advantage."

"In any case, let us move forward with the final portion of this meeting. Our strategy for defeating the Seven Swords will be quite simple."

"First, I stress the importance of power conservation. Using to many SP-heavy attacks will only work to the enemies advantage. Given the superior power reserves of the Seven Swords, spamming SP-heavy attacks will result in fatigue, which will most definitely leave you open to a counterattack."

"If possible, try to hold off on using these types of attacks until late in the battle. By fighting mostly defensively from the start, there is the likelihood that your enemy will become overconfident. After all, most of Seven Swords, including their leader, have shown themselves to be extremely arrogant in their power, which is something we can definitely use against them. By fighting defensively, and tricking them into thinking their victory is assured, by late in the battle, when you suddenly shift to an all-out offensive, they will likely be caught off guard, creating an opening in their defenses. Take advantage of this to land a decisive blow against the enemy. Also, a good feint or two isn't a bad idea either."

"In any case, as the battles progresses, we will send reinforcements to each of the battlefields to assist our main forces against the hordes of Coalition soldiers. In addition, while you are on out on the battlefield, Nanashi and Shizuku will continue their training to awaken their powers. Should they succeed before the end of the Hyper Dimension campaign, we will send them to aid you, along with the other reinforcements. Most of you are likely unaware of their importance to the war effort. Hoevver, I'm afraid it is not my place to explain, so if you'd please be so kind as to explain your situation to the men and women gathered here, Shizuku?"

"Very well." Shizuku said, as she stood up and walked over to the head of the table, next to HD Histoire. "The truth of the matter is that neither of us are actually human…"

"My kind are a long-lived race of beings known as Nighteaters. We are also, in a sense, a divine species, seeing as we were once worshiped as Gods among the people of Earth. In a sense, that makes us somewhat similar in nature to the CPUs of this world, despite there being several major differences as well, most notably the much darker nature of our kind. As for Nanashi-kun, he was once a normal human. But three months ago, his humanity was stolen from him when a certain organization turned him into a vampire-like creature known as a Synthister."

"The Synthisters are very similar to Nighteaters, with the exception that they more demonic than divine, and unlike the Nigheaters, they lose all sense of reason in their blind, relentless pursuit of that which they desire. Synthisters are the shadows of former humans who were corrupted by their lust and greed. Synthisters feed on the life force of normal humans, draining them of their vitality. They are also incredibly weak to sunlight."

"The Nighteaters have been Synthister hunters since ancient times. But more recently, we have been plagued by an inability to have children, discovered to be in direct connection with the increasing lack of piety of our once loyal subjects. When our decreasing population suddenly began to reach dangerous levels, our late elder brother, Soga Kagutsuchi, became very vocal about the preservation of the Nighteater legacy."

"Unfortunately for him, his desire to find some way to keep the Nighteater legacy alive fell on mostly deaf ears. And so, unable to persuade anyone, he disappeared."

"A year later, reports of a Synthister outbreak in a town of Akihabara, located in Tokyo, Japan, reached our village. In response, my younger sister, Rin, departed the village to investigate, though not before leaving behind a note telling me how she hated my guts. Traumatized and wanting to find out the truth for myself, I eventually followed her, where I happened across the Nanashi as just as his transformation into a Synthister was complete."

"However, when I arrived, the organization had already decided to get rid of him, as despite his transformation into a Synthister, he refuse to take part in their vile schemes."

"This and the fact he shielded me from an attack from the group's leader, a man named Zenya Amo, piqued my interest in the boy, who despite his transformation, remained surprisingly pure. Unfortunately, by shielding me, his own body was was damaged to the point of breaking down, and so I made him my familiar to save him, but with the unfortunate side-effect of robbing him of whatever humanity he had left."

"Alongside a his longtime friends, all of whom were members of a local peacekeeping organization known as the Akiba Freedom Fighters, our battle against the Synthisters raged for nearly a month. Eventally, following several encounters with Zenya and finally defeating him, my brother revealed himself as the mastermind behind the whole operation. He planned to transform Akihabara into a perfect Dark Utopia, and was using the Synthisters to gather life energy for this purpose. I also reunited with my sister just before our final battle with Zenya, who revealed that she didn't hate me after all, but wrote that horrible letter to keep me out of harm's way. Anyways, after a furious final battle, we finally managed to defeat Soga, who passed away shortly after, though not before entrusting us with the Nighteater Clan's future. Two months of relative peace followed, before the events were set in motion that eventually led to the very situation we now find ourselves in."

"Thank you, Shizuku." Histoire said. "In any case, the reason why their help is so important is due to the fact that Rei Ryghts appears to fear their potential, meaning that their potential poses a threat to her. As to how we will train them when our CPUs are fighting abroad, the answer is the same as the answer to how we will defend HQ in the event of an enemy raid. You may enter…" Histoire said suddenly turning to the door.

Moments later, a group of 11 shockingly familiar faces entered the room. Standing before them were carbon copies of Neptune, Noire, Blanc, Vert, Nepgear, Uni, Rom, Ram, Histoire, IF and Compa! "Please welcome the CPUs of Super Dimension. They have agreed to assist us with fortifying our defenses until this crisis is over. In addition, they have also agreed to take turns in helping Nanashi and Shizuku awaken their powers."

"Now then, I believe that is all for now. Thus, I hereby declare this meeting adjourned. Please join me at 6:00 P.M. tonight in addressing the citizens. We must reignite their faith in our CPUs' ability to win. We need to recover as many Shares as possible before sending you off to battle, as once you arrive in Hyper Dimension, the only Shares you will manage to receive for the duration of the battle, outside those you've gained beforehand, will be from your comrades in arms."

"As this is an important event, I ask that all of you dress in your best ceremonial garbs. Nepgear would you please take Nanashi and Shizuku to Plutia's Basilicom and assist them in finding an outfit for them to wear as well?" "I'd love to, Histoire." Nepgear said. "Thank you, Nepgear." HD Histoire said.

"In any case, I want all of you ready by 5:30. The current time is approximately 1:30. That gives you approximately 3 hours in which to do as you please, and another hour in which to prepare. As for me, I ask that you allow me some privacy while I rehearse my coming speech with the other Oracles. Until then, please enjoy the precious few hours of free time you have been given. And now, you are hereby dismissed." With that, everyone except HD Histoire, UD Histoire, Kei Jinguji, Mina Nishizawa, and Chika Hakozaki filed out of the room.

Meanwhile…

Hyper Dimension

Planeptune

"Did everyone understand the information in Lilith's report?" Kyoko asked, as she and the other Swords met to discuss strategy in preparation for the coming battle.

"Hah!" shouted Electra arrogantly. "Why should I bother?! That twin-tailed cosplay otaku bitch is no match for my lightning powers. That much was made clear during our first battle."

"You really are an idiot!" Gaela spat. "Even I have the common sense to study my enemy, even if I am confident in my abilities. It's just one more reason why I can't stand you."

"Huh?!" Electra asked angrily. "Care to repeat that?!"

"I said you're an arrogant dumbass!" Gaela shot back.

"Just because you won your last battle doesn't guarantee victory next time." Roxie said.

"Gaela's right…" Aqua said calmly. "Your arrogance and refusal to recognize the importance of tactics will surely get you killed one of these days."

"Agreed." Flannery said. "Besides, the CPUs are bound to have come up with coutermeasures against us. You'd be wise to keep your guard up."

"Alright, that's enough." Kyoko said. "In any case, this meeting is now over. Return to your stations at once and await my orders. In two days' time, we will crush those AFG heathens and kill their CPU protectors!"

As the other Swords departed, Kyoko suddenly felt the presence of another, as she turned to see a young man with blond hair, kneeling before her.

"You sent for me, milady?" said the man.

"Ah, yes. Zenya Amo, was it?" Kyoko said. "Yes, milady." Zenya said, as he looked up at Kyoko, his eyes vacant and glossy, and his expression cold and emotionless, telltale signs that he was indoctrinated. In the dim light, his eyes seemed to glow dully.

"I have a mission for you." Kyoko said. "Your target can be found in a dimension called Ultra Dimension.

"Take these special bullets, and this photograph as well. Your mission is as follows. The girl in this photograph… Find her. And eliminate her!"

"It shall be done, milady." Zenya said coldly as he took the bullets and photograph, the turned and walked away, studying the photograph and setting to memory the face of the girl in the image, who, despite his indoctrination, he couldn't help but notice was quite beautiful. Screaming internally, he cursed the fact that he had no control over his own body, instead being helplessly used as a weapon by these Coalition psychopaths to commit cold-blooded murder!

"The girl appeared to be in her late teens. She had long light purple hair with a single D-pad hair clip and violet eyes and wore a white, button up sailor uniform with purple designs and a yellow ribbon being held together by an N-emblem. She wore thigh high socks with pink and white stripes and medium sized boots that match her uniform in color scheme.

"Please forgive me." Zenya thought to himself, a single tear trickling down his cheek as he read the girl's name on below the photograph. "I bear you no ill will of my own, and yet, I am physically incapable of defying the monsters who now demand I kill for them…" As Zenya activated the portal, he then thought of his former adversaries from two-and-a-half months prior. "Nanashi. Shizuku. If you are still alive, even after everything that's happened, I pray that you will somehow find me, and stop me, before I can carry out this vile mission…"

As Zenya disappeared through the portal, Kyoko looked on, a cruel and vindictive smirk on her face. "Purple Sister. Iris Heart. You two thought you could get away with denying me the satisfaction of killing Purple Heart. Unfortunately for you, you have both incurred my wrath. For the crime of interfering with my mission to kill Purple Heart, you will pay dearly... I'm looking forward to seeing the look of despair on Purple Heart's face as she cradles the lifeless body of her precious little sister in her arms!"

"However, even if Nepgear does manage to survive, the sight of her lying in a hospital bed, badly wounded and unconscious, is certain to rile Purple Heart into a rage-filled frenzy! And when you come to me seeking vengeance, that's when our battle truly begins. As for you, Iris Heart, I have assigned Lilith to deal with you. Also, I'm quite curious to find out how those nighteater punks, Nanashi and Shizuku, will fare against their old adversary, who has not only been indoctrinated, but been made even more powerful than he was before.

Either way, they, along with their CPU protectors, will die! Know this, Purple Heart! This time for sure…I will kill you! I'LL CRUSH YOU UNTIL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT! I'LL DESTROY YOU COMPLETELY THIS TIME!" Kyoko roared, as she began to laugh maniacally, her cold, cruel laughter echoing throughout the underground chamber.

AN: For those of you who may be wondering, regarding the Super Dimension in this story; while it is intended to be based on the one from Re;Birth1, it is nevertheless a different entity entirely (kind of hard to use that specific dimension's CPUs, given what happens to them in the true ending).