Hello again readers, how you doing? Anyway, I had trouble making this chapter and wondered about whether I should just rewrite the entire chapter because of some stuff, but I couldn't think of anything better. Sorry if it seems a little disappointing. If you see any problems or have a question, message me or leave a review.
Chapter 10
"No, SKY, STOP!" She yelled as she flew towards him.
He stopped his motion to kill and sheathed his blade without speaking a word.
She slowed down to a stop and said with relief "Thank god you stopped"
"Why?" He asked with confusion.
"Because she's innocent"
"I know, but why're you rushing out to stop me?"
"Remember what you said on that fateful day, you want to avoid slaying innocent people, you remember right?"
"Of course I do, I wasn't actually going to kill her, so relax"
"Why didn't you kill me?" The princess asked.
"Do you honestly want to die so badly?" He asked with a serious tone.
"…Yes, what do I have to live for?"
"Fine, I'll kill you" He pulled out his gun and aimed it straight at her head
"Wait, you're not gonna?" Neptune asked.
*BANG*
"Y-You killed her?" Compa asked, showing signs of fear.
"What're you doing you idiot?!" IF asked in rage, scared of the following events.
"D-Did you just, you know, end her?" Neptune asked, revealing the same kinds of emotions as Compa.
Layla then assured them "You didn't kill her?" She asked.
The bullet he fired had missed her head by centimetres as the eyes of the princess were wide at his action as he knelt and told her "Don't try to get yourself killed if you don't have a good enough reason, if you have enough time to feel suicidal, then use that time to think about what you're going to do with your life"
The princess looked down at the ground in deep thought as he stood up straight and walked back to the group.
"What is WRONG WITH YOU?!" IF whacked the back of his head.
"Ow, a lot of things, but that depends on what you're referring to" He answered as he rubbed the back of his head.
"W-Why did you do that?" Compa asked.
"It's to show her how much her life means to her, only when one is close to death, they can understand what they're going to give up by dying"
"So you just sorta made her life flash before her eyes?" Neptune commented.
"In a way, yes"
"But the question is what will you do with her?" Layla asked.
"I dunno, she's not a threat right now, but I don't exactly know what will happen to her, I mean she wasn't strong enough to kill me, but still strong enough to make me care"
"Wait, wait just a sec buster, you said you had to take it seriously in the other chapter, what else could it mean instead of her slapping you silly and turning it into a game over?"
"That, yeah, I expected her to be stronger, but she was below my expectations and I relaxed during battle and didn't fight with my all, but if I did the terrain wouldn't be in such good condition"
"So you're saying that all that could be worse?" Neptune asked, pointing towards the destroyed field.
"Um, Miss Layla, what did you mean when you said that's what happens when two Rune Knights face off against each other?" Compa asked.
"Please, you don't have to be so formal, when I said that, I meant sparring, what did all of you think?" A confused spirit asked.
A thought bubble appeared above all their heads, Compa was two figures launching magic at each other and missing, IF had two figures trading blows while using magic and Neptune… Neptune's thought bubble showed two people having an eating contest with pudding.
"Mhmmm, pudding" A girl commented with delight.
"Um, Neptune, I think your thought process is a bit off" Layla commented.
"Really Layla, a bit, you said two knights facing off against each other and she thinks of an eating contest, I mean it is possible two knights could do that, but I don't know anyone who did"
"Hey, it's not just an eating contest, they're having pudding!"
"Thanks Nep for that obvious piece of commentary"
"No problemo, random commentary is my thing!" She yelled with pride.
"Nep-Nep, I don't think that's something to be proud of"
"Of course it is Compa, me being proud of my random stuff is like you and your huge boobs"
She instantly covered her chest with her arms and turned red "N-Nep-Nep!"
"What, they're sorta the same, my awesome yet random commentary stands out, just like your boobs, don't you think so too?" She asked him.
"Whoa, why are you dragging me into this?"
She nudged him using her elbow "Oh, but I've seen you looking at Compa's luscious yet massive boobs"
She looked at him with discontent "I-Is that true?"
IF then looked at him the same way and asked "Do guys really like bigger ones better?"
"I think males do generally like bigger ones, but it's probably personal taste, so Sky, which do you like better, bigger ones or smaller ones?" Layla asked.
"Just find out yourself, I honestly don't give a damn right now, I feel somewhat gloomy because of that blast from the past"
"Hey, come on, don't avoid the question, so tell us, you think Compa's cute right?" Neptune asked.
"Yeah, I think she's pretty and cute, what of it" He replied, looking bored.
"Is that all?" Compa asked.
"Generally, but if I were to put it in another way, if we keep travelling together, I might just fall in love with you"
"H-Huh? T-Then that means that's a… A… A confe-"A nervous Compa muttered before being cut off.
"I'm just joking, I already love someone anyway, but we should go to Chian"
IF was on her phone "You want to work? Fine, then let's head to Chi… Wait, did you just say you love someone?"
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"
"So who's the lucky girl? Is she your girlfriend?" Neptune asked.
"Oh, you know her, she's"
*WHACK*
He crouched and grabbed the back of his head "OW! What the hell Layla?"
She was behind him and looked somewhat annoyed "It's what you're going to say"
"I don't see what the problem is, you already know so what's so bad about it?"
She sighed "Someone might get the wrong idea"
"Yeah, but if I explain then that misunderstanding disappears doesn't it?"
"Yes, but that's the part I hate the most"
"Oh, really, is it that bad?"
"So uh, who's the girl you love?" Neptune asked once more.
"Don't bother, he's too childish to understand" Layla told them.
"Yeah, I'm childish, but you didn't have to hit me" He said, rubbing the back of his head.
"I'm sorry about that, but that's the first time I've ever heard you compliment a girl"
"Really, is it so weird for me to think Compa is attractive?" He asked with a confused look.
"No, it's just that I've been with you and" She sighed "Oh never mind, you wouldn't understand"
"Alrighty, to Chian's place!" Neptune yelled with enthusiasm, completely forgetting what she was interested in.
"Oh, but first, you stand up! You're coming with us!" he ordered the princess.
"Do we have to bring her with us? She's sorta bringing the doom and gloom" Neptune commented.
"Yeah, she's my responsibility as of right now" She stood up and walked over to the group.
"But don't you wanna spill a little more on Compa?" Neptune asked.
"I'm being serious right now"
Compa looked slightly disappointed as she murmured under her breath "It wouldn't hurt for you to compliment me a bit more"
They were now going to Chian's place with Neptune at the front leading the gang, IF and Compa just behind with the spirit and knight tagging along from behind them who had healed his wounds and the princess was at the back, staying silent.
Compa looked worried and asked "Nep-Nep, are you sure you remember the way?"
"Totally, I think it was this way or was it the other way?" Neptune asked herself.
"Nep-Nep, maybe we should let Iffy lead?"
"No, gimme a sec, I'm the leader so I should be you know, leading… I'm pretty sure it was this way"
"Iffy, are we going the right way?" Compa asked.
"By the looks of it, we're in the poorer part of the city" IF said, they took a look around to see that houses were in really bad shape, there were poor people in every alleyway possible, some gave very hostile looks.
"How did things turn out this way?" Compa asked in shock.
"It's because of Avenir, they're taking over the industry which makes up Lastation forcing places to close down, forcing people into poverty, these people are doing whatever they can just to survive" IF summarized
"See, told you they were bad guys!" Neptune yelled.
"Don't yell, not here" IF told her, placing a hand to her mouth
"Um, Iffy, why are they looking at us like that?" Compa asked.
He then answered out of nowhere "It is because of how we look, we're wearing clean clothes, look presentable. For them, it's a bit harsh"
"Have you seen this before?" Compa asked.
"I'm used to seeing the ugly side of society, the question is, have you seen it before?"
"Not much, I've seen homeless people before but only a few times" Compa answered.
"Yeah, I thought so. Also, don't be surprised if someone comes up and tries to rob us or kill us"
"Huh? Someone's gonna try and have their way with me?!" Neptune asked with horror.
Layla then answered "Someone might, but that's highly unlikely"
"Uh, why?"
"It's because Sky is a Rune Knight, I'm the Great Spirit of Light, IF is a trained mercenary, the princess has been trained in magic and Neptune, you… you have a transformation that powers you up"
She summarized.
Compa then asked "How come you didn't add me into that equation?"
"Equation? That was math?!" Neptune asked with shock.
"No, but Compa, you're our healer, you're the person we count on when we're about to die from an injury" He told her.
"But I'm not counted as a fighter then?" Compa asked with disappointment.
"Compa, you are, you're not a nurse, you are our medic"
"I prefer to be a nurse though" She argued.
"Whatever" He dismissed the discussion with no motivation in his voice.
"So anyway, Iffy, which way to Chian's place?" Neptune asked.
"Depends, you wanna go back or just cut through here and take a tram?" IF asked.
"Hmm, that depends, where is the tram gonna be?" Neptune asked.
"It's in another part where the middle class people live" IF said.
Neptune took a moment to think, but he decided for them as he yelled "To the tram! Fuck backtracking!"
"What's so bad about backtracking?" Compa asked.
They all just stared at her in horror, Neptune asked "Compa, are you serious?"
"What? What did I do?" Compa asked with fear.
Neptune then summarized with passion "Backtracking has to be dumbest thing ever, I DO NOT WANT TO BACKTRACK IN GAMES, IF ANYONE OF YOU READERS MAKES A GAME, AVOID BACKTRACKING! UNLESS IT INVOLVES PUDDING!"
"Neptune, you're meant to be summarizing it for Compa, not giving a message to future game developers" He told her.
"Oh, right… Compa, backtracking is stupid and I don't wanna do it"
"But that didn't explain anything" Compa argued.
"Again, to the tram, fuck backtracking" He repeated.
"But-"Compa argued once more.
He placed a hand on her mouth and said "No, no backtracking, your argument is invalid"
She took his hand off and said "Fine, I won't talk about it anymore"
Neptune then yelled "Alrighty, the tram it is! Iffy, which way is the tram?!"
She groaned and answered "We just have to keep going straight, we'll see the middle class people eventually"
"Then forward!" She yelled with a fist up high.
"Iffy, aren't you going to tell her off?" "Layla asked.
"It's not like she's gonna listen anytime soon"
"You could still try, but I wonder Iffy, what do you know about half breeds?" Layla asked.
"Um, why do you want to know?" IF asked.
"Just curious, according to Sky, project Hybrid was top secret and yet how do you know about it?"
"You know about that?" She asked in shock.
"Yeah, but only cause I know him, after all, he counts as a first class Rune Knight"
Neptune suddenly burst out into laughter "AHAHAHA, him, first class?!"
"Nep-Nep, that sounds very rude, but it is true that it is slightly hard to picture him as… first class"
"Um, are you sure he's first class? Have you seen him fight, when you say first class you expect someone a little more…" IF said, before losing the words.
Neptune then added "More handsome"
"A little taller" Compa added.
"And somewhat more mature" IF added.
"Ah, well that's um…" Layla said nervously.
Compa then surprisingly apologised "Although I'm sorry if we insulted you, I'm sure you're a fine knight"
"It's okay Compa, you don't have to apologise, people's reactions usually go somewhat like that, I have to show them my ID and badge and is mostly just a pain"
"Badge?" They all asked.
"Yeah" he pulled out a small metallic, gold item which fit comfortably in the palm of his hand. It was in the shape of a pentagon with a five point star embedded into it with some words in the middle.
Neptune looked closer and read out "Mystic Forces, what's that?"
"Stuff, although I don't need it anymore" He put it away.
"So what does it mean when you refer to him as first class?" Compa asked.
"You see, it's because he's much stronger than you think, he's magic isn't as undeveloped as you've seen and he has some special po-"She said until a hand covered her mouth.
"Layla, stop it, you know I don't like it, by the way IF, what do you know about project Hybrid?"
She found his actions strange but answered "Sure, it was an experiment I stopped three years ago after someone was experimented on"
"By the way, where is this tram you speak of?" He asked.
"Tram?" IF asked herself before she took a look around, they saw that the streets were different, the sight of poverty had decreased, there were teens scowling around, some seen scabbing food off others. IF pulled out her phone "Right, there should be a station just around here… we should run, it's almost there" She added.
"It is?" Compa and Neptune asked.
"Oh, look at that, it's stopping" he pointed out.
"Compa, how did you do in the hundred metre sprint?" IF asked.
"Um, well, I don't run very fast, but I'm more confident in solving mathematical equations and creating art" She replied with passion
"Oh, great, now run if you don't wanna be ditched!" IF yelled as she began to sprint.
"Huh? Iffy, wait for me!" Compa yelled as she ran after her.
"Race you guys there!" Yelled a swift footed Neptune who zoomed straight past Compa.
"W-Wait, not you too Nep-Nep!" Compa yelled.
The spirit and knight were still walking until the spirit asked "Should we be rushing as well?"
"Probably, but no flying, we're in an area with people"
"I can't?"
"No, run or follow in spirit realm"
"Tch, you don't have to be so stingy" She then began to run "Why can't I just fly?" She muttered.
He sighed and said "May as well try" He grabbed the princess by her hand.
She stared at the hand which grabbed hers for a moment, in no way was she embarrassed or happy, she who had been ignored for the entirety of the conversation and the one to bother helping her was the one person she should've hated and yet she couldn't figure out how he could've acted so casual after his act of atrocity.
He then asked her "Come on, you don't wanna be left behind do you?"
"Who cares?" She asked as the two broke out into a jog.
"Don't say that, come on, we're almost there"
"…" She again remained silent, for the two just ran until catching up with the others, jumping on the tram to see the group already in there.
"Yes, I won, Iffy owes me her pudding" Neptune celebrated.
"Why do I owe you pudding?" IF asked.
"Cause I won, yes!" She yelled once more.
"N…Nep-Nep, Iffy, w-why did you leave me?" A puffed out Compa asked.
"You okay Compa?" Layla asked.
"Y…Yes, I-I'm just out of breath" She puffed out as she took a seat.
"Alright Iffy, I won't gobble your pudding" The hungry one turned towards the last two "One of you two are gonna give me your pudding!"
"Sure, you can have mine, it's just pudding" he said.
Neptune stared at him in shock "P-P-Pudding, it's just pudding?!"
"Um, yeah"
A beam of light enveloped her, transforming her into her more mature self "Pudding, it is not just pudding, it is why I exist, for without pudding there would no need for Gamindustri, there is no reason to live for pudding itself is the meaning of life, it is the reason for our existence" Neptune lectured.
They all stared at her in amazement as he commented "Well, shit, that felt like it was really out of character for Neptune"
"Do you now understand why pudding is so important?" A serious Neptune asked.
"Um, so you're saying that pudding is the meaning of life itself?" He asked.
She then proceeded to pat him on the head "That's a good boy"
"Um, Nep-Nep, your wings are taking up too much space" A squished Compa commented.
"Oh, sorry Compa, I thought he was insulting pudding" She added before changing back "Now then, do you know why pudding is the bestest thing ever?" She asked him with her hands on her hips.
"Uh, yeah"
"Oh Compa, did I squish too much of your squishy cheeks?" Neptune asked as she pulled on Compa's cheeks.
"D-Don't worry Nep-Nep, it just got too tight here"
"You sure Compa? Oh, also, tell us about half breeds!" Neptune yelled.
"Sure, but don't interrupt, the readers just had to read a lot of random stuff. To begin project Hybrid is the experiment of mixing human and monster blood, this was done in order to give us their strengths or powers such as giving someone a healing factor, but this experiment obviously failed here because magic wasn't mixed, magic gives access to these powers, but that's a topic for another time. In my dimension this happened a very long time ago to some people, they are my ancestors and I am their descendant. I will not go into any more detail about the topic at this current time"
"Huh? Is that it?" Neptune asked.
"Yes, now shut up about it, it's too much of a hassle"
"Aw, really, then how about letting me touch your tail?" She asked as she slowly reached for it.
"No" He denied her.
"Tch" She didn't stop.
Layla then suggested "I wouldn't do that if I were you"
"Huh, why?"
"Because, he once destroyed a robot made out of orichalcum for grabbing his tail with all its force"
IF had a look of disbelief "Whoa, wait, orichalcum is a really strong material, you're saying he cut it in half?"
Layla then answered "He didn't cut it in half, he destroyed it with his bare hands"
"Haha, stop joking around" Neptune said.
He remained silent and smiled as they thought for a moment about his strength.
*CRASH*
"I wonder if that's really the appropriate sound, shouldn't it be a slam?" A calm Layla asked.
"Now's not the time for that, we need to call an ambulance and check his injuries!" Compa yelled as she ran towards him.
"Oh no, is he dead? Oh, by the way for all of you people that are absolutely lost, he just got hit by a car or something really fast just in case you were wondering what that crash was"
"Nep, stop informing the readers and help us out!" IF yelled.
"Yes ma'am!"
The princess muttered "Serves him right" She felt slightly happy and yet slightly disgusted with herself for enjoying someone's demise.
"Do you honestly think he's dead from that?" Layla asked her.
"W-What do you mean? Isn't he dead?"
"He only just got hit by a car, I don't see what the problem is, come on princess, we should join them" Layla urged as they followed.
"P-Please excuse me, I-I'm a nurse" Compa urged the crowd to move as she squished through.
"Iffy, you think he's dead?" Neptune asked.
"Maybe, I dunno, but you shouldn't kill characters off so easily"
"But he was the one that jumped in front of a car"
"Yeah, he did after we told you to look both ways before crossing, he jumped and pushed both of us out of the way, you have to say sorry"
"Okay" A guilty Neptune replied as they finally made their way there.
"U-Um, are you okay?" A scared Compa asked as she saw him sitting up, completely fine with no injuries whatsoever.
He nodded as he looked at Layla "I hear sirens, what happened?"
"I dunno, maybe someone got hurt" The spirit replied.
"W-What do you mean someone got hurt?! The ambulance is coming here for you!" IF yelled.
He stood up "Oh really, but I don't need it"
"U-Uh, hey buddy, you okay?" A nervous Neptune asked.
"I'm fine, why are people worried, it's not like I'm dead, it was just a car" He pointed out.
"AHHH, I thought you were dead!" Neptune instantly hugged him and asked "Wait, you didn't come back as a zombie just to eat my brain did you?"
An evil smirk appeared on his face, he then whispered "Brains" as Neptune felt something on her head.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH, he's trying to eat my brain!" Neptune punched him right in the gut and pushed him away and ran behind IF "Eat the NPCs first, you never eat the brains of the main character!"
He groaned in pain as he knelt down and grabbed his stomach "Shit, that hurt more than the car"
"Huh? How did a punch hurt more than being hit by a car?" Compa asked herself.
"You had that one coming" Layla told him.
"Thought as much, but that ambulance is getting closer, Layla, grab the Princess and Compa"
"Oh, sure" She grabbed them by their hands.
"And now we run" He grabbed the remaining two heroines as they all sprinted from the scene
"Huh, why we running, you couldn't, you don't want my brains do you? SOMEONE HELP, A ZOMBIE GRABBED ME!" Neptune yelled.
"Nep, that was a joke, he's not an actual zombie… or are you?" A sceptical IF asked.
"No, I'm not a zombie" he sighed at her sceptical nature.
"Wait, why are we running away from the ambulance?" Compa asked.
The two remained silent as they ran and ran until they stopped in an alleyway of some sort.
"U-Um, Sky, Layla, why aren't you answering?" A scared Compa asked.
Layla replied in a serious tone "It's because the two of us aren't human, that's why"
"Yes, but I find it very hard to believe that neither of you are human" Compa added.
"If either of us were taken to hospital, I would be experimented on and dissected where Layla would be studied, leading to the discovery of spirits" He explained.
"What's so bad about that, unless… the spirits wanna eat my brain?!" Neptune blurted out
Layla looked slightly frightened "N-No Neptune, i-it's because in our dimension, spirits get hunted by certain people as a power source to fuel magical weapons, t-this in turn k… ki…" She failed to vocalise that last word.
He placed a hand on her head "That's enough Layla, you don't have to push yourself, I don't mind you blurting out my secrets as they don't hurt as much, but yours are too painful for you, so you don't have to tell them okay"
"Mm-hmm" She nodded as tears could be seen in her eyes.
"So please don't cry, that's all in the past now, I've moved on, it's time you moved on as well"
"I-I will, just give me time"
"I'll give you as much as I can offer"
"Um, what have you moved on from?" Neptune asked.
"Death, the deaths of comrades and close friends, I've seen enough to know that there's nothing that you can do, but I accept and face the facts whether I like it or not, no matter how much I regret not being able to help them, I move on, but Layla, she's… she is nowhere near as heartless as I am. She's been forced to see and experience horrible things"
"What kind of horrible things?" IF asked.
"Things that can only be seen in your worst nightmares" He replied.
Neptune looked shocked and yelled "YOU MEAN SOMEONE STOLE YOUR PUDDING?!"
"Do you feel offended at her version of suffering and yours?" IF asked.
"Not really, it's nice that she doesn't dream anything horrible, now then Layla, you okay?"
"I'm okay now, let's go to Chian, I think I'm going to have to introduce myself" Layla replied, changing her face back to her usual smiling self.
"Um, sure" IF replied.
Now at Chian's place.
A cheerful Neptune greeted the female shaped NPC "Hiya Chian, we're back" She sung
"Are you okay now?" Compa asked.
"I appreciate you all checking up on me. I'm all right now… Did your party increase overnight?"
"Yeppers, this is Layla and that's princess" Neptune said, introducing them.
"It's nice to meet you, I'm Layla" She said, bowing with respect.
"…" The princess remained quiet.
"Yeah, nice to meet you too, the princess isn't very talkative is she?" Chian asked.
"Not really, she's a bit of a… let's say shy" He replied.
She then made a smug look "Building up a Harem now are we?" Chian asked
"No I'm not, I don't have that kinda charisma"
"That's true, people are usually trying to kill you" Layla added.
"See"
"Uh-huh, I'm not going to question why you are wearing ears and a tail…" She looked towards the ignored heroines "Is there something wrong with them?"
"There's a lot wrong with their heads, it's best just to ignore them" IF replied.
"But Iffy, you sure he's not a zombie?" Neptune asked.
"Yes, I'm completely sure, Compa, what's wrong?" IF asked.
"I-I had a line in the script which I didn't get to say" A slightly depressed Compa replied.
"Chill Compa, we'll get our lines eventually"
"Is there something wrong with your party?" Chian asked
"Probably" IF answered.
"But are you sure, Chian? The Tech Expo may be gone, but I'm sure there's another way to help!" Compa urged.
"I know. I'm not givin' up yet. The shop called and told me to gather up the materials I ordered a while ago. Could you get them real quick? You've still got the map, right? It should be pretty simple to find."
"Alrighty, who's got the map?" Neptune asked.
"I dunno, IF, you have it right?" He asked.
"I did, then I gave everything to Compa since she's in charge of our inventory"
"Then I assume Compa has the map?" Layla asked.
"Um, I don't think so" She pulled looked through her satchel as she no longer had a disk
"Wait, first of all, how come she's not using the inventory in the disk?" He asked.
"Oh, that's because Iffy got this for me, I find it much more comfortable than the basic inventory disk all of you are using"
"Oh, that actually seems much more reliable than fragile disks and it seems pretty cool, maybe I should get something like that?" he asked himself.
"We can do that later, but first, what happened with the map?" Layla asked
"Hmm, I think I gave it to Nep-Nep since she wanted to take a look at it" Compa said.
They all looked at her "Huh, whoa, I don't have it… maybe I lost it, was it like A3 size, had a lot of doodles on it?" Neptune asked.
"Those doodles were markings" IF pointed out as she looked slightly annoyed.
Chian sighed "Suppose you can't do anything if you've lost it, here's another map" She handed it this time to IF "Don't lose this one"
"I won't, it'll either stay in my hands, his, Layla's or Compa's"
"Now can you quickly fetch those materials?" Chian asked.
"Right away" IF answered "Come on, we've already wasted enough time!"
"Wait, Chian, almost forgot, Layla, core"
"Oh, yeah, gimme a sec" She pulled out a small glowing blue orb "You could probably use this as a power source, but you'll probably need to do a bit of research"
He handed her the orb "What's this and why is it glowing?"
"This is a compressed mana core, in my dimension they were used in several bots and weapons, but has an immense amount of magical power stored inside which has been charged by Layla and I"
"How am I meant to use this?" Chian asked as she examined the item.
"Oh, by the way, that thing is sorta sensitive"
"Such as?" Chian asked.
"Do not throw it at a wall at full strength, do not smack it against anything, do not throw it at the floor at full strength"
"Alright, I think I get it, but I don't have enough time or resources, if I had some research beforehand, that would help, but-"
"And that's what the princess is here for, I was hoping to ask for a small favour"
"If you mean letting that girl stay here, sure, she looks beat up and dirty"
"Thanks, and I was wondering if you could take care of her for a while?" He asked.
"What're you doing?" IF asked.
"Gimme a sec, can you take care of her for a little while, she won't stay for free, but I was wondering if she could help you with that, researching and all, in exchange you just let her stay, you don't have to pay her, just feed her and give her somewhere to sleep, do we have a deal?" He extended his hand.
"Hmm, I can't take your word for it, I need some proof"
"Suppose that's reasonable" He took out his gun "Princess, can you explain the mana conversion system installed into each of our guns?"
"Mana wha?" Neptune asked.
"She'll explain it, won't you princess?"
Layla then whispered in her ear "He's giving you a chance to live a new life, don't waste it"
"…Fine, the mana conversion system has been installed in each of your guns, this system converts the mana from the air around us into bullets to allow constant fire, this does not apply to weapons such as Assault rifles, SMGs and other automatic weapons that can fire continuously as the system is not able to keep up. The system cannot be used for weapons such as RPGs as the ammo required is different instead of bullets. The system can be installed into weapons that must pause such as some pistols or weapons that do not have a high fire rate, should I proceed into detail?"
"That's good enough, I'll accept all the help I can get, but you're going to have to change out of those dirty clothes and rest, you look tired"
"Oh, um, thank you" She replied awkwardly as Chian moved her.
Chian looked back at him and said "Although, it'd be better if you could give me the plans for that left leg and arm of yours"
"I might, if you can ensure her safety and wellbeing I might give the plans, maybe, just maybe"
"Um, these deals don't really sound legal" Compa commented.
"Yeah, he is so shifty right now" Neptune added.
"Can we get going now?" IF asked.
"Yeah, let's go" Layla replied.
"Alright then Chian, I'm ditching her here, look after her alright?" He yelled as they left through the door.
"Don't worry, she'll be just fine!" She yelled back "I have a spare room, but let's get you a change of clothes first, yours are filthy"
Outside
"So we just ditch her at Chian's place huh?" Neptune asked.
"Well, yeah, I can't really do much except give her some space and some time to figure things out"
"But that's because she's a side character" Layla commented.
"So very true, the side characters always get ditched somehow, by the way Iffy, where is this place?" Neptune asked
She pulled out the map "It's on the other side of a mountain"
"And I assume we'll be forced to take the long way?" Layla asked.
"Generally, but we've got three choices"
"Just wondering, why is it always in threes?" Neptune asked.
"That is a good question, why is everything always in threes?" He asked.
Compa then replied "Perhaps it is just how the world works, but maybe there is a mysterious force behind it all?"
"A mysterious force like this Histy person?" IF asked.
"Nah, Histy wouldn't do that, she's the person we're trying to save" Neptune argued.
"But what is Histy like? You've met in your dimension haven't you?" Compa asked.
"You told me about it, wasn't that when you were fighting the Black Knight?"
"Yeah, but I was defeated, my weapons at the time had been destroyed and I was on the verge of death"
"What kind of wound did you receive?" IF asked
He stuck his thumb out and placed it on his left shoulder "I received several, but the finishing blow was a diagonal cut from somewhere around my left shoulder, down to my waist" His hand went down as he explained.
"Then how are you still alive, with those kinds of wounds, you shouldn't be alive, your vital organs have been attacked and from those injuries you should have bled to death, you don't have a powerful healing ability… So how is it you're still alive?" Compa asked.
"Wait, what kind of wounds does he have?" IF asked with shock
"He's got all kinds of battle scars Iffy, he's like an experiment gone wrong…. Could it be? You're immortal?" Neptune asked.
"No, I'm not an immortal, but I do have a strong healing power, but that's for injuries that would usually take a long time to heal"
"Then how are you standing here, you're alive yet you shouldn't be" Compa commented.
"Compa, listen to your words, you just said shouldn't"
"Yes, but you defy all common sense, Layla, how has he survived up till now?" Compa asked.
"I wouldn't really know how to answer that, just wait until he shows you how"
"Shows us, but… I see, you're a very strange child aren't you?" Compa asked.
"I am aren't I? If it bothers you that much, just think I'm weird, like Neptune"
"Weird? How is Nep-Nep weird?" They all just stopped and looked at her, baffled.
"So you don't think Nep is weird in any way possible?"
"No, why would Nep-Nep be weird?"
He then joined "So from what you have observed from Neptune's behaviour, you don't think she is somewhat abnormal, even though she fell from the sky, head butted me and is also able to transform?"
"Is it that strange to be able to transform?"
"Actually that is a good point, but from all the other points, what else points out that she's is a strange being?"
"Other points, since she fell from the sky it must mean that Nep-Nep has a hard head" She replied with joy.
IF placed a hand on his shoulder "It won't work, Compa is amazing in… certain ways"
"True, but I don't see how she doesn't see Neptune as weird"
Layla then asked "Is she really that strange?"
"I'm not strange, I'm Nepperific!" She yelled.
"Yeah, whatever" He said.
"Ooh BTW, Chian said something about your left arm and leg" Neptune pointed out.
"BTW?" Compa asked herself
"Compa, it means by the way" IF explained.
"Oh, it does, then why doesn't Nep-Nep just say that then?"
"We will never know, but she did mention plans, what does that even mean?" IF asked.
Layla looked worried "Do you think it would be okay to show them?"
"Would it though?"
"Perhaps, you can trust these three"
"I suppose I do… May as well" He lifted his left arm and presented it in front of them as if there was something on there.
"Ooh, whatcha showing us? Is it really small we need a magnifying glass? Compa, where do we find some?"
"Hmm, I don't know, if we looked around we might be able to find some"
"Nep, Compa, I don't think that's it"
Layla then gave a hint "How about you touch his hand?"
"Are his hands super soft?" Neptune asked.
"It would be easier to explain if you touched it directly" Layla said.
The three touched his hand only to find something very wrong as Neptune asked "Why is it cold? Don't tell me… You're a ZOMBIE?!" Neptune asked.
"No Nep-Nep, this feels like a metallic alloy with a coat of some sort"
"You… How much of your arm is artificial?" IF asked.
"Yeah, weird isn't it, guess there isn't much point in hiding it anymore is there" He lifted his arm to his side as a moment went by before a violent flame erupted on his left arm, burning away the sleeve and the coat revealing a smooth black arm.
Compa covered her mouth and asked "I-Is your entire arm made out of metal?"
"Yeah, my entire left arm and my left leg from the knee down are artificial limbs" The sleeve recovered as the strands attached together recreating the sleeve.
"It is, then if I do this it won't hurt" She quickly kicked his shin only for it to hurt her, she quickly grabbed her foot in pain "OW, that really hurt!"
"How did you lose it?" IF asked.
"I fought, I made a mistake and I paid the price with a limb, simple as that"
"How can you say those things so easily? You've lost limbs and you treat it no different than making a small mistake" Compa said.
"That's because I'm alive, people died because of me and I paid the price, not with my life, but with a limb, frankly it isn't fair for them… it's all because of my horrible leadership that they paid with their lives, but I can't let that put me down for too long"
"How many people have fallen?" IF asked.
"Far too many to count, but if I became depressed because of that and wasn't able to fight, I'm pretty sure all my comrades that died would rise from the grave and bash me till I snapped out of it, plus there is one more advantage" A smile appeared on his face.
"What's that? Is it some totally special power?" Neptune asked.
All the girls stayed quiet to hear as he said with a smile "If it wasn't for them, I never would have been able to meet all of you, now then, let's go"
"Was that a confession?" Neptune asked.
"I don't think so Nep-Nep, it might be" The nurse wondered.
"Don't take what he says to heart, all it'll do is give you a headache" Layla told the thinking teens.
A tired party huffed and puffed as they reached a door into a building of some sort.
"I… can't… believe… we… just… did… that" A worn out IF commented.
Most of the party were panting from going through a dungeon, three of the four girls were exhausted.
"Someone… help… me" Neptune said as she was laying on the ground.
"What's wrong?" The Knight asked.
"What… do you mean, what's wrong?" IF asked.
"A… Aren't you… tired?" Compa asked.
"Sort of, but not really"
The spirit then mocked them "Are all of you okay? Are all of you really tired just from that?"
"Says the one… who can fly" IF replied.
"Yeah, but I get tired too if I fly for too long" The floating spirit asked.
"Hey… magic… you got some right?" Neptune asked.
"If you mean for the fatigue all of you have right now, no, just rest for a little while"
"I get that you've got stamina, but… how many monsters did we just fight through?" IF asked.
"If I were to guess, I'd say about around fifty, at least"
"And you're not tired?"
"Please, I've held off an army of a few thousand"
"Okay, I definitely know that's a lie" IF commented.
"Don't be so sure of that, we were retreating and I was the rear guard with some others of course"
"That story sounds so fake, so tell us, what really happened?" IF asked the spirit.
"Actually, that story is true, everyone who fought had an amazing story, it was always so much fun listening to them" She said as she reminisced about the past.
"I-Is… that… true?" A puffed out Compa asked.
"Yeah, now that I think about it, I'm surprised I'm still alive after all the stupid things I've done"
"You're impossible" IF told him.
"Yep, that's me, the Impossible Knight"
A few minutes later after resting, they entered through the door, the entire place seemed to be made up of brick as a stone arc lead to the back, on one side of the stone arc sat an empty cage where haystacks lay, on the other side was the front desk with a cupboard behind it with notes attached to it where an NPC stood behind the counter.
Neptune then greeted randomly with her cheerful attitude "Hi-hi! We're here to get Chian's stuff. Anyone here?"
"Oh, you're the performing fools Chian mentioned? The bag's in the back. It's got a big label on it and it's fairly heavy" The NPC replied.
"We're not fools!" Compa rejected "Did Chian tell you that?"
"Fools? Ah, sorry, that was another group of performers, you must be the other ones, just go back there, nothing's going to bite you"
"No sweat. I'm in command of these three girls and idiot with decent strength stats. They can carry anything." IF replied.
"Did she just insult me?" He asked
"It's not exactly an insult if it's true" Layla said.
"Great. Seems Chian found some lovely friends to help her out. She's been too high-strung ever since she took over after father. I'm glad she's found people she can depend on."
"Y'know… we haven't met her pop yet. Could he be…?"
"1)Working on another planet"
"2)A binge drinking gambling addict"
"3)Impaled by a hedgehog. Answer away." Neptune said.
Compa was then worried "W-Wait, that third one is a little… oh, Nep-Nep, you're being rude"
"I say three, impaled by a hedgehog!" He yelled.
Layla then added "One, working on another planet!"
"N-No, not you too, stop being rude" Compa told him.
"What, in my dimension, someone murdered someone with a hedgehog" He complained
"That's just… I don't know how to react to that" Compa commented.
"Unfortunately, the third is the closest. It's cliché, but he died in a tragic accident."
"How do you know Chian?" The nurse asked.
"I've known her since she was born. I worked with her old man at the factory in Passe. But like the other factories, Avenir's claws dug deep and we had no choice but to abandon that place. Her mother asked me to come back after her father's death, but I'd already committed to this shop by then."
"So Chian became the president? Sounds really dramatic for some minor story characters" Compa added.
"Never fear! We'll right all the wrongs Avenir's committed and stuff!" Neptune assured the NPC.
"That would be nice, but I doubt you can, Avenir is under direct protection of the Parliament."
"Whaaaat? The Parliament is part of the Basilicom, right? Why'd they wanna protect Avenir?" Neptune asked.
"I guess you don't know. Avenir is still on the loose, even after petting so many people through misery. Because our Parliament simply refuses to do anything to stop them. Parliament requires the votes of the people to execute an order. Avenir holds the biggest market on this landmass. Meaning they stand for the majority of Lastation's residents."
IF had a look of understanding on her face "I see. With Avenir on their side, they practically have enough support to do anything they want, as well."
"It's a small price to pay for them to ignore what Avenir is really doing. Avenir will continue to grow and Parliament will continue to collect favourable votes. It'll only get worse."
"I never knew this. Sounds like we really should focus some effort on this Avenir business." IF said, diverting their objective
"Dealing with corrupt and powerful people huh? Feels like I'm back home" He whispered.
"Hey you!" The NPC shouted.
"Um, me?" He asked as he pointed towards himself.
"Yes you, you're a strong young man, you should be carrying the bag for them"
"Some knight you are, making us fragile beautiful, cute girls do all the heavy lifting" Neptune complained.
"Like hell you three are fragile" He picked up a fairly big bag and added "Can I put this in my inventory?"
"No, some items are too big to fit into inventory as there is a limit to how much you can fit in there" Compa explained.
"Okay then, suppose that's fine, but I have a small question for you" He told the NPC.
"What is it?"
"Do you highly doubt that this party can take down Avenir?"
"Sorry if that came off wrong, you just seem like good people and I don't want you getting yourselves hurt, you hear me?"
"Yeah, but it's not like we're going to go destroying Avenir now" He stood there for a moment in thought "Challenge accepted!" He exclaimed with confidence.
"Um, nobody challenged you" Compa told him.
"Shh Compa, he's more fun and entertaining this way" Layla told her.
"So our next objective is to take out Avenir?" IF asked.
"Alrighty gang, saving the world can be put on hold, we're gonna take down Avenir!" Neptune yelled.
"Is it really okay for us to go around taking down Companies?" Compa asked.
Layla answered "Of course it is, but it all depends on how we go about doing it"
Later after delivering the supplies, they were back at their room, some were out grabbing quests and others just chilling inside with two of the five sitting on the floor, just chilling.
"So is your arm really metal and stuff?" A curious purple haired teen asked.
"Yes it is, so is my leg"
"Wow" She then began to touch his arm as she examined him "It's so cold, hey, does it go up to your shoulder?"
"Yeah"
"Lemme see!" She demanded.
"No!"
"Aw, come on, you took off your shirt before, what's so different now?"
He instantly moved away from her "That's cause I was being checked for injuries"
"Could it be… you're self-conscious huh?"
"Somewhat yes, so don't even try it"
"Ehh, why not, show me, come on"
"Would you take off your clothes if someone asked you to?"
Neptune completely took this the wrong way and backed up to the wall covering her chest "You wouldn't defile such a pure maiden would you?!"
"Do you really have the right to ask that after what you just tried to do?"
"Fine, but come on, show me, please, come on, show me" She begged repeatedly.
"No, I am not going to take off my arm"
"Then" She began to move her hands, completely intent to cause mischief "Hiyaa!" She lunged at him, tackling him to the ground and proceeded to tickle him.
"No… w-what're you? AHAHAHA, please… sto…p, no… I'm ticklish!" He begged her as he laughed.
"Take that and that!"
The two squirmed on the floor as he kept laughing "N-Neptune… w-wait… stop, this isn't… fair!"
"It totally is, now show me!" She demanded as she grabbed his shirt and was about to lift, before a sound was heard from behind the, the sound was that of a door with footsteps.
"Hey Nep, we came back with the pudd-" IF stopped as she saw that she was on top of him, grabbing his clothes.
"Nep-Nep, why are you so close to him?!" Compa asked as she held a sheet of paper.
"Close?" She looked at his face, being on top of him, their faces were only apart a very small distance as she looked into his eyes and he into hers.
"Um, I'm starting to feel real uncomfortable here so could you uh, not stare into my eyes?" He asked as he averted his gaze.
"Wait, don't move" She kept staring into his eyes as she felt something, but could not confirm what it was.
"Should we leave?" IF asked.
Layla walked over and picked Neptune up "Instead of leaving, how about we get Neptune away from him"
"Hey, wait, just gimme a sec!" Neptune yelled.
"So Nep-Nep, what were you doing?"
He then answered "She was trying to strip me!"
"Huh, she was trying to take off your clothes?" Compa asked.
"Yeah, she pushed me down, tickled me into submission and went from there"
Compa put a finger to her cheek to think "From where Nep-Nep's hands were…" She stood there for a moment before her face turned into a rosy red and steam rose from her head. She then instantly bowed to apologise "I…I'm sorry for disturbing you!"
Layla stared at Neptune "S… So you were going to have… going to do that?"
Neptune rubbed the back of her head "Yeah, I was, but did you know he's really ticklish?" An oblivious Neptune asked.
IF sighed and walked up to Neptune and whispered in her ear, Neptune's face quickly turned red as she denied "Nonononono, I-I wasn't gonna do that, I swear, we could only do that if we were lovers right?"
The nurse and spirit breathed a sigh of relief as Neptune added "We haven't even gotten to that stage yet, so Iffy, gimme my pudding!" She then snatched it out of IF's hands and was happily gobbling them down.
"Wait, did she just say?" Compa asked herself before being cut off.
"Compa, what's our job?" He asked, cutting off her train of thought.
"Oh, yes, today's job is to rescue an Avenir employee!" She coughed "Ahem. 'The train was attacked by monsters. Please save the survivor!'" She read out.
Neptune quickly stopped eating to question the nurse "Whatwhatwhat? Helping Avenir again? I dunno about helping out our sworn nemesis!"
"True, plus aren't these guys armed or something?" He asked.
"Or maybe they have robotic guards with them?" Layla added.
"Yeah, don't their employees carry giant boomsticks they make at their factories?" Neptune asked.
IF then corrected them "Chian said Avenir doesn't make weaponry for human use, due to their president's motto"
Compa added "Plus, the employees themselves aren't bad people. You shouldn't be picky about which lives deserve saving, Nep-Nep! There is no line to draw when saving lives"
"I don't like them, but I suppose that's true" He mumbled.
"Now, let's hurry over to the site where the train was attacked." Compa urged the group.
"Nep, stop eating, we need to go"
"Yeah, but I wanna eat" She complained.
"Come on Nep-Nep, there's a life to save!"
"Alright then, off we go!"
"Wait, I'm not going" He said.
"Why not?" Layla asked.
"You don't need me there do you?"
"Yeah, but I want you there" Neptune complained.
"I'm not needed right there, if you need saving, I'll show up"
"What's the real reason you're not coming?" Layla asked.
"I gotta do some stuff, might do a quest and earn some cash while I'm at it"
A sceptical look appeared on the spirit "Is that really all you're doing?"
"Not really, but it's not worth listening to, but I don't think I need to tell you this, but I will anyways, Layla, you are not permitted to engage in any close quarters combat unless you absolutely must"
"Do I have to, I'm stronger now, I can fight" She argued.
"No, you are to stay in the rear with Compa, I'm still letting you fight so you can't say I'm banning you"
"Yeah, but that's no different than telling me to not fight"
"Layla, you're not exactly a hard hitter like Neptune or faster than IF in battle, you will provide support with Compa as well as attack from mid-range, you are to cover their backs in battle as well as your own and make sure that Compa does not go down, if the healer is taken out, you're all fucked, understand?"
"Hey Iffy, what's he doing?" Neptune asked.
"He's assigning her a position in battle and instead of winging it, she has a position and has assigned duties" IF explained.
"Oh, that's so cool, he's like a team leader"
"Nep, he is a leader"
Layla stood there in thought as she asked "Do I have to stay in the back? Can't I fight like Neptune and Iffy?"
"No, you don't have enough experience or the required skill, practically everyone in this party can defeat you in hand to hand combat, even Compa"
"Was that an insult?" Compa asked herself.
"Yeah, but-"
"No, if you disobey me, one of these three could get hurt, if Neptune and IF are worrying about you and have to protect you, they won't be able to fight at their fullest, if you abandon Compa she could get surrounded and I want you there to protect them and they protect you, look, we've gone over this tons of times, I just don't want you getting hurt, so will you?" He asked.
"Okay, I will"
"Good, follow those instructions, but if you think that disobeying will benefit you more, then do so and do whatever IF says, okay?"
"Yes, I do, you don't have to worry about me too much"
"Okay then, let's go save a life!" Compa yelled as they all left the room, ditching their pudding.
"I'll be back, so wait for me my love" Neptune told the pudding.
"Oh, also forgot, Chian said to give you this" IF said, pulling out his gun.
"Um, but it's only been a few hours"
"Don't ask me why, but she said she added something in there based on the data stored" IF explained.
"Ah, cool, what is it?" He asked as he grabbed it.
"Dunno, she said it'll activate when you participate in battle"
"Sweet, but still, being able to create something in a few hours, that's pretty good, unless what she gave me is complete crap"
"Now, now, you shouldn't say that about Chian's hardware" Compa told him.
"Yeah, good point, anyway, Layla, do what I told you to okay?"
"You don't have to worry so much, even if I complain I'll still do it"
"Alright, IF, Neptune, Compa, I put her in your hopefully trustworthy hands"
"Just chill, she'll be fine if she stays with the main character!"
"Yes, I'll make sure to heal her injuries if she does get hurt"
"And I will make sure these three don't get a scratch"
"Hey Iffy, how about you give him one of your phones?" Neptune asked.
"W-What're you talking about Nep?"
"You know, it's so we can call him and stuff"
"We need to maintain communication between us" Compa added.
"Yeah, but-"
"But you have several phones, is borrowing one really going to be that big of a problem?" Layla asked.
"F-Fine" She took out a green phone and gave it to him "You better not break it"
"I won't, but-" He hugged Layla "Stay safe"
"Oh, um, you've changed a lot haven't you?" She asked.
"Yeah, well I don't want to lose you, never again" He stopped hugging her and kissed her forehead and then ran off after he yelled "I'm counting on you guys!"
"W-Why did he j-just?" Compa asked.
"How close are you two huh? Is he your ex or what?" Neptune asked.
"But before that, he just jumped up a three story building" IF pointed out.
"Oh, that, the force he uses to hover can be used to propel himself a fair distance or he focused magical power into his legs to give him that strength, one of the two" She explained.
"How c-close are you two?" Compa asked.
"Um, well, that's uh" She replied, stuttering.
A few minutes later a woman with wings and white hair floated atop an extremely tall building who had pure white hair and is a few inches down her back and somewhat messy bangs with somewhat green eyes as she was wearing an outfit somewhat close to a black bathing suit with the top of her breasts and stomach area cut out as it connected around her neck.
"What should I do, Neptune's leaving, should I follow her?" This girl asked herself as she paced around brainstorming ideas "No, but if I do, do I pop up out of nowhere like before or should I lure her somewhere?"
She kept pacing around in mid-air, thinking "I could use lollies or make some food like chocolate or ice cream, she's always liked food, I wonder if she'll like it-no, I'm not making it to impress Neptune, I'm making it to lure her and defeat her, yeah, to defeat her" She said, not sounding at all convincing.
Suddenly next to her, on the ground she heard the plea of a small animal "Meow" She stopped whatever it is she was doing and looked at the small furry, white with brown spots kitten.
She kneeled down to pet the small animal with a kind smile "Hello there, where's your mommy?" She asked the cute animal as it meowed again.
Somewhere else on that rooftop sat a Rune Knight, hiding behind some objects.
"Shit, what do I do, I've been sitting here listening to her brainstorm about how to lure Neptune and apparently they're buying crepes, what the fuck girls, I thought you were gonna go and save that employee" He ran his hands through his hair out of distress as the girl continued to play with the kitten.
The girl kept playing "Are you hungry? Don't worry, I'll get you some food later, for now I'll just- Wait, what am I doing playing with this small, adorable and extremely cute kitten" She looked over the ledge to confirm that they were there and changed her focus back to the animal "I can't help it if Neptune hasn't moved so I'll just"
…
…
…
"I'll look after this kitten until Neptune leaves, I can't leave it alone, I'll do that, I'll wait until Neptune leaves, until then" She continued to play with the animal.
"Dammit, does she have to be so goddamn cute, it'd be way easier if she didn't seem like a good person, but she's probably got some reasons, but what was with that pause, can't she just admit she likes playing with that kitten? But still, I'm stalking the stalker and now I feel horrible for stalking someone like her. I mean she was following us all day and I was just barely able to sense her presence, but luckily I recognised her scent, but fuck, I wish I had just ignored her and I've put everything except the Burning Magnum in my inventory so if I'm attacked, I'll have to create some blades"
"NO, I'm going about this the wrong way, I don't know what to do, I don't wanna attack her, she seems like a nice person, I wonder if all the goddesses are nice? ARGHHHHHHH" This yell was not physical as no sound could be heard, but in his head he was panicking and was yelling his head off.
He then heard something next to him, something that could've meant life and death to him, it was something so deadly and yet so cute as it was what was preoccupying the girl. It sat there and let out one sound, that sound was "Meow"
It took him a moment to process the information "Wait, there was another one, SHIT! I was so focused on thinking I lost track of my surroundings" He stopped for a moment and focused "I don't hear any more animals on this rooftop nor do I sense much else" He sighed before realizing the problem at hand "Oh shit, no don't come near me, go over to the girl, OVER THERE!" He made hand signs to the animal to point it in that direction, but it only inched closer and closer.
He then made one of the biggest realizations in his life, this was the first time he had ever been scared to death of an animal no bigger than a normal ruler on a vertical scale, for if the girl noticed, she may have just rushed over there and killed him.
"Bad kitty, stop, no, STOP MOVING CLOSER! STAY AWAY!"
*BADUMP, BADUMP, BADUMP*
His heart kept pounding faster and faster as the animal got closer and closer, never before had such a cute animal be feared to this extent. He was beginning to breathe heavily as he could feel his heart bumping in his chest until he realized something and grabbed the small kitten and began to pet it to hide it "Good kitty, why didn't I think of this sooner"
He realised his mistake and instantly covered his mouth with the hand he had used to pet the animal and thought "Eww, cat hair, tastes gross"
Around the object the girl looked away for a second as if sensing another cute creature "Is someone there?" The girl asked only to get no response and resumed with her activity.
He held up the kitty in front of him, only enough so he wouldn't get seen and thought something very strange "You sir are a cute and deadly opponent who almost killed me, you have my respect" He sat there for a moment to think about his mental comment "I can't believe I just thought that, now then, if I just walk up to her, she might kill me, I'll need a defence, but there's not enough room on this rooftop to fight and jumping from roof to roof will create openings" He looked at the kitten and thought "EUREKA!"
He was now confident to go up and hopefully get information from the girl next chapter.
Hi again, sorry if the thing with the princess seems like a let down, but I had to get that little side story out of my system somehow. Although I wonder how it feels for you people to read this, if it's boring or something doesn't seem right please tell me in a review and please say which part unless you are referring to the entire chapter. See you next chapter