Hello guys! Time for Chapter 12!

I will apologize again for delivering this chapter late. Well, I've been too preoccupied with real life stuff. I really can't do anything but just deal with it.

Anyway, no questions to be answered from the previous chapter for now xD

Onto the chapter now! Enjoy :)


Inside Lowee's Basilicom, Uni and Nepgear could be seen running along the corridors. They were heading towards the direction where the terminal room was located. As soon as they arrived at their destination, they didn't think twice and went inside the room. They saw two people inside the room, seemingly talking to each other.

"Ms. Vert! Ms. Blanc!" Uni called as they entered the room. Vert and Blanc turned towards Uni, who was accompanied by Nepgear, which surprised the two CPUs. But that didn't matter to them as they were more concerned about Uni sounding so panicked.

"What's wrong, Uni?" Vert asked.

Uni tried to catch her breathing before talking again. "Sis is alive! She's in Celestia!"

"What?!" Vert and Blanc were surprised to hear that. They really didn't expect Noire to escape Neptune's grips, but they also didn't believe that she would go down that easily. "Come on, we have to go there now!"

Blanc tried to go out of the room and head to her gateway to Celestia, but she was stopped by Vert as she grabbed her hand. "No, Blanc, we don't know where in Celestia Noire is."

"Then what the hell are we standing here for?!"

Vert ignored Blanc's outbursts and turned to Uni. "Uni, do you have any information where could Noire be in Celestia?"

Uni tried to think about it for a second. Surely, she had no idea, but surely Kei had one. That was why she wanted her to go back to Lastation pronto. "I… have no information, but sis' most trusted person might have, and she's in Lastation's Basilicom right now."

"Then we're going to Lastation now." Vert said as she let Blanc go. "Let's drop by Histoire and Mina before leaving. We have to inform them that Noire is alive."

~o~O~o~

Lastation – Basilicom.

After the CPUs informed Histoire and Mina about the current situation, they immediately set forth to Lastation. They didn't waste any second and headed to the terminal room as soon as they arrived in the Basilicom, somehow startling the staffs, most likely because Nepgear was with them. Yes, the staff in the Basilicom knew Nepgear's identity even in human form, as they were informed. They asked why the Planeptune CPU was with them, with Uni only telling them that Nepgear was not associated with Planeptune anymore. The staff didn't quite believe what Uni just said, but none of them tried to object with it. With Nepgear being together with the other CPUs, it wouldn't be less convincing.

As they arrived at the terminal room, they went inside without any second thoughts. From there, they saw a girl with silver-colored hair, sitting in front of a computer.

"Kei!" Uni called.

The girl named Kei turned to Uni as soon as she heard the call. She was delighted to see Uni and the CPUs, but then her delight died down as she saw Nepgear.

"What is she doing here?" Kei asked as she pointed at Nepgear. It didn't look like that Kei was expecting Nepgear to be with them.

"Wait, Kei, she's no threat to us." Uni said.

Kei eyed Nepgear for a bit. Nepgear's expression didn't change even though Kei extended her stares at her. Though Blanc already lost her patience as they should be worrying about Noire more than Nepgear being in Lastation.

"Cut that shit out, where in Celestia is Noire?!"

Kei then sighed and quitted staring at Nepgear. She then turned back to the monitor signaled the CPUs to come over. They walked towards Kei and looked at where she was pointing on the screen.

"I can't pinpoint her exact location, but she's just around the exit where the elevator to Celestia will take you." Kei said as she pointed to several possible locations on the screen as they were blinking.

Blanc didn't look so pleased with that. Apart from nothing was easy for them, she was thinking that something was off with what Kei just said. "It looks like a trap to me."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean we can just ignore it." Vert commented. "Whatever the lead about Noire's current situation, we need to take the risk. We can't lose her."

Blanc didn't say anything as a reply. It was true though, they needed Noire more than anything. They had to get her back whatever it takes.

"It makes me feel better hearing that from you, Vert." Kei said as she cracked a smile.

"You're welcome."

With that said, Uni decided to speak up as the discussion was getting a little longer. "Then what are we standing here for? Let's go and pick sis up!" She said.

"Calm down, Uni. We'll get to that." Kei said as she stood up from her chair. "Follow me to the gate." She then headed for the exit, with the CPUs following her lead.

They silently walked in the corridors as they followed Kei, and after a short while, they arrived at a certain door with a crystal-like object embedded in it. Kei placed her hand on the scanner and then the door suddenly opened.

"How did you gain access to this room, Kei?" Uni asked. She wasn't aware of this as all she knew was only Noire was able to enter the gateway to Celestia. Well, Uni could access this room as well, but she couldn't go to Celestia using the actual gateway as Noire forbade her to do so, and she made it that way.

"My level of authority here is almost the same as Noire." Kei said like it was a matter of fact. That surprised the CPUs as they had the impression that Noire really, really trusted this person, in which Noire actually did. "Though of course, I don't have any plans of going to Celestia myself, unless the situation really calls for it."

Uni couldn't believe that. Though she kinda saw that coming when Noire considered Kei as her most trusted person, like an Oracle. Celestia was a dangerous place, as it was once considered a battlefield, and also Neptune could access that area as well.

Without further ado, Kei activated the gateway using a share crystal that she just took out from her pocket. The CPUs were surprised as they saw Kei possessed a share crystal, but they didn't bother asking about it as they've got better things to worry about. As the gateway was finally fully functional, Kei stepped aside and offered the way to the CPUs.

"Please bring Noire back." Kei said.

The CPUs nodded. They then headed for the elevator, but before Nepgear could step inside, she was stopped by Blanc. "Not so fast, Nepgear."

"What?" Nepgear was surprised as Blanc blocked her way.

"You heard what I said earlier. It could be a trap." Blanc said. "The last thing we need is you to get caught by Neptune."

"But-"

Before Nepgear could utter a single word, Vert stopped her. "Please, Nepgear. You're the most vulnerable to Neptune, and we just don't want anything to happen to you or everything we've done will be for naught."

Nepgear didn't say anything after that. She turned to Uni with a troubled look on her face. Uni knew what Nepgear had in mind. Nepgear just wanted to keep her vow to Uni, and she needed to be by Uni's side in order to do that.

"I'll be fine, don't worry. We'll just grab sis and get back quick." Uni said as she gave Nepgear a reassuring smile.

Nepgear still wasn't reassured with that, but she didn't complain anymore.

"If there are no more qualms, then let's go pick Noire up." Blanc said as she entered the gateway, followed by Uni and Vert. After a short while, a light glowed in the gateway and the three disappeared with it.

Nepgear just stared at the gateway. It was still functional, as it would be the same way that they'd need to pass through when going back. She was at unease, as Uni and the others were walking into a trap, even though they knew it.

"…"

Around fifteen minutes had already passed, and they still hadn't returned. Nepgear was already growing anxious about the current situation.

"…"

It wasn't like Nepgear agreed to the agreement or anything. And so, what she did was follow what she ought to think was right.

"Ms. Kei, I'm sorry, but I think I really need to go to Celestia." Without waiting for Kei's reply, Nepgear stepped inside the gateway and disappeared.

Kei didn't even look bothered with Nepgear's action. In fact, she already thought a thing or two about what the Planeptune CPU had in mind. The way she looked at Uni and what the Lastation CPU candidate said earlier gave it all away, after all.

~o~O~o~

Celestia.

A place where green grasses, rainbow bridges, and floating lands could be seen. Despite the beautiful scenery, this place was once considered a battlefield. A stage where the CPUs used to determine who had the right to earn the title of being the True Goddess by fighting off against each other.

Somewhere in Celestia, a portal just opened, and three people got out of it. The people who got out of the portal were Blanc, Vert, and Uni, the CPU of Lowee, Leanbox, and CPU candidate of Lastation, respectively.

"I never imagined that I'd return in this place." Blanc said as she looked around.

"Yes, I feel the same way." Vert said.

The two CPUs didn't have a pleasant look on their faces, as whichever angle they look in the area, they could only remember bad memories. This place was where their battle royale took place, and where Neptune died, after all.

For Uni, since it was her first time here, she was amazed by the view. It wasn't every day that she would see a rainbow bridge that connects different terrains.

"So this is Celestia…" Uni mumbled as she looked around.

"Don't look so amazed now, Uni." Blanc said without looking at her. "Despite the beautiful view here, this is where we CPUs tried to kill each other."

Uni turned to Blanc, who was biting her lip as she looked forward. She was aware that her sister and the other CPUs tried to kill each other in this place before, but even so, she couldn't describe this place as anything but beautiful.

"Come on, we've got to find Noire fast and get out of here." Blanc said and transformed, with Vert doing the same and Uni as well after Vert.

They circled around the area. Splitting up wasn't an option for them as they couldn't risk themselves getting caught by Neptune while alone if ever she would be in this place. They were flying around the area near the portal they got out as Kei said that Noire was nearby, so searching somewhere far wasn't necessary.

They did that for about ten minutes, but still, they couldn't find Noire. There were too many terrains to check, and inspecting them one by one was time-consuming.

"Where the hell could Noire be now? We're getting a little exposed here." Blanc said as she looked at the terrains below her.

"I feel the same way, but we're not going to stop until we find her." Vert said as she clenched her fists. "Let's just hope Neptune wouldn't find us first."

Uni didn't say anything, but she felt the same way. She was well aware of the danger they were in already, but of course, they had to find Noire.

As they were flying around, Uni spotted a terrain that was just below three other floating lands.

"Ms. Vert, Ms. Blanc, look!" Uni said as she pointed to the said terrain.

Blanc and Vert stopped and went back to Uni. They then directed their eyes towards where Uni was pointing. From there, they saw a land hidden between and below three terrains, almost hidden within plain sight, and can easily be missed, but thanks to Uni's sharp eyes, she managed to spot it even if it was hidden perfectly.

"Let's go check it out." Vert said.

Uni and Blanc nodded at her and they flew towards the area. They had inspected almost every nearby land around the portal anyway, so searching in that hidden land could give them a lead.

Or…

"Look…!" Uni pointed at the hidden land as she got a clear view of it.

The two other CPUs were surprised with what they saw. They didn't expect her to see her there.

"Noire!" They called in unison.

Yes, the person they saw was Noire. But, her status was something they did not expect.

Or did they?

"Sis…!" Uni called, but no response from Noire was received. They hurried toward the terrain and landed beside Noire. "Sis…!"

On the ground, Noire was unconscious. She was in her human form, and her body was covered in bruises and wounds. They didn't know if her condition was critical, but they assumed that it was.

Blanc didn't waste any second and picked Noire up and placed the unconscious CPU on her back. "Let's get out of here."

Vert and Uni nodded at Blanc and rose up to the skies. They didn't take any detours and headed straight for the portal. They could already see it from their position, but before they could get close to it…

"AAAAHHHH-!"

Blanc and Vert heard a scream from behind. They stopped and turned around, and saw Uni falling down to a land, with her side bleeding. They didn't know what happened exactly.

"Uni!" Blanc and Vert then rushed to Uni's aid, but suddenly, multiple swords dropped down from above them. They did an emergency evasive maneuver by stopping and kicking the air to back away.

"What the hell?!" Blanc tried to look for the person who just attacked them, and as soon as she looked above her, she saw someone dropping down from a height with near lightning speed, seemingly heading towards Uni, with the objective of killing her as that person had a sword in her hands.

"Neptune!" Vert shouted. Yes, the person who was aiming to take Uni's life was Neptune, the CPU of Planeptune. Vert attempted to rush to Uni's aid and protect her, but because she was too far from Uni, she realized that she wouldn't make it. "UNIIII!"

Vert still tried to reach for Uni, but before Neptune could attack Uni, a flash of purple light suddenly overtook Vert, then a dome of light covered the whole land and protected the CPU candidate as it blocked Neptune's sword.

"Wha-?!" Neptune was surprised as her attack was repelled. Her sword flew up to the skies as it collided with the dome of light. She didn't see who erected this barrier, but she knew that the purple flash which suddenly came straight for Uni was responsible for it.

Shortly after that, something went out of the dome of light. Vert immediately recognized the person who just escaped the barrier. "Nepgear?!"

Blanc also didn't expect Nepgear to come here. Of course, they forbade her to go earlier, but she didn't abide it.

"Don't just stand there and get moving!" Nepgear ordered. She was carrying Uni in her arms, who was intensively bleeding from her waist.

Vert and Blanc didn't waste any second and flew away from the scene, followed by Nepgear.

But of course, Neptune wasn't going to let them escape, especially her sister. "I'm taking you home, Nepgear…" Without wasting a single moment, she burst out and gave the escaping CPUs a chase.

Not too long after that, Neptune was almost catching up with the CPUs, with Vert and Blanc still on the lead. Nepgear glanced back a little and saw her sister behind her.

"Hold on tight, Uni." Nepgear said as she held Uni tighter, even though Uni probably didn't hear her as she was already unconscious.

Vert and Blanc managed to reach the gateway first. Nepgear, on the other hand, was still trying to reach the portal while carrying Uni in her arms. Her speed drastically dropped down because of Uni, but she didn't let it bother her. She would protect Uni at all cost.

"Come on, Nepgear!" Vert said. They were waiting for Nepgear to arrive before closing the gateway that will bring them back to Lastation.

Nepgear glanced back once more and saw her sister trying to reach for her. She didn't let it get through her and faced forward whilst increasing her flight speed, though Neptune was still closing the gap between them.

"We're going home now, Nepgear." Neptune said as she cracked a smile. She could almost reach Nepgear already.

But of course, Nepgear had different plans. "Not right now, sis."

Before Neptune could reach Nepgear, she suddenly disappeared as she got swallowed by something. Of course, Neptune didn't look so surprised with that, as she knew what just happened. They just got out of Celestia.

Even though Nepgear escaped her grasp, Neptune's smile didn't go away. She didn't look disappointed, even though her sister managed to get away along with Noire. Whatever Neptune was thinking, only she herself knew.

"You can't escape from me, Nepgear… you're my beloved sister…"

~o~O~o~

Somewhere in Planeptune.

On a certain tall building, Uzume was standing on the edge of the roof. She wasn't just standing there while doing nothing; she was staring at right hand which was covered in dark red mist. She seemed to be thinking deeply as she glued her eyes on her hand.

"…"

Something was bugging her mind, though it looked like she didn't have an exact idea of what that was. She could think a thing or two but still wasn't sure of it.

"…Neptune is the real threat here, yes… but…"

That was obvious, of course. With Neptune's recent actions, she was already considered as the greatest threat to Gamindustri. Far more dangerous than Arfoire, she was sure of it.

But the biggest question was, how would they defeat her. Neptune's current strength could be too much for the CPUs, even with Nepgear on their side.

Uzume bit her lip. She should know how Neptune could be defeated, as when she was back in her dimension with Nepgear, she gave a portion of her power to her. That was why Nepgear's wish was granted. But for some reason, she couldn't find a single weakness of Neptune.

"…Or is it…?" A thought came in her mind, but she quickly discarded it. Why? Because…

"Of course not… It would be super convenient if that's the case…"

Wondering what she just had in mind? Well, to put it simply, Nepgear wished for Neptune's return. The 'super convenient' solution Uzume just thought was, if Nepgear didn't wish for Neptune anymore, then she would disappear.

Convenient, right? But of course, Uzume knew that it would be absurd. It should be more than just not wishing for Neptune anymore. After all, even if Nepgear would stop longing for 'her sister', somewhere in her heart, she still would. That was how Neptune meant for her.

"…What should I do now…?" Uzume asked herself, but of course, her question was left unanswered.

~o~O~o~

Lastation – Basilicom.

Inside a certain room in the Basilicom, Vert, Blanc, and Nepgear suddenly appeared. Another person was present in the said room, who was waiting for their arrival. It was Kei who was waiting for them.

"…Uni…!" The first person Kei noticed. She immediately ran towards Uni, who was being held by Nepgear in her arms. Also, Kei noticed the injury that Uni had in her waist. "What happened…?"

"I will explain later. Let's get Uni and Noire in the med bay and get them treated." Nepgear said. Kei didn't say anything and lead them to the medical room, with Blanc and Vert following them from behind without saying anything.

After a short while of walking, they arrived in the med bay. They immediately entered the area without further ado. The place was devoid of people, so they didn't have to think about explaining the two Lastation CPUs' condition to anyone.

Nepgear laid Uni down on a bed. Blanc did the same to Noire but on another bed. Kei then walked to the wall, which somehow confused the other CPUs, but as they witnessed what Kei did, their confusion disappeared in an instant.

"Please bring them here." Kei said as the wall suddenly split up and opened. "This place is solely for healing the CPUs when they get injured." She then went inside the hidden room. Nepgear and Blanc pushed Uni's and Noire's bed, respectively, into the room, followed by Vert.

Blanc and Vert were surprised with what they had seen. There were two large capsules that looked like healing pods, enough for a person to fit in, which was filled with some sort of liquid inside. They also learned that this whole mechanism was fueled up by share energy, as they saw a shining share crystal connected to the machine.

"I'll take it from here. Please just wait outside." Kei said. The CPUs nodded and headed for the exit. The door then suddenly started to close, and as soon as it did so, Blanc grabbed Nepgear by the collar.

"What the hell were you thinking earlier?! What if Neptune caught you?!" Blanc pulled Nepgear's collar up, but the Planeptune CPU didn't even flinch.

Vert was startled with Blanc's sudden aggression. "Blanc! Knock it-" But she was interrupted before she could finish her sentence.

"Don't stop me on this one, Vert!" Blanc said angrily. "Now, explain yourself!"

Nepgear didn't say anything as she just glared at Blanc. It looked like she wouldn't back down with her decision. Blanc just gritted her teeth and gripped Nepgear's collar tighter, trying to choke her, but before she could do so, Vert intervened and separated them both.

"Blanc, enough! If it wasn't for her, Uni wouldn't be here anymore!" Vert said. Blanc clicked her tongue after hearing that. Of course, she knew that if it wasn't for her, Uni would probably be dead. It was just, she was infuriated with Nepgear not doing what they agreed on.

Well, Nepgear didn't even say that she agreed with it though.

With that said, Nepgear fixed her collar and turned around, headed for the exit. Before she went out, she turned back to them and said, "It was the right thing for me not to trust you two in keeping Uni safe." She then went out of the room.

"Why, you!" Blanc tried to chase Nepgear, but she was stopped by Vert. "Let me go, Vert! I'm gonna kill that bitch!"

"Calm down, Blanc! You're not making the situation any better!" Vert said as she kept Blanc in place by holding her in her arms.

Though it didn't look like Blanc was going to calm down any moment.

~o~O~o~

Nepgear walked down the corridors of the Basilicom, with no particular destination in mind. Her palms were curled into fists, and she was gritting her teeth tightly, almost hurting her gums but she did not particularly care.

Why? Because she hated herself.

She hated herself for not being able to protect Uni, despite vowing to her that she'd keep her safe. She should've just ignored their warning and went with them in the first place. If she had just done that, Uni wouldn't be hurt.

Nepgear stopped in her tracks and punched the wall. She punched the wall so hard that it made her fist bleed, but none of that mattered to her.

"Are you alright, Nepgear?" A voice suddenly spoke. Nepgear didn't even try to look for the source as she recognized whose voice was that.

"Do I look alright to you, Kurome?" Nepgear asked with an angry tone.

Yes, that person who just spoke out of nowhere was Kurome, and she was standing behind Nepgear. She had an idea about why Nepgear was acting like this, but still, she wanted to know it from Nepgear herself.

"What happened earlier…?" Kurome asked, though she wasn't expecting Nepgear to talk.

Her expectations were blown away as Nepgear actually told her about what happened earlier. More importantly, about what Nepgear saw and did. As Kurome listened to Nepgear's talk, she couldn't help but feel that something was off, specifically Noire being in Celestia.

"Hmmm, so Neptune brought Noire in Celestia and created a trap for the CPUs." Kurome said.

Nepgear mentioned that along her narration earlier, but she didn't understand why Kurome seemed to be into it. "Uh, yeah, I said that earlier."

But Kurome swung her head afterward. "Yeah, I know, but didn't you find it weird?"

"What is…?"

Kurome didn't reply to that. It seemed like Nepgear hadn't realized it, but so did Kurome as well. She might have had an idea or two, but she wasn't certain of it. After all, this was Neptune they were talking about. She was an epitome of uncertainty.

"I'm not sure yet, but…" Kurome bit her lip as she paused. "I know that there's something wrong here."

Nepgear raised an eyebrow. She really couldn't follow where Kurome was going with her words, but Nepgear didn't try to find out as Kurome herself wasn't sure of it.

"Anyway, for the time being, don't leave Uni's side." Kurome said as she waved her hand. "We shouldn't do anything reckless for now, so let's wait and see what Neptune will do."

Nepgear didn't disagree with that and nodded, though she didn't understand why Kurome had to point out the obvious, which was, not leaving Uni's side. Truthfully, that was the only logical thing to do. They couldn't just launch an assault on Planeptune, not with their current status. Either way, they should be safe as long as they stayed inside the barriers.

Or so Nepgear thought.

~o~O~o~

Few hours had passed since the CPUs got back from Celestia. Blanc and Vert were still staying in the room next to where Kei was staying in with her CPUs. Nepgear was nowhere to be found, though probably she was lurking around the Basilicom, Blanc and Vert didn't particularly care.

As Blanc and Vert sat still in the room, the wall suddenly opened and Kei appeared from it. The two CPUs suddenly stood up and approached Kei as they saw her.

"How are they?" Vert asked.

Kei's expression didn't change, but she sighed in relief. "Noire didn't seem to have suffered a critical injury, and Uni's wound wasn't too deep, so they're both safe."

After hearing that, the two CPUs sighed in relief as well. The last thing they needed was losing either or both of them.

"It looks like they won't wake up any sooner, so you two should go back to your respective nations." Kei suggested. "I'll inform you when Noire wakes up."

Blanc and Vert nodded and thanked Kei before leaving. Kei sat down on a chair and sighed deeply as the two CPUs left. It seemed like she was dead tired from the events earlier.

"Well, it's good that Noire's back… and Uni's safe but…" Kei mumbled as she closed her eyes. She recalled what she and Uni talked about a few days ago, about the time they recovered Nepgear from Planeptune. To her perspective, "… I feel like something's amiss…"

Yep, that was what she thought.

~o~O~o~

Along the corridors of the Basilicom, Vert and Blanc could be seen walking together, seemingly heading towards the exit. They weren't talking about anything, as there was nothing to talk about at all.

But not after they stepped out of the Basilicom.

"Shouldn't we tell Nepgear first that we're leaving?" Vert asked as she stopped in her tracks.

Blanc turned to her and didn't look like she was pleased with the idea. "Ha? Leave her alone. It doesn't matter to her, neither to me."

"Come on, Blanc… she's still-"

Before Vert could say what she wanted, Blanc interrupted her as she transformed. "If you want to go and tell her, I won't stop you. I don't care and I'm leaving." She said and then flew up to the skies, leaving Vert alone.

Vert sighed in disbelief. She wondered when would their relationship with Nepgear even get better. Truth to be told, she was conflicted with her own idea, but after giving it a few thoughts, she decided to leave Nepgear be. After all, she didn't know what she should say to her.

And so, Vert decided to go back to Leanbox. She'd just think about something later.

~o~O~o~

On a certain Balcony in Lastation's Basilicom, Nepgear could be seen staring at the skies. Her mind was drifting somewhere else as she leaned on the metal railings while the wind blew through her face.

"…"

Nepgear gripped the railings tighter. She was seriously conflicted. What happened to Uni earlier was definitely Neptune's doing, but of course, Nepgear couldn't bring herself to hate her own sister. She just couldn't.

Because despite being what she was, she was still her sister. That one fact would never change.

"-Nepgear…?"

Suddenly, Nepgear heard a call from behind her. She turned around and saw Kei standing in the doorway. "Ms. Kei…"

"I can't thank you enough for saving Uni while escaping your own sister. It must've been hard…"

Nepgear didn't say a word and just made a small frown. What Kei said was true, as that was what she was feeling. Wishing for Neptune return, and it was granted, but only to stay away from her. That feeling couldn't get more agonizing than it was already.

"No… it was my decision… I have to deal with it…" Nepgear said as she looked away, but Kei could see right through her. Though Kei didn't try to delve further as she knew Nepgear had suffered more than she could imagine already.

Kei sighed. "So, what are you going to do now?"

Nepgear was silent. She really didn't have anything in mind. Of course, fighting her own sister was something she could never do. Though if she was to think of something to do, there could only be one thing.

"…I don't care what you and the other CPUs will do, but I will stay with Uni." Nepgear replied.

Kei gaped a little, only to smile after a short while. She was wondering how in good Gamindustri Uni managed to get on good terms with Nepgear.

"I couldn't ask for more." Kei said. "Come, let's go see Uni."

"Is she awake now?"

Kei swung her head. "Unfortunately, not yet, though-"

"Let's just leave her be for now." Nepgear said as she interrupted Kei. "Is there anything I can help with?"

Kei was surprised to hear that. She didn't expect Nepgear offer help, but since it would be a while before either Uni or Noire wakes up, she decided to take up Nepgear's offer.

"We're going to get busy." Kei said as she turned around and went back inside. Nepgear took that as a cue that there was indeed some work to do so she decided to follow Kei.

~o~O~o~

Med bay – hidden room.

Inside the room, there were two capsules glowing, and each of it had something… or someone in it. Namely the CPU and CPU candidate of Lastation, Noire, and Uni, respectively.

"…"

The room was quiet; no people other than the two unconscious CPUs were present. It had been more or less a day since they were put inside these healing pods.

"…"

After a few moments, Uni's eyes slowly opened. She couldn't quite see what was in front of her as her vision hadn't completely recovered yet. Add that she was somewhat underwater, it couldn't go any better.

"…Ah…"

Uni realized where she was. There was an oxygen mask connected to an oxygen tank that was covering her nose and mouth for her to breathe, so it wasn't difficult for her to speak as well.

'…Oh, I remember… I got injured…' Uni reached for her waist where she got impaled earlier, and fortunately, she didn't feel that her side got holes in it. It looked like her wound was completely healed, thanks to this healing pod.

Short while after Uni woke up, Nepgear and Kei entered the room. The two walked closer to the pods, and they saw Uni awake.

"Uni! You're awake!" Nepgear said.

Uni didn't say anything and just smiled. Kei hurriedly went to the control terminal and immediately disabled the healing pod Uni was in. The liquid that was inside the pod was instantly drained, and the glass opened. Nepgear prepared herself and caught Uni before she could fall down to the ground.

"I'm glad that you're awake, Uni…" Nepgear said and smiled at Uni.

"Nep…gear…"

Kei sighed in relief. Though her relief didn't last long as she saw Noire, who was still unconscious. Kei found it weird as she was certain that Uni had worse injury compared to Noire, but the little sister woke up first. Whichever angle she looked into it, that was definitely not normal.

"How… is sis…?" Uni asked.

Neither Kei nor Nepgear said a word, instead, the just pointed towards the other healing pod. Uni directed her attention to where the two was pointing and saw Noire inside the pod, unconscious.

"She's still unconscious, but her vital signs are stable, so you don't have to worry about her." Kei said.

Uni was relieved a little as she heard that, though she couldn't help it but worry. Lots of worst-case scenarios entered her mind, but she didn't let that get ahead of her. She knew her sister very well; she wouldn't go down that easily. She believed in her.

"Come on, let's get you dressed." Kei as she took a towel from somewhere in the room and covered Uni with it.

Nepgear assisted Uni in standing up and they headed for the exit. Before they stepped out of the room, Uni glanced once more time at her sister. Kei just told her that Noire would be fine, so Uni averted her eyes away from her sister. Nepgear brought Uni to her room after giving her something to wear temporarily, with Uni's guidance of course, while Kei stayed in the med bay as she said that she needed to take Noire out of her healing pod as it wouldn't be a good thing for her to stay in there for too long.

As they arrived at Uni's room, Nepgear immediately opened the door and entered the room with Uni.

"I'll wait outside." Nepgear said and left the room. Uni wasn't able to give a reply as Nepgear didn't really give her a chance to, so she just headed to her closet to get her clothes.

As she was changing, her thoughts wandered somewhere else. She remembered what happened back in Celestia, and that gave her chills down her spine.

'…I just evaded death, huh…?' She thought to herself. Now that she remembered that, she didn't really know who saved her, as she lost consciousness after receiving a blade to her side and falling from a height.

"I guess I'll ask Nepgear later…" She mumbled as she continued changing.

As she was done so, she closed her closet and went out of the room. She saw Nepgear staring outside the window, which was just in front of her door. From Uni's perspective, it seemed like Nepgear wasn't in a good mood.

"Nepgear…?"

Nepgear turned to Uni as she heard the call. "Oh, you're done." She said as she stepped away from the window. "Ms. Kei filled me in on the current situation of Lastation, so we've got work to do."

Uni wasn't surprised at all. "Okay, but before that…" Uni's expression turned into a worried one. "Are you alright…? You seemed to be a little down…"

Nepgear's eyes widened a little after hearing that. She didn't say anything and turned around.

"Nepgear…?"

Nepgear clenched her fists. "I'm sorry, Uni… I didn't make it in time…"

"What do you mean…?" Uni asked, though she already had an idea about what Nepgear was about to say.

Nepgear swung her head lightly. "If I had just followed you right after you entered Celestia, you wouldn't have been hurt…"

"But… you're the one who saved me, right…?"

Nepgear didn't say anything and just nodded, but it seemed like she wasn't happy with that. Uni understood that and just held Nepgear's hand, which surprised her.

"Still… thank you…" Uni mumbled. "You saved my life."

As Nepgear heard that, her fists opened up. Her heart felt a little warm from Uni's gratitude. Nepgear swore to herself that she'd never let something happen to Uni, ever again. And she'd do whatever it would take just to make sure of it.

~o~O~o~

Planeptune – Basilicom.

Inside a certain room, Neptune was sitting on a chair that seemed to be a throne. It had been a few days since she got back from Celestia in order to trap the CPUs, but she failed to do so.

Even so, she didn't seem to be disappointed about her failure. Because she had this smile displayed on her lips for everyone to see, even if there was no one around her.

"…"

She leaned her cheek on her palm and put her elbow on the armrest of the throne. Her eyes were closed, and her smile never left her lips. It seemed like she was planning… or she had planned something already, and it was going well.

"Now then… it's time for you to do your job…"

...

"Don't disappoint me now… N-"

~o~O~o~

Lastation – Basilicom.

It had been five days since Noire was brought back to Lastation. She was still unconscious, even after being healed. Kei moved Noire outside the hidden room and let her rest in the med bay.

Around morning today, Nepgear and Uni were working outside the Basilicom, helping in the continuous recovery of Lastation. The structural repairs had commenced already, and with their help, the operations went smoothly.

It was around noon when the two decided to go back to the Basilicom. They needed to report to Kei about the progress of the operations, after all. But before they could enter the Basilicom, they saw Kei walking towards them.

"Oh, Uni, Nepgear, you caught me on my way out." Kei said as she approached the two.

"Where are you headed to, Kei?" Uni asked.

Kei just waved her hand. "I'm on my way back to the south. The project I started there has reached the middle phase, and I need to be there to oversee it."

"Seems like you have your hands full." Nepgear said as she smiled a little.

Kei just sighed and cracked a smile from Nepgear's comment. "Well, I'm used to it." She said. "Okay, I'll be on my way now. I'll leave Noire in your hands." She then walked away from them.

Uni and Nepgear followed Kei's figure until she disappeared from their sight before entering the Basilicom. Every day was a busy day for everyone in Lastation, Nepgear and Uni included. The damage the nation suffered from Neptune's attack was severe, and a few days or weeks wouldn't be enough to bring Lastation back to its good condition.

"Tough morning, isn't it?" Uni said as she sighed.

"What are you saying, Uni? We've been doing this for five days." Nepgear said as she chuckled a little.

Uni could just laugh nervously. "Y-Yeah, I guess. But still, I've never been busy like this in my whole life." She said as she sighed again. She was feeling a little fatigued; her head was spinning a little as well, which somehow made her walk a little wobbly and almost lose her balance as she walked, but Nepgear managed to keep her standing.

"Are you okay?" Nepgear had grown worried. "You should take a break for now, I'll handle the rest."

But Uni swung her head. "No, just a short rest will be fine. I'll be back as soon as I feel refreshed."

Nepgear tried to protest, but she just decided to let Uni do what she wanted. She understood it, of course. Lastation meant a lot to Uni as one of its CPUs; leaving the job to Nepgear, who was a CPU of another nation, would be a disgrace to her.

"Okay, but don't force yourself." Nepgear said as she sighed in defeat. "I'll be in the lounge and compile the report for Kei later. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me."

Uni nodded before leaving. She went straight to her room, as she was really not feeling too good. Fortunately, she arrived at her room without any problems, except for her growing headache.

"Ugh…"

She threw herself on the bed as soon as she entered her room. She wasn't just physically tired; her mind was also fatigued. The recovery operations were proceeding smoothly, and she was glad of that, of course. But it was nowhere near completion, and it seemed like it wouldn't be done any sooner.

"Haah…"

And, there was Noire she had to worry about. While Kei said that she shouldn't worry about Noire as she was in good condition, still, being unconscious for goddess knew how long would, of course, make her worried.

"…"

Uni's eyes were gaining weight already, so she closed them as she really couldn't fight it, and drifted off to sleep.

~o~O~o~

"…Uuuh"

Uni opened her eyes as she woke up from her sleep. She found herself on her bed, with a blanket on top of her.

"…?"

She didn't recall putting a blanket on her before she slept. Well, she went down straight to the bed as soon as she arrived because she was dead tired earlier. She wasn't really used to heavy work, after all.

"…What time is it…"

Uni reached for her phone in her pocket. Good thing that this thing was durable so even in her sleep, it didn't get crushed. Well, her bed was also soft, so devices like that would be safe. And also again, she didn't weigh that much!

"Let's see…" She woke her phone up from sleep to check the time. There, on the screen, it showed that it was already past six in the evening. She sighed as she learned that. Working outdoors in the evening wasn't really her hobby, so yeah, that was a lot of hours wasted. Though someone would definitely complain if she said that out loud and heard that.

"Hmm… I better check up on sis…" She was about to slip out of her bed when she noticed that there was someone beside her. That person had her arms and her head resting on the bed, with the rest of her body sitting on the ground.

And that person was someone Uni knew personally.

"Nepgear…"

Yes, that person beside Uni was Nepgear. She was sleeping soundly, and it looked like she was tired. Most likely because of the work earlier. Uni felt bad as she thought that, though yeah, she kinda needed that rest or else she'd collapse. Either way, time had passed already so she couldn't do anything about that anymore.

"…"

Uni unconsciously reached for Nepgear and caressed her hair. For some reason, Uni felt a little joyful as she did that. She couldn't understand why, but being beside Nepgear made her feel at ease.

"…" Uni just smiled at Nepgear's sleeping face. She then took her hand back and carefully slipped out of the bed without waking Nepgear up. She put the blanket she was using earlier on top of Nepgear to prevent her from getting cold since the night was getting a little bit chilly.

As soon as she got out of the bed, she silently went out of the room and headed for the med bay. That was where Noire was staying in. She immediately entered the med bay as she arrived there, but she was surprised that there was no one in the room.

"Sis…?" Uni called out, but nobody replied. She tried to call again for a few times, but the results were indifferent. "…She's awake…?!"

Uni panicked. Noire must've gone out of the med bay and went somewhere else, but Uni had no idea where she could be. She just hoped that Noire didn't go out of the Basilicom.

First place that Uni thought about where Noire could've gone to was her own room. Uni immediately headed to Noire's room and tried to open the room, but she couldn't as it was locked.

"Sis?! Sis?! Are you in there?!" Uni called, but she got no replies. She tried to call a few more times, but nobody replied. That gave her an idea that the room was empty.

"…Damn it, where did sis go…?"

Actually, there were two more places where Noire would go. Uni decided to check those places and see for herself. First place that she checked was Noire's office, but as soon as she arrived there, she found out that there were no people inside as it was locked.

"Must be in that place…"

Uni then left Noire's office and headed for the other place. Well, the other place was kinda obvious to Uni and wondered why she didn't check that place first. After a short while of walking, she arrived at her destination. The door in front of her had a power button logo, and it was glowing.

Yes, it was the terminal room. The place where they manage and keep the barrier in check.

Uni didn't think twice and entered the room. She was greeted by a dimmed room, with only a few computer terminals on.

"Sis…?"

But she didn't receive any reply. She scanned the room; it was a little dark so she couldn't see properly, but she saw someone from the other side of the room, at the corner of the room, specifically, seemingly using one of the computers. She walked closer to see who was using the computer.

And as soon as she got a good look at that person's face…

"Sis…!"

Yep, it was Noire, who was using the PC. Noire stopped working on the computer as she heard Uni's call.

Uni tried to approach her sister. "Sis, I was so worried about-" But before she could come close, Noire immediately drew her blade and attempted to cut Uni sideward.

Uni's instincts kicked in and she backed away as soon as she saw the blade heading towards her body, but she wasn't fast enough and her abdomen was sliced, enough to make it bleed. She fell down on the floor with her back.

Uni covered her wound with her arm as she tried to sit up, but her blood was flowing out of it continuously and the pain from her abdomen was so strong that it made her cringe. She didn't quite get what just happened.

"Sis…!?" Uni looked at Noire, who was slowly walking towards her. She moved back away from her sister, as she could definitely feel that something was wrong with her. But even if she tried to stay away from her sister, she wouldn't be able to get away from her.

"Sis…! What… are you… doing…?!" Uni tried to call out her sister, but Noire didn't even stagger. Uni felt her back touch the wall, and at the same time, Noire was just in front of her. Uni was startled as Noire lifted her sword up.

'Sis… is going to kill me…?!' That thought was the single one circling inside Uni's mind as she stared at her sister. Though it was kinda useless asking herself that because it was already happening.

Uni closed her eyes as Noire brought her sword down, aiming for Uni's head. Though after a few seconds, Uni didn't feel any pain, but instead, she heard a sound like something was broken. She opened her eyes and saw a door in front of her, with Noire a little far away from it. Not only that, there was another person in front of Uni, who seemed to have protected her. That person had a beam sword in her hands, and it was locked with Noire's sword, with both of them trying to repel each other.

As for that person…

"…Nepgear…?"

Yes, the person who protected Uni was Nepgear. She couldn't be mistaken, as she knew that long, lilac hair of hers. Nepgear blocked Noire's blade, preventing her from killing Uni.

"H-How… did you know that I was here…?" Uni asked. While yes, she was happy and all that Nepgear came to her aid, but she couldn't figure out how did she know that Uni was in danger, let alone in this room, as it looked like Nepgear was expecting this kind of scenario to unfold.

Nepgear pushed Noire away by swinging her beam sword forward. "I will never let any harm come to you, Uni." Nepgear said and then dashed to Noire.

"Please don't kill my sister!" Uni tried to stand up, but she couldn't as her wound gave her a river of pain the moment she tried to lift her body up. Nepgear didn't really pay attention to her plea. Uni knew what kind of relationship Nepgear had with the other CPUs, and she also knew that Nepgear would not think twice about killing any of them.

After all, Nepgear had all the reason to do so.

Nepgear did a spinning slice as she got close to Noire, but the Lastation CPU managed to block her attack. The computers around them were getting blown away each time their swords clashed, and the room didn't really look like a place where a swordfight should be done. Though Nepgear was trying to keep the damages down while keeping Noire at bay, it looked like she wouldn't be able to keep it up for long.

"Nepgear…!" Uni tried to call her once more, but Nepgear didn't pay her heed. From her eyes, it looked like both Nepgear and Noire were equal in terms of strength.

But of course, she wasn't really concerned about their strengths. She was concerned about herself. Her wound was still bleeding; Noire made a fine cut on it.

"…Ngh…" Uni tried to move, but she couldn't. She lost a few good amounts of blood from her wound already that it made her not able to move normally. But still, she was thinking that she must stop both of them. The method of doing so was not in her mind, though, but still, she had to. Else, one of them would die.

Uni tried to crawl forward. Fortunately, she could bear the pain as she was doing that. Nepgear was doing fine in repelling Noire as she didn't let her get close to Uni as much as possible. Uni crawled a bit closer to them while paying attention to her pain threshold. The computers around them were getting wrecked as Noire and Nepgear clashed, and Uni was hoping that nothing would happen to the barrier outside. As Uni finally got a good look at Nepgear and Noire, she saw Nepgear's beam blade fly up to the ceiling.

"…Ah…!" Uni gasped as she saw Nepgear unarmed, and Noire ready to stab her. "Nepgear…! Sis…!"

But her cries didn't stop Noire, and she pushed her sword towards Nepgear.

"SIIIIIISSS…! NEPGEAR…!"

Uni closed her eyes once more before Noire could stab Nepgear. She couldn't bear to witness what was going to unfold. She sobbed as she fell down on the floor.

Why did this have to happen? What was going on? Why was Noire trying to kill Uni? These questions circled inside Uni's mind, but the answers to those questions? She didn't have it, and she didn't know if she could find the answers either.

"…"

About a minute has passed, but nothing happened. No screams, no sounds, no movements, nothing at all. Uni opened her eyes to see what was happening. To her surprise, she saw Noire pointing her blade at Nepgear's chest, just about an inch away. Both of them were staying still; none of them made a single move.

Uni was relieved that both of them were safe, but them staying still scared her, as she knew who would make the first move will win. She didn't really want any one of them to get killed by the other.

"…Uh…" Uni tried to say something, but her voice failed her. Mostly because of the blood loss she was suffering from her wound. She stared at both Nepgear's and Noire's faces. They were just staring at each other without blinking; it seemed like they were cautious of each other.

Or so Uni thought.

Uni saw Nepgear mumble something, but she didn't quite hear what she said. "…You really are my…" Nepgear then grabbed Noire by the arm, swiftly disarming her. She then locked Noire's arm by twisting it on her back and then flipped Noire upward by tripping her. Noire landed on the ground with her face down, with Nepgear pinning Noire's arm on her back.

"…"

Nepgear didn't hesitate and hit Noire's nape, knocking her out. She then grabbed a cut cord near her and tied Noire's arms and feet to prevent her from moving if she ever wakes up immediately. As she did so, she stood up and sighed.

"…Nep…gear…?"

Nepgear heard a voice. She turned to her side and saw Uni on the floor, bleeding. She ran quickly towards her aid and checked up on her. "Uni! Uni! Are you alright?"

"I… I can manage… myself. How is… sis…?" Uni asked. The wound on her abdomen was gradually taking her consciousness. She needed medical treatment as soon as possible.

"Noire is fine. I just knocked her out, don't worry." Nepgear said. "I'm taking you to the med bay. Hold on." Nepgear carefully lifted Uni up and carried her all the way to the med bay.

Fortunately, there were few to no people in the upper levels of the Basilicom, so Nepgear didn't encounter anyone as she carried Uni along the corridors. She arrived at the med bay quickly and entered the room without second thoughts. Nepgear laid Uni on a medical bed.

"Uni…?" Nepgear called, but Uni didn't answer. She was breathing heavily, and her body was getting cold. She was debating if she should call Kei first and ask for instructions on operating the healing pods, or heal Uni herself. But seeing how Uni's breathing gradually grew heavy by the second, calling Kei and asking for instructions would definitely waste precious time.

And so, Nepgear didn't hesitate and inspected Uni's wound. The cut Uni had in her abdomen was deep, but not too deep. It was a fine cut that she could see her flesh inside.

"I haven't used any healing methods for a long time…" Nepgear was doubting a little about her abilities in healing, but that wasn't really the time for it. Uni's life was at stake here, and she must not mess it up.

And so, Nepgear resolved herself. "Alright, let's do this." Both of Nepgear's hand glowed as she placed them on top of Uni's wound. Suddenly, Uni started to become restless, most likely she was feeling pain as her wounds were closing due to Nepgear's healing. Fortunately, she just stayed on the bed as she winced, which gave Nepgear an idea that Uni was still conscious.

And so, Nepgear concentrated on healing Uni's wound. She could feel her body getting a little hot and heavy as she healed Uni. Uni's wound was closing slowly, probably because Nepgear was getting rusty on healing, or the wound was just that deep. Either way, it could be any of those two.

After more or less half an hour of healing, Uni's wound finally closed, but there was still a trace of the slice on her abdomen. Nepgear was already out of strength as she suddenly fell on her knees, with her sweat running down on her face.

"…Haah… This is as far as I can go…" Nepgear said as she tried to catch her breathing. She then stood up and looked for some bandages in the room. As she found some, she returned to Uni and carefully wrapped it around her waistline with it to cover her wound.

"Uni…?" Nepgear called, but Uni didn't reply. It seemed like she finally lost consciousness after all of those experience earlier, and her breathing was gradually becoming normal. Well, Nepgear really couldn't blame Uni that. She would most likely be the same if she were in Uni's shoes.

With Uni's current situation, Nepgear decided that she should just leave her alone and let her rest. She had other things to do as well, like Noire. Nepgear then left the med bay after doing some additional treatment to Uni and went back to the terminal room. Noire was still unconscious on the floor as Nepgear got inside the room, which made her relieved. It would be bad if Noire woke up when Nepgear wasn't there, after all.

"…"

Nepgear inspected Noire's body to see if there was anything unusual, but she didn't find anything. She was sure that Noire was being controlled, and there was only one person who could do that. But how that person controlled Noire was beyond Nepgear's knowledge anymore.

"…Sis…"

Yes, the person that could possibly control Noire was none other than Nepgear's sister, Neptune. Well, it couldn't be anyone but her, judging from what Nepgear learned days ago when the other CPUs infiltrated Planeptune and took her away. She might've had no idea about how Noire was being controlled, but someone sure might have one. Though that person was most of the time missing and mostly wouldn't be there when needed.

"…Kurome, where the hell are you…?" Nepgear whispered.

Yep, the person needed by Nepgear was Kurome. The person who suddenly disappears and appears only when it was convenient for her.

And that time was one of those times.

Suddenly, a voice spoke in the room. "You called, Nepgear?"

Dark red mist then covered the room for a brief moment, and Kurome appeared in front of Nepgear.

"For the first time, you appear when you're needed." Nepgear commented.

Kurome smirked at that comment. "Really, now?"

Nepgear just sighed. Either way, she was glad that Kurome appeared when she needed her. She then waved her hand as she shrugged the previous topic and directed to her intent. "That aside, I need to know something from you."

"About Noire?" Kurome guessed. Well, it wasn't really a guess; not when Noire was lying on the ground, unconscious, and the room being a complete wreck. Fortunately, some computers were unharmed and still operational.

Nepgear nodded. "Yes. She was being controlled, most likely by sis, but I don't know how did she manage to."

Kurome didn't say anything. A CPU controlling another CPU was definitely not an easy feat, especially when from different nations. But that didn't mean it was impossible. Certain requirements should be met before that could happen.

"…" Kurome bit her lip. She more or less had an idea about Nepgear's inquiries, but she was doubting if she should tell her or not.

"Kurome?" Nepgear called.

Kurome didn't realize that she had gone quiet for a while now. "Ah, I was just thinking about that. I don't think I can answer that, though."

Nepgear raised an eyebrow. To her eyes, Kurome was definitely lying. "Are you sure about that?"

"Believe me, Nepgear. Even if I know, it wouldn't matter." Kurome answered. She hoped that Nepgear would drop the subject already.

Nepgear sighed in disappointment. Well, Kurome must've had her reasons why she was hiding that from Nepgear. "Okay then, but can you do something about Noire's condition? It wouldn't be nice if she would be tied up all the time because she was being controlled."

Kurome turned to Noire, who was still unconscious on the ground. She eyed her for a bit before turning back to Nepgear. "Alright, but I'll take her to my dimension. It'll be faster that way."

"Suit yourself." Nepgear said.

After that, Kurome kneeled down beside Noire and touched her forehead. Dark red mist then suddenly covered both of their bodies and they disappeared after a few seconds. Nepgear sighed again, but it was a relief one. That was one problem solved, and the next one was fixing this whole room.

"Alright then, time to-"

Before she could finish what she wanted to say, all the monitors of the computers, including the big screen on the wall, suddenly turned on. Bleeping sounds also rang around the room, with warning signs displayed on the said monitors.

"What the hell is going on?" Nepgear ran to a computer to check what was happening. From the screen, was something Nepgear did not expect to see.

"A System Breach?! How did that happen?!" Nepgear was surprised. She tried to do something, but her access was completely overridden and she could not do a single thing. A system breach was something that could never happen because the barrier's network was a completely different network from each of the nation's own ones. The terminals were independent of their respective nations' networks, and no foreign entity could break through it, not only because it had several layers of security, but also because it didn't have any mainframes outside the nations that could be used as a bridge for hacking.

"If that's the case… then…!" Nepgear's eyes widened as she realized the only method that could be done. She ran through the computers and inspected if there was something unusual about them. "If it can't be done outside, then it could be on the inside!"

Yes, of course. If the system breach was done exactly inside the network, specifically inside the terminal, then that would be possible.

"And to do that… someone must've snuck in here and planted a virus on the terminal…" Nepgear said as she inspected the computers if there were any foreign objects attached to the serial bus ports. But before she could find anything, her phone suddenly rang, indicating that she had an incoming call. She took her phone out to check who was calling and found out that it was Histoire.

Nepgear went out of the room and answered the call, as it was too noisy inside. "Hello? Histoire?"

"Thank goddess, you answered. Uni wasn't answering my calls." Histoire replied. She sounded like she was panicking, and Nepgear had an idea what made Histoire sound like that. "We have a problem, Nepgear."

"Yes, I know, Histoire. There's a system breach here in Lastation." Nepgear said. "I don't know how that happened, but this is not the time to be thinking about that."

"Yes, yes, I know, but that's not the real problem here!" Histoire said. "Lastation's terminal has been disabled; your barrier is going down, and the breach from there is attempting to break here in Lowee and in Leanbox too!"

Nepgear was surprised to hear that. "What?!" The barrier going down was the last thing Nepgear wanted to happen. "Can you do something on your end? My access here has been neutralized and I can't do anything from here."

"I will develop a kill code to completely wipe off the system, but we will need to remove Lastation's terminal from the whole network. We can't risk Lowee and Leanbox to be compromised as well." Histoire said. "It's a good thing that I created a backup of each of the nation's initial settings as a failsafe. We can use this to restore Lastation's terminal after we do a complete wipe."

That really didn't sound good for Lastation, but what Histoire said was true. They could not risk the safety of Lowee and Leanbox, else everything that they did would be in vain.

"Alright, please do quick. I will try to find where the breach occurred and destroy it." Nepgear said. "I know it wouldn't solve the problem, but that should prevent the virus from coming back after the wipe."

"Yes, please do so." Histoire said. "I will call you back when we finish the kill code."

Histoire hung up after that. Nepgear then hit her cheeks and headed back into the terminal room. She inspected each of the computers once more, but she somehow couldn't find it.

"Damn it! Where is it?!" Nepgear had grown frustrated with the current situation. She had to find that breach before Histoire could finish the kill code, and judging from Histoire's abilities, she could develop it in no time. Histoire had been managing the three nation's barriers for too long that she could already see it on her palm.

But of course, Nepgear didn't give up. She inspected the computers once more; each and every computer in the room. After a short while, she landed on a computer which was displaying something on the screen. What was displayed on it was the same as the others, but it was also displaying something else.

"This is it! How the hell did I miss this?!" On the screen, it was displaying 'Upload Complete'. This gave Nepgear an idea that the foreign entity was inserted in this terminal, and the virus spread out through the network. Nepgear then inspected the serial buses to see if there was anything attached, and yes, she found a flash drive stuck in one of the ports. Nepgear immediately pulled the flash drive out and destroyed it.

"That's one problem solved." Nepgear said. Of course, as she said earlier, that wouldn't solve the problem. And it really didn't. Now, all she had to do was wait for Histoire's call to give her the kill code.

But of course, she didn't have time to rest as her phone rang again. Nepgear took her phone out again to see who the caller was, and found out that it was Kei.

"Ms. Kei! We have a problem!" Nepgear said as she didn't wait for Kei to speak up first.

"Yes, I am aware. Our network has been breached, and the barrier is going down. Histoire already informed me, and I'm remotely trying to help her in severing Lastation out of the entire network." Kei said. Nepgear was surprised that Kei sounded so calm despite the situation, but that wasn't really the time for her to be wondering about that. "But that's not the reason why I called you."

"There's something else?" Nepgear was confused.

With that, Kei's tone suddenly changed into a distressed one. "Yeah. The lookout guard who is watching Planeptune's border just told me that Neptune's army is already heading towards Lastation."

After hearing that, Nepgear's heartbeat stopped for a short moment and she almost dropped her phone.

"She's going to destroy Lastation, again."


There you go guys! Chapter 12!

Again, I apologize if my updating was getting slow. I was looking for a job in the past few days and still doing it currently, so yeah, I had less time to work on this. If money just comes to my door knocking without me working, I'd write fics 24/7 hehe.

Anyway, how did you guys like the chapter? We're near the epilogue! The final battle is coming!

Until next time, see you guys!