...

...

...

"... Huh?"

Slowly, unsurely, Nepgear scans her surroundings, waving her head at every direction.

Black. Darkness. A void.

The same unfeeling void as before.

And that only confuses the girl.

She's... dead? How? The last thing she remembers is boarding the train with Compa just before it began to rain, and then...

Then what?

Her memory just fades after that. Did an assassin catch her by surprise? A repeat of what happened with Nepugia? That's certainly possible.

With that in mind, Nepgear takes a step forward. Then, she freezes, looking down at her uncovered feet.

Ground. Unlike so many times before, what's beneath her is definitely solid, even though as black as everything else. But why—

"Nep... gear..."

"...?!"

Without a second thought, the girl spins around towards the mature, familiar voice which just sounded. What she sees has her eyes widen in shock.

The CPUs, each one bound by uncountable dark cables in positions that are anything but comfortable. Their eyes are open, and yet unfocused, as if staring into nothing.

As expected, Neptune is amongst them, looking straight towards her younger sister with those tired, dead eyes.

Thoughtlessly, Nepgear takes a step forward—

*HISSSS*

Only for something to push her slightly forward, a familiar sensation.

Even more familiar is the reddish pink blade protuding from her stomach.

"E-Eh...?" is all the girl manages to say. It doesn't hurt, it never did, and yet...

And yet it means one thing.

Slowly, Nepgear glances behind her. Standing there, holding the weapon's handle with both hands, is a dark, almost featureless silhouette, its only notable detail a single glowing yellow circle where a left eye should be.

That changes soon after, as a wide smile with the same characteristics appears. A moment later, the strange being pulls her scythe out of the girl's body, holding it as if to swing, and yet doing nothing. Where a wound should have been is only creamy white skin, or what looks like skin, as if nothing in the past moments happened at all.

"...?"

Dazed, the lilac-haired girl turns around to face the silhouette, waiting for it to do something.

After what feels like an eternity, Nepgear, on a whim, takes a step back—

yet, even as her mind shouts at her to do something, anything, to help them, her body is frozen in fear

—and another—

it doesn't come as a surprise when, one by one, they fall and remain still

—and another—

a horrible smirk crosses the woman's face as she turns towards Nepgear

—and another—

in her torso is Magic's beam scythe, completely embedded in the girl's body

—and yet another, panic slowly taking hold of her with every step.

This... thing is the one responsible for everything. This woman, who stands there doing nothing, is the one who started this nightmare where Nepgear lives.

This woman... This woman... This woman...

She takes one more step back.

Magic moves one step closer.

Shivers attack the Candidate's entire being at the simple action.

This woman... This woman... This woman...

The silhouette moves forward yet again, even as Nepgear's legs don't take another step. Then, to the girl's horror, she doesn't stop, moving closer and closer by the second.

She has to do something. She has to react. She can't stand and do nothing. If she doesn't do anything, then this woman...

This woman... This thing... This monster...

"...!"

Suddenly, something is in Nepgear's right grasp, as if appearing out of nothing. A glance downwards, and the girl sees her pink laser sword.

It doesn't make sense. None of this does.

The Candidate looks forward.

Magic is now right before her.

'No... No... No... No...'

She freezes. In that instant, it's as if every single atom of Nepgear's body becomes frozen solid.

She'll die. She'll definitely die. All because of this woman...

This woman... This woman. This woman.

This woman, this woman, this woman, this woman, this woman, this woman this woman this woman this woman this woman this woman this woman this woman this womanthiswomanthiswomanthiswomanthiswomanthiswomanthiswomanthiswomanthiswomanthiswomanthiswomanthiswoman—

Nepgear slashes at her.

Without resistance, the silhouette is cut apart, spraying all around a gray liquid which stands out amidst the void before shattering like glass all over the invisible floor.

The lilac-haired girl blinks, her breathing resuming soon after.

A step sounds behind her.

"!"

Turning around, Nepgear slashes yet again, only for another silhouette to fall apart much like the last one, dirtying her even further.

It makes no sense. Just like everything else, this makes no sense.

Unprompted, the Candidate turns around once more, as if on a whim. Ranks upon ranks of those dark, featureless beings are before her, all staring forward lifelessly.

The first one dashes at her.

Nepgear slashes on instinct, the fake Magic being minced as she goes past, her gray "blood" painting the girl's doll-like body.

It was... easy. So easy. Unlike the real thing, dealing with those is so much easier.

Another one comes, suffering the same fate.

If the so-called Candidate of Planeptune had enough power, it would have been like this. Was she strong enough, Magic would have been defeated.

This woman would have been beaten, just like the fake being Nepgear just knocked away the weapon of.

This woman would have been destroyed, just like the silhouette Nepgear shattered with a simple punch.

This woman would have been killed, just like the lifeless doll whose throat Nepgear just pierced effortlessly.

Another one of the false Magics advances, being cut apart without issues. This time, however, the Candidate doesn't wait for the next to come, instead diving right into the sea of fakers, obliterating anything in her way.

If she had this sort of strength, this would never happen again. Everything would be peaceful. There wouldn't be any wars, any stupid conflicts to tear apart her life.

A silhouette loses its legs, falling to the ground before the blade pierces its head. Another one is separated from its arm first, and just a moment later its supposed heart is no more as the sword finds itself where it should be. One by one, these things are broken like the weak toys they are, not even attempting to stand up to the CPU in their midst.

And, soon enough, Nepgear catches herself grinning at the spectacle.

This is what Magic deserves. Being hit, cracked, shattered until her life ends, much like the Candidate's own did, all the while unable to do anything about it.

That thing thinks it can just waltz in on Nepgear's world and mess everything up? She'll show her.

Another fragile toy loses its balance its foot is suddenly not in place anymore, but that wouldn't be fun. In that moment, the lilac-haired girl takes hold of its neck, crushing it until the headless body falls and shatters beneath.

When the Mascots are hers, the Candidate will be much more powerful, right? But will it be enough to do this?

If not, then she'll just have to find a way to grow this strong. Even if everyone else tries to stop her out of stupid fear, even if she has to burn down Celestia itself to achieve it, Nepgear WILL grasp this power. And then, finally, she'll make Magic suffer ten times as much as she did, until the moment that thing regrets being born in HER Gamindustri. If everything goes right, after all of that, Magic would preferably end her own life rather than making Nepgear go through the effort.

That'd be far more amusing than just killing her.

After that's done, peace will return. With the lilac-haired girl as powerful as that, no one in this world will ever DARE to disrupt her life again.

A slash, and another copy falls. A powerful punch is enough to shatter the next one, unfortunately stopping the fun before it even began. Out of nowhere, something touches her back, no doubt a toy which has just grown a spine for her to crack. Without a thought, Nepgear spins around, slashing it from the shoulder to the hip—

"Gkuh!"

"..."

She stops.

In that instant, everything stops.

Suddenly, a strange lucidity comes over the girl, a simple acknowledgement of her earlier thoughts and actions.

Still, that has nothing to do with her current focus.

Because, before her, is a certain brunette, clad in her usual outfit with a blue oversized coat. Even more notable, however, is her horribly shocked expression, coupled the red gash across her body oozing an unmistakable red liquid.

"... Huh?" is all Nepgear manages to say.

A moment later, IF falls on her knees, her side hitting the ground soon after.

She should be squirming, grunting, or maybe even shivering on the ground. And yet, none of that happens, the brunette instead remaining still as emerald eyes devoid of life stare into nothing.

The Candidate blinks, attempting to understand what happened. Almost subconsciously, her fighting stance undoes itself, the girl standing up straight as her deactivated blade escapes her grasp, going through the "ground" and fading into the nothingness of the abyss.

She did this, Nepgear notes as she stares at her friend's fallen form.

But it doesn't feel like she did anything. Rather, it feels distant, unreal, as if she is simply watching an obvious development in a game she spent too much time playing. There is no dramatic background song, no world-shattering revelation or anything of the like. Rather, all that is here is a lifeless body, its blood seeping on the floor and phasing through it, slowly dripping into the void.

She did this. But what is this?

Simple, she killed IF. In a thoughtless moment, drowning in the frenzy and bliss of the battle, she led the brunette to her death.

That's it. That's what Nepgear did. She killed IF.

She... killed...

"...!"

In a single instant, everything falls in place. The girl doesn't start shaking, nor does she scream in grief, but that her eyes widen even further, and that her breath hitches in her throat, is enough that, were any bystander in this void, it'd be obvious to them that realization came.

No, not a realization. She was already aware of it.

She killed IF... Wait, that's wrong. IF is alive. She's back in Planeptune, in the hospital. However, she's there not only for being outright blasé about her well-being, but also because of Nepgear, because she brought about that situation by being a fool, because she, of all people, decided to be act like a ruthless yet foolish monster.

And she'll do it again. The so-called Planeptunian Candidate will certainly do it again, the first chance she gets. She's not stupid enough to believe she won't, because, back then, the sensation of feeling superior to someone else felt great, incredible, amazing—

*Thump* *Thump* *Thump*

"...?"

A pair of feet, as thin and fragile-looking as hers, suddenly enters her vision, stopping right on the other side of the fallen, bleeding brunette.

Why? How?

Who?

Slowly, filled with curiosity and dread alike, amethyst eyes raise from IF's form.

"?!"

This time, Nepgear actually feels like screaming.

Standing before her, a single meter away, is a perfect copy of herself, from the doll-like, featureless body to her long, lilac hair and purple eyes. However, there is a pair of details which the Candidate simply can't associate with herself.

First is the copy's expression, blank and unfeeling, much like a corpse's.

Second is the familiar scarlet liquid splattered all over her form, covering almost her whole body in random, irregular shapes.

Why...? How...?!

Who?!

Thoughtlessly, amidst her shock, Nepgear reaches out for her—

She halts.

Hastily, the girl brings her own arm, or the arm she thought was her own, closer, her eyes hastily inspecting it.

Why?

It's the same.

But why?

Why is her arm as bloodied as this girl's?!

"... Heh."

At the sudden chuckle, Nepgear's eyes once again focus on the fake girl.

She's smiling. Smirking. As if she had won and nothing could be done about it.

This is insane. This whole thing is. What did she win? What's the meaning of her expression?

Unconsciously, the Candidate takes a step back. The copy follows her, moving a bit closer. Little by little, her smirk grows larger, until becoming a full grin.

It's then that, amidst her growing panic, Nepgear blinks once, a normal biological action meant to prevent her eyes from going dry, with no underlying emotions attached it.

Yet, the fact that, as she opens her eyes, the bloody doll-like being before her is suddenly scared, terrified, is anything but normal.

"Wha...?!" the Candidate speaks, except it's the other girl whose mouth opens. She takes another step back, except it's the other girl who retreats.

And then, suddenly, before she can understand what's happening...

"Her" body lunges—


The lilac-haired girl lets out a gasp as she lurches forward, her eyes flying open.

A faker, a copy, a monster, a murderer...

... A dream?

Blinking, Nepgear slowly paces her panicked breathing, taking in her surroundings.

This is... a cabin, right? With four gray walls, a similarly colored roof, a windowed door to her right separating her from the train's hallway and a rectangular window to her left. She's... sitting, yeah, on a black cushioned seat for two, being one of the only two occupants in the cabin for four.

As expected, the second person is a certain nurse sitting right across the Candidate, sleeping soundly with her head leaning against the metallic wall. She fell asleep first, back when... Wait, when it was, again...? Ah, yes, soon after doing her so-called check-up on Nepgear, which was actually more of a quiz... even if that description does no justice to how utterly trying said quiz was.

Having to answer a multitude of questions, some of which were beyond personal, while a peach-haired nurse glares at you to make sure you're not lying isn't exactly a great experience.

At least it's already over...

Moving her eyes towards the window, the Candidate observes the landscape outside. Lush green plains, filled with monsters and the occasional trees, move past as the train makes its way to Lastation, where the next hunt for the Mascot will take place. It's a bit cloudy, but not nearly as bad as it was back in Planeptune, and the morning sun continues to shine from above.

So... just like how the real world should be, Nepgear figures.

Letting out a massive sigh, the girl falls back on her seat, letting her head lean against the metal behind as violet eyes stare upwards. Having a nightmare in the middle of the day... Talk about a unique way to destroy morale, or at least whatever was left of it after Compa's onslaught. To think she was so fired up back in the station...

Still, that dream was definitely way crazier than usual. Maybe she has been reading way too many psychological horror stories?

... Well, nothing she can do about that now.

Doing her best to push those worries to the back of her mind, Nepgear summons to her hands the next chapter of one of the series she began reading just two days ago, Fullmetal Chemist. It's not as if she'll be getting any further sleep before they reach Lastation, so it might as well be reading time. If everything goes well, she may even be able to stop her binging and read an issue or two of MiMi's Crazy Adventure: Fighting Tendency before the trip ends.

That's not very likely, to be honest, but it's a nice thought.

Besides, the girl notes whilst opening the comic, seeing how these kinds of main characters act might serve as a nice reference for later...

After all, if she manages to become even a little bit more like them, then maybe... maybe she'll be able to prevent something like that from happening again. Maybe she'll be able to control herself better, rather than acting like a raving lunatic whenever an opportunity presents itself.

'... Like a raving lunatic, huh...'

Halting her reading for a moment, Nepgear looks out of the window, a distant expression crossing her face as the landscape goes past, bringing her closer and closer to Lastation.

That thing in her dream... That being who looked just like her...

Will she end up exactly like that? A madwoman who cares about nothing but herself, thriving on the sensation of being powerful?

Nepgear would love to say no and leave it at that, but... she's not sure. After all that happened, after fighting Nepugia and the underling girl, she's not sure at all.

And the feeling that such a realization brings is anything but nice...

"..."

Tearing her eyes off the view, the Planeptunian Candidate once again looks down at the comic in her hands, where a story completely different from hers is unfolding.

All these characters, even though fictional... In the end, they're amazing, aren't they? Facing all sorts of hurdles with insane plans, not letting anything stand in the path to their goal, going forward even as their bodies fall apart... It's really incredible, no matter how you look at it.

If only she were like that...

Thus, silently, Nepgear continues to witness another main character's adventure, letting her own disappear in the back of her mind for the time being.

These sort of distractions... They aren't so bad...


.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.


*Chapter 9*

A Step Into Regality


.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.


Lastation. The Land of Black Regality. The Heart of Gamindustri. The Kingdom of Corporate Douchebags.

Such are some of the names earned by the nation located in the middle-east of Gamindustri, connected directly to all other nations due to geographical and economic reasons alike. A person going from Planeptune or Leanbox to Lowee and vice versa using the train system, for example, would be forced to pass through this land, simply because building more railroads just to avoid the Black Nation would be a massively impractical waste of resources.

The result, as expected, is a place almost every traveler must pass by, most of which end up buying a souvenir or two before departing, some of which settle down for good amidst the bustling, perpetually interesting cities. Of course, to say that has a positive impact in the nation's economy would be a massive understatement, for its very visage is that of an expensive elegance due to that.

Buildings are sleek, constructed with aesthetic perfection in mind, resulting in a noticeable focus on geometrical forms conjoined seamlessly. The walls and ground are painted in usually dark colors, but not oppressively so, with the occasional light gray arrows formed by lack of paint and patterns drawn in what is usually either light blue or red, allowing creativity to shine through as easily as if the nation's color was much brighter. Streets in the cities are either made of gray metal, the good old concrete or a transparent reinforced alternative when placed above other streets, and to top it off underground levels beneath districts are simply natural.

In the distance, filling the cloudy skyline are incredibly tall buildings of notably sharp shapes which, while nothing to write home about, mostly because home is the Neptower, are nothing to scoff at either, most of them bearing clearly visible trademarked patterns and names. Chimneys and larger shapes can be easily noticed alongside them, even as the former doesn't seem to be expelling anything visible, and the air feels slightly heavier than Planeptune's, although not outright dirty.

What is truly striking in that view, however, is the occasional sighting of one of the many massive dish antennas strewn around, each one a gigantic building of its own. Defense systems, space research, direct communication lines with Netherworlds with convenient orbits, and many more are the purposes of such equipment, which, needless to say, is nothing short of impressive.

Even so, on a smaller scale, things seem to be just as amazing. Crowds and cars are coming and going nonstop, with the occasional cylinder-shaped cleaning robot moving around, is all a familiar sight, but the same can't be said about the sheer number of interesting stores and shops along the metallic street, even as they unsurprisingly look about the same as Planeptune's. Coupled with that is the vast amount of colorful digital billboards covering the walls, much more numerous than their counterparts of the Land of Purple Progress.

And that is simply logical, really. In contrast to Planeptune's focus on research and innovation, this nation instead grows and survives through commerce, manufacturing and exporting just about everything, from simple kitchen utensils to expensive machinery parts, to the rest of Gamindustri. As such, the popular saying that "Lastation only does everything" is quite well earned, as the nation essentially functions as the lifeline of the economy in the continent as we know it.

Thus, it's no wonder that terms like "industrialized" and "precise" can easily be used to describe the capital of such a nation, with "busy" following soon after.

And yet, as Nepgear stands on the edge of the dark metal platform where she disembarked, leaning against the railing and looking down at the metallic street much like the bunch of similarly excited travelers nearby, she can't help but feel that "alive" should also be added to the list, with "incredible" going next.

This place, filled with adverts and businesses everywhere, looks like it's just brimming with possibilities, creating a sense of adventure from the get-go. Even better, there are all sorts of amazing devices and parts that the Candidate can just barely make out and identify inside the stores, many of which she thought about importing before this thing called "extra fee" repeatedly stomped her dreams.

In simpler terms, all these fancy mechanic thingies make her a happy Nepgear.

This is like Celestia made just for her.

Is it heresy that the lilac-haired girl kind of wishes she was a Lastationite Candidate instead?

"C'mon, Ge-Ge! We need to go!"

"Ah!" Broken out of her trance, Nepgear's head snaps to her left, where a certain nurse is just barely visible amidst the crowd, waving impatiently from the first step of the descending metal stairs. "R-Right, coming!" the Candidate shouts back, hurriedly making her way to her only ally.

She really shouldn't space out so constantly, at least not in Compa's full view, especially after that "check-up" of hers. To be honest, the whole thing was kind of amusing at first, but as time went on and the questions got... difficult, the best description of Nepgear's state of mind would be something between "please make her stop," "help me, Neptune" and "if I throw myself off this train, considering a constant speed of about 150 MPH, would the accumulated mechanical energy with which my body hits the ground be enough to kill me instantly?".

In other words, the Candidate wasn't exactly happy with the whole thing.

Seriously, she shouldn't need to share how she performs "stress relief"! There are some things you just don't talk about!

It almost felt like a divine intervention when Nepgear actually managed to convince Compa that the issue really was a simple lack of sleep, just like she said in yesterday's excuse...

Point is, after all that, it just wouldn't do to waste Celestia's blessing and make Compa feel like pulling off something like that once more.

... Never again.

Even with the many passersby around, heading to and from the ticket stands further on the platform, it's not much of a chore to run up to her friend, who just lets out a quiet huff and pouts a bit. The effort of descending the crowded stairs, however, certainly makes up for it.

People left, people right, and what should be a simple matter of walking down steps becomes an effort not to fall down and make a commotion. It's not really all that surprising when Compa suddenly latches on Nepgear's arm to avoid being pulled away by the sea of people.

Feeling the similarly tall girl's breasts pushing against her arm would certainly have made the Candidate blush... had she not clear awareness that this is anything but the time to start acting like a prepubescent teenager. That'd be akin to risking losing your bag because you didn't pay attention in a crowd, except this "bag" is a girl about a decade younger than her, developed enough to turn quite a few heads without even trying, and someone who would actually be happy if Nepgear used her like a personal bag of sorts.

The last one doesn't really have much to do with the subject at hand, but Nepgear still feels the need to point it out.

Seriously, Compa's "use me" shtick might be admirable, but that doesn't change how unsettling it still feels to Nepgear whenever she thinks about it.

Shocking, isn't it?

Well, maybe it'd be better if she just stopped dwelling on it altogether...

After a U-turn and what seriously felt like an eternity of walking through a labyrinth, the two girls finally manage to reach the similarly busy yet considerably less troublesome sidewalk. With that, they begin to follow the current, moving along the overly crowded and consequently hot sidewalk without a moment's rest.

"Ah—Ge-Ge?!"

Or they would have. Had the lilac-haired girl not taken a sharp left into a random alleyway the first chance she got, that is, dragging the nurse along by the arm.

"Um, where are we going?" Compa manages to ask from behind Nepgear as they walk fast through the noticeably clean alley, the peach-haired girl quite obviously confused by the sudden change of plans.

"Away from that giant torture chamber," the Candidate answers bluntly as she takes several breaths, wiping her forehead with a sleeve before tugging at her white scarf. "Goodness, that was too much... There might have been a lot of amazing stores in that street, but I'd rather not die stomped and poor after a shopping spree."

And, really, the prospect is more than enough to keep her away from that place, her personal wishlist be damned.

Compared to her past deaths, going like that would be just sad, after all.

Letting out a sigh, after they're a good distance away from the crowded sidewalk, Nepgear finally lets go of the nurse, slowing down her pace to a normal level before speaking. "Going through the sidewalks is just too troublesome the way things are. That ocean of people might open up a few blocks further on, but I'd rather not bet on it."

"So, we're taking a shortcut?"

At that, the lilac-haired girl lets out a chuckle. "Yeah, a longer shortcut. But, hey, at least we won't have to try and survive a thousand people bumping on us." Glancing back at her friend, the Candidate shoots her a smile. "Then again, we might reach the Guild even faster without a crowd. Nothing to slow us down, you know?"

Rather than replying, the peach-haired girl instead blinks at Nepgear for some reason. "Well, you're right, but... Ge-Ge, is there something wrong?"

"... Eh?" Now it's the Candidate's turn to blink quizzically. "Why?"

"Because you're suddenly acting a bit different," Compa answers, tilting her head a bit to the side. "I mean, it's kinda weird..."

"Really?" Nepgear finds herself asking in confusion. "How so? Historie said we should go to the Guild first, so I'm just trying to lead us there."

Really, that's all there is to it. The mission is clear, there are no doubts to be had, and all that's left is for them to reach their goal, so the Candidate is being just like all those leaders she saw in her comics and making sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.

How does that translate into "acting weird"...?

"Let's see... How to explain..." The nurse trails off, a pensive expression crossing her face. "Um... I think it's easier to say you're kinda acting like Iffy."

"... Like a party leader?"

"No, like Iffy," Compa repeats. "Like... Really like Iffy. You're even talking sort of like her."

"I'm... just stating facts, though...?" Nepgear raises an eyebrow, feeling more confused by the second. "I mean, the crowds were a problem, so I said so. We might reach the Guild faster like this, so I said so. What's off about that?"

"I-It's not really what you say, but how..." The peach-haired girl trails off, looking away bashfully. "Then again, maybe it's nothing... Maybe it really is because you both act like party leaders..."

"Is that so..." The lilac-haired girl directs her view forward, eyeing the approaching wall and sharp right turn several meters away. "Huh, that's definitely a maybe... Then again, I guess I really might have been contaminated by IF. And here I thought calling her nuclear waste would be too mean."

"T-That was horrible, Ge-Ge!" the nurse replies in an instant, but her unsteady voice makes it clear she held in a laugh just now. "Alright, you might not be copying Iffy, but you really did get some of her."

The Planeptunian Candidate can't help but crack a minuscule smile at that. Even if she wants to deny it with all her soul that she's like the troublesome brunette, the simple fact that she, the self-proclaimed most boring girl in the Neptower, managed to say something remotely amusing is enough proof of that.

Maybe that's what's making her seem "weird" to Compa? It would be a lie to say that Nepgear isn't trying to fill the hole IF left, so maybe the indisposed Guild agent did rub off on her and it's only obvious now, as she's trying to be a leader?

Then again, it could also be the result of reading too many comics right before arriving. She can remember feeling strangely antisocial after seeing stories about characters with that trait, so maybe this is something like that?

... Well, as long as her attitude remains leader-like, the reason doesn't really matter, Nepgear supposes with a shrug.

The real question is whether she can make it last...

Reaching the wall, the lilac-haired girl turns right, intent on continuing on her way to the Guild.

And then, she stops, expression blank as Compa bumps on her side with a quiet yelp.

"Ge-Ge, what's... wrong..." the nurse trails off as she follows the Candidate's empty gaze.

Right there is the exit of the alleyway, leading to another street with no other pathways along the walls.

It just so happens, however, that the sidewalk seems even more crowded than the one in the station, seriously looking like the embodiment of "suicide" to just about anyone who's not a native in this jungle of people.

To be honest, Nepgear sort of expected something like this. The city tells stories through its noise, after all, and Lastation didn't get any less talkative while they were taking the "shortcut." What she didn't really expect, however, was the absolute lack of alternative routes, the alley instead forming a simple L and nothing more.

This is bad. Like, real bad.

"... Ge-Ge?" Compa eventually calls out to her, tilting her head as she gazes into the lilac-haired girl with an expectant look, as if unironically waiting to hear her next amazing plan.

This is also bad. Very, very bad.

Unconsciously, Nepgear gulps, not even turning to look at her friend as a drop of sweat trails down her cheek. Even as she seems at a loss of what to do, the peach-haired girl doesn't seem nearly as worried as the Candidate is under her frozen expression, emitting nothing but the kind of complete trust that would make just about anyone want to hug her.

Nepgear's entire body threatens to squirm under her gaze.

It hurts. It hurts so much.

Just like that, the girl's so-called leader-like attitude becomes the first tragic casualty in the hunt for the Lastationite Mascot.

What to do, what to do, oh goodness, what to do...?!

"A-Ah!" Nepgear suddenly jumps in her spot, as if surprised by something. Hastily, she grabs her N-Gear from its holster and brings it to her face. "Looks like Nepugia is calling! Goodness, I completely forgot to tell her we're not in Planeptune anymore!" Her head snaps towards the clearly bewildered nurse, the lilac-haired girl forcing a smile upon her face. "She probably just wants to arrange a shopping trip or something! Wait here for a moment, I'll have to explain some stuff to her!"

With that, the Candidate hurries deeper into the alley, hurrying and dodging right into a pathway several meters away which the nurse remembers as leading to nothing but a large trash container.

Still in her spot, Compa blinks.

"Eh?"


.

.

.


Boredom.

That'd be a nice way to describe what IF is feeling at the moment.

As she waits for her gaming phone to recharge, staring at the white ceiling as the rainstorm's noise sounds nonstop, she can't feel anything but boredom in her mind.

Honestly, when you start to count how many windows the buildings afar have, you know you're in a bad state.

"Hey, Ms. Maid," the brunette begins, glancing at the girl seated on the stool next to the bed. "Entertain me."

"H-Huh?!" As expected, the said girl jumps in place at the sudden order, her blonde twintails waving slightly at the motion as her pair of violet eyes widen noticeably. "Erm, um, r-really?"

"Yeah, c'mon," IF insists impatiently. "Didn't Histoire send you to keep me from feeling bored? Do your job, please. Anything works."

"Um, I-I'm pretty sure she told me to keep you from doing something dumb instead..." With mannerisms far too reminiscent of Nepgear's, the blonde looks away bashfully, alternating between playing with the hems of her purple maid outfit's short skirt and her hair, the latter notably adorned by a violet headband rather than a headdress, a similarly-colored dogoo hairpiece holding her right bangs in place, and a pair of purple hair ties featuring two of the same violet dogoo each. "B-Besides, are you sure? I mean, I'm pretty boring..."

'Oh, for the love of—Is she really Gear?!'

"Just... Just say the first amusing thing that comes to mind," the brunette sighs, rolling her eyes. "Again, anything works."

"A-Alright then..." Taking a deep breath, the maid finally manages to look straight at IF, even as as scarlet embarrassment covers her cheeks. "W-Why did the dogoo cross the street?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"... On second thought, you're pretty bad at this."

"Y-Yes..." The blonde seems to visibly deflate at that. "I told you, I'm not interesting at all..."

It's honestly a miracle that the Guild member doesn't let out a big sigh just then. 'Not with that attitude, you're not.'

Well, back to square one, she supposes. Maybe she could just download some games in another phone... Then again, that'd pretty much mess up their designations, wouldn't it? How troublesome...

*Bzzzt* *Bzzzt* *Bzzzt*

"Hm?" At the sudden noise, both girls towards the bedstand next to the brunette. On it, next to the small white vase filled with pink daisies and the empty plate which once held snacks, are all her phones, including the gaming-related magenta one connected to its charger on the wall's plug nearby.

Incidentally, her green phone is currently vibrating.

"Ah, I'll get it!" the maid declares before grabbing the device, handing it to IF with a... strangely proud smile.

Muttering her thanks, the brunette takes the phone, flipping it open.

A moment later, she raises an eyebrow.

"... Nepgear?" IF mutters to herself, looking at the name displayed on the screen. This is weird, why would she be calling so soon...?

Do those two really miss her so much?

At the thought, a chuckle slips past her lips. Why, isn't that flattering?

Without further ado, the brunette presses to answer the call and brings it to her ear. "Hey, what's u—"

"HELP! ME!"

"WHOA!"

Startled, IF pretty much jolts, the device instantly flying from her hands and towards the maid. In a moment of panic, the blonde tries to grab it, her hands even managing to touch the phone, only for her to fumble it as the green device refuses to stay in her hold. Half a second later, she catches it, hugging it close to her decently-sized chest—

"Ah!"

—before promptly losing her balance and falling on the purple carpet behind her with an audible "squish."

"..."

"..."

The brunette blinks, staring at the fallen girl, all the while stunned violet eyes gaze back at her, wondering what just happened.

She can't really fault her for that.

"..."

"..."

"... Is my phone alright?"

"T-That's what you're worried about?!"

"Hey, it's not like you'd break from that fall," IF explains matter-of-factly, waving her hand dismissively. "Even if you did, we're already at a hospital, right?"

"Horrible!" the blonde almost screeches as she sits up, shooting a teary-eyed disbelieving look at the brunette. "Y-You're so horrible, Lady IF!"

As strange as it might sound, that alone elicits a smile from the Guild agent.

'Look who's starting to get interesting...'

*Bzzzt* *Bzzzt* *Bzzzt*

Just like that, IF's expression fades away.

Slowly, she turns towards the bedstand once again, staring blankly at what is there.

This time, it's her sky blue device which is buzzing.

"..."

Grabbing it by herself, the girl doesn't even waste time identifying the caller before flipping it open and answering the call.

"I figured you dropped the other phone."

"... How thoughtful of you," comes IF's dry response. "Be careful next time. You shouting like a gorilla on fire startled Poya."

"It's Puyo!" the maid insists with a pout her as she raises from the floor.

"Poya?"

"It's Puyo!" she repeats in the same tone, placing the green flip phone on the bedstand before sitting back on the stool.

"Yeah, some maid Histoire sent to keep me from indirectly killing myself. Y'know, the usual stuff," the brunette says with a shrug. "Let's not talk about Payo, though—" "It's Puyo!" "—what's wrong?"

"W-We're in an alley, surrounded!"

At those simple words, IF's blood turns into ice. Even the blonde's eyes widen, and for a good reason. "You're what?!"

"There are crowds everywhere blocking the exits! Lastation is way too busy! Compa thinks I have a plan, but I don't, but she's still looking at me with those trusting eyes and I can't tell her I don't know what I'm doing anymore! Help!"

"... Right," the brunette sighs, trying to pace her beating heart as the girl next to her seems to do the same. 'Dammit, Gear...' "Okay... So, you're calling me to complain about life, then?"

"N-No! I just don't know what to do! I-I thought you might have any idea!"

"On how to go through crowds?" The Guild agent asks incredulously. Who does this girl think she is, Doreamon?! "What do you expect me to say, 'run through the roofs' or something—"

"Ah, that's it! Thanks, IF! I won't think of you as nuclear waste anymore!" *Click*

With that, the call ends abruptly leaving only a bewildered brunette and maid in the hospital room.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"... Wait, what?"


.

.

.

.

.


Three seconds. Two seconds. One second.

Doing her best to time it just right, the girl jumps off from the edge of the building, her dark cloak and similarly covered scarf blowing with the air's resistance as her feet hit another dark roof a few meters away. Without stopping in the slightest, counting down once more, she pulls it off again, and again, and again, growing more and more accustomed to the movements with each jump.

This really is much better than moving through the crowds, Nepgear muses as she continues to go from roof to roof, surrounded by the noises of the city below as she slowly approaches the immense, dome-like, circular, far-more-fancy-than-a-Guild-should-probably-be black building with a flat roof in the distance, adorned by windows all around its sides.

Granted, she can't really jump over streets, at least not without transforming and giving away who she is, but it's not that difficult to find alleys to jump over or catwalks to run through.

Seriously, though, should doing this sort of thing really feel so easy?

"G-Ge-Ge, this is too muuuuuuch!" a familiar voice shouts in panic just as yet another alley is crossed. Glancing down for a moment, Nepgear notes that the peach-haired girl in her arms, covered by a cloak much like her own, seems anything but calm if her panicked stare is anything to go by. "You don't know what you're doing! W-We're going to fall! We'll fall and get hit by a car! We really, really will!"

"... Goodness, that wasn't very nice, Compa," Nepgear replies, looking down at the nurse. "I know what I'm doing, we're not going to—AH!"

Just then, the girl's right foot is caught by a sudden elevation right at the edge of the roof, sending her tumbling down into an alleyway with a screaming nurse in her arms. Thinking fast, just as her body rotates in the air, the Candidate kicks against a window's sill, propelling herself towards the street to her left, where a large truck is currently being halted by the heavy traffic.

Her boots hit the top of its white wagon with a pair of loud "clangs," but rather than stopping right there, Nepgear proceeds to run up the vehicle's length, jumping towards the nearby catwalk's metallic cover just as she reaches the edge. The landing goes well enough, despite some light soreness in the lilac-haired girl's knees, and she doesn't waste time in running up to the top of the metallic construct, hopping right back to a building's roof soon after, all the while the truck's horns sound from behind her.

Maybe the driver wasn't exactly happy with her feat?

"There!" Nepgear declares, letting out a sigh of relief before glancing at Compa. "See, we'll be fine—"

"L-Let me g-go..." the peach-haired girl outright begs, her eyes wide and watery as her hands grasp the Candidate's cloak a bit too hard. "P-P-Please..."

"... Right."

Coming to a halt, she does as Compa says, carefully putting the girl down in a crouch, fully expecting a reprimand to come soon after.

Rather than that, however, the peach-haired girl immediately huddles on the roof, trembling with a noticeably hasty breathing, much to Nepgear's bewilderment.

'M-Maybe I went a bit too far?'

"T-This is t-too much f-for my l-little heart, Ge-Ge..." the nurse confirms her suspicions a moment later, shakily turning to look at the Candidate with wide eyes and a somewhat sickly-looking face. "C-Can't we just t-take a b-bus or s-something?"

"Um..." At that, the Candidate scratches her cheek in embarrassment, looking away. "I-I'm pretty sure we'd take at least a few hours to get there with this transit..."

"S-So we'll have to go like this anyway..." Letting out a sound that is anything but happy, Compa slowly raises from the roof, disappointment obvious in her dizzied features. "I'll just follow Ge-Ge with my own pair of legs, then... That'll probably be a tiny bit better..."

Nepgear can't help but feel a light stab at those words, her expression twitching ever so slightly. She knows the nurse doesn't mean anything bad by it, but still...

Forcing her pain to the depths of her mind and a smile to her face, the Candidate then turns towards the catwalk's roof to her left. "Alright, then. We'll have to cross that first, meaning you'll have some time to get used to it before we start the jumping. Ready?"

"Ugh..." is all Compa replies with, sounding like she'd rather throw herself on the crowded sidewalks than do this.

... Well, it's not like Nepgear will be getting a better response any time soon, she supposes.

Without waiting any further, the lilac-haired girl begins to run, jumping on the catwalk's cover just as the nurse's footsteps sound from behind her. At the very least, it should be much easier to move like this, which means reaching the Guild will be a considerably faster process.

Just then, a yelp sounds, followed by the noise of something hitting metal as the surface beneath her feet trembles noticeably. Coming to a stop, the Planeptunian Candidate slowly turns around, already knowing what to expect.

There, just a few meters away, is the peach-haired nurse, fallen face first on the metallic catwalk's roof and letting out what can only be described as sad Compa noises.

"..."

'Did she just trip on nothing...?'

Letting out a big sigh, Nepgear runs a hand along her hair under the hood, already feeling some exasperation building up in her mind.

That's right, they'll definitely reach the Guild faster like this.

... If the nurse manages to survive, that is.


.

.

.


Finally.

As the Candidate, almost out of breath by this point, stands before the Guild installation's main corridor, its surfaces a pure black and its walls adorned symmetrically with several pathways leading to the many rooms of the building, that is the one thought which crosses her mind.

"F... Finally..."

And also her friend's, apparently.

Glancing at the person in question, Nepgear would certainly have let out a sigh had she not been heaving for air. Compa, although obviously not nearly as tired as her, has been holding onto her arm and standing precariously from the moment they reached the ground, looking about sickly and dizzy enough to fall on the black carpet the instant she loses support.

Seriously, wasn't Compa supposed to be far better at this than Nepgear? She has had far more physical training than the recently released Candidate, no?

... Is she just afraid of heights?

"Come on... Ge-Ge," the nurse manages to mutter, looking at the lilac-haired girl. "We need to... get some... information..."

"..."

Nepgear raises an eyebrow, staring at her friend with something between bewilderment and worry.

That really didn't sound very convincing right now.

"Just keep a hold on me, alright?" the Candidate tells her as she finally begins to walk, slowly dragging Compa along. "There might be a carpet down there, but I don't think it'd feel very nice to fall on it."

"Hm..." is all the nurse replies with, her hold on Nepgear tightening a bit.

As expected, a few heads turn towards them as they move towards the nearest pathway, no doubt wondering why there's a dying girl in a Guild, but it's not as if they're numerous enough to make Nepgear flinch out of embarrassment. To be honest, they're not numerous enough for anything; although the building itself is immense, there are only a few parties wandering around the corridors, a sight which should only be usual in times of peace.

Needless to say, having terrorists waging war against Gamindustri isn't exactly the textbook definition of "peaceful."

"I-I think I heard about this once..." Compa begins, looking slightly less worse for wear. "It looks like ASIC focused more on corrupting Lastation... The monsters aren't really all that easy to beat up anymore, so a lot of people went to Planeptune..."

Nepgear just hums in understanding, even as dread grows in her mind.

So, the monsters here are also violent plus undoubtedly stronger than those back then. Furthermore, she was almost killed by a bunch of Planeptunian dogoos, something that wasn't even supposed to be possible. Granted, had the lilac-haired girl not been a panicked mess, she'd probably have been able to break free with a skill or HDD, but the point still stands.

This isn't good news.

'What a surprise, turns out this will be harder than I thought... What the goodness.'

As if to reaffirm the reality of the situation, the room the two girls enter, although mostly identical to the one back in the other Guild, with holographic collumns displaying notices and screens on the walls filled with news, looks far more empty than it should be. In fact, there are only about fifteen adventurers scattered about, conversing between each other, talking to one of the receptionists in formal wear behind the metallic counter nearby, or just messing around on a device that seems like a darker and sleeker version of the N-Gear.

It's not exactly the most inspiring sight.

"Hm? Are the terminals broken?" Compa suddenly speaks, prompting Nepgear to look towards the wall where the machines were back in Planeptune. True to the nurse's words, they seem out of power, with a notice apologizing for the lack of service slapped over their screens.

Rather than broken, she'd wager it's some sort of network issue, if only because having them all break at once sounds pretty unlikely. Still, that doesn't change one little thing...

"... It looks like we'll need to talk to the receptionists for everything," the lilac-haired girl points out with a sigh. She can't help but dread the prospect; if these workers are anything like all the customer service personnel Nepgear has ever interacted with, they'll be here for the whole year. "Say, Compa, do you feel well enough to go get some information from one receptionists, while I check the quests? Just to make things faster."

"Um..." At the suggestion, the nurse seems a bit unsure. Still, that doesn't stop her from nodding, neither from forming a small yet genuine smile, letting go of Nepgear and wobblying a bit before gaining some balance. "Alright, I'll be back in a jiffy. If you feel like accepting a quest, please don't take anything too hard."

"Alright, alright," the Candidate responds dismissively, waving a hand in the air. A second later, she freezes, bringing the hand back down as a blush covers her face.

That... That felt way too much like IF...

Compa seems to have noticed too, if the way she giggles before turning towards the conter and heading off means anything. Alright, it's official, the brunette did infect her.

Amazing.

Nepgear lets out a big sigh at the thought. IF would certainly see this as a victory of some sort, wouldn't she?

How troublesome.

Still, nothing she can do about it at this point, she supposes.

Thus, mentally preparing herself to speak with another human being who isn't accustomed to her weirdness, the Planeptunian Candidate takes off towards one of the receptionists—

"Hm? What is a kid like you doing here?"

Just like that, Nepgear stops.

That high, noticeably haughty voice just now, which just called her a kid... It definitely didn't sound any older than her. As a matter of fact, it sounded younger.

"Hey, are you ignoring me? I'm serious, taking quests here is dangerous, you know?"

Filled with curiosity, the lilac-haired girl turns around, towards the source of those somewhat annoying words.

What she sees... isn't exactly unexpected. It is, however, rather curious.

"... What is it?" the shorter girl asks, narrowing her scarlet eyes. Not a moment later, she crosses her thin, creamy white arms, mostly covered by fancy fingerless black arm gloves, before letting out a huff, the movement making both her messy black twintails, her distinctive black dress, and the rectangular handheld case hanging on her gray belt-like accessory wave a bit. "I don't exactly enjoy having other people trying to drill holes in me with their stares."

A young girl. Most certainly, this ravenette is a young girl.

Still, there's a certain something about her, Nepgear notes as her own eyes narrow ever so slightly. Something which she, who has had to endure the likes of IF until recently, can spot with such accuracy, such certainty, that it leaves almost no room for doubts, even in a naturally weak-willed and uncertain mind such as hers.

This girl, who has been saying all sorts of things, always with the kind of self-important tone you'd only hear from a spoiled princess...

"Just saying, ogling someone you just met isn't very good manners, as you should be aware."

... She's very, very annoying.


.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.


So... I'm late.

Honestly, there's not much I can say about that. Like, at all. Life was difficult, my free time was filled, I lost sense of time, whatever.

A lot happened. I'll leave it at that.

In any case, this was most certainly a thing. A thing which proved IF still has plenty of screentime points to use up. And that Ge-Ge can have some weird dreams.

Even in a story, a dream is a dream; in other words, it doesn't really need to have a highly precise and coherent meaning. Still, I wonder what that was about~?

Furthermore, here's everyone's Best Girl, Uni! What will be her role in this story? Find out, someday, hopefully soon!

... Please ignore how I'm clearly trying to make everyone forget that they waited three weeks for such a boring thing.

Anyway, this is it. I mean, it's not like this chapter had anything special for me to spend several paragraphs talking about.

Thus, I shall be going now. Time to write my next delusion!

Preferably faster this time.

See y'all later, and don't forget to review!


.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.


A thunderstorm.

Without a doubt, that is the one way to describe the scenery in Planeptune as water falls nonstop, with only the loud clapping from the heavens sounding above it.

The horizon is faded, obscured by a hazy fog which only leaves imperfect shapes on the other side. With that, a cloak of darkness covers the entire nation, calming to some, unsettling to others.

As Histoire watches such a scene through the glass wall of her office, comfortably seated on her black wooden chair turned away from the desk, she can't help but feel that she's part of the latter group. After all, what benefits can such a thing bring, at least to their quest? Delays, impediments and the like are all the fairy can see in the future, even if only for the worst case scenario.

Still, everything depends on one simple thing.

"Is it also raining in Lastation, I wonder...?"

"I can assure you it isn't," a female yet boyish voice sounds from inside the blonde herself, just another benefit of being an artificial being. "It certainly is cloudy, but I doubt it will hinder anything, at least if your calculations are correct. She has already parted to the Guild, after all."

"I do hope your lack of worry is warranted." Histoire lets out a sigh, what-ifs, what-ifs and more what-ifs coming to her mind. "For everything to fail at this point would be far beyond unfortunate."

"... My lack of worry can easily be connected to my lack of interest, however," the voice notes nonchalantly. "How can you put so much faith in an uncertain outcome? Relying on luck leads nowhere, as I am certain you know. As there is no necessity for secrets at this point, would it not be more appropriate to do this formally?"

The fairy can't help but let out a quiet laugh, her eyes still to looking over the landscape. "You would be correct... were it not for those girls' current less than sociable personality. I'm afraid that such a thing only cause an argument, something wholly unnecessary in our current situation. It would be better for the situation to develop naturally."

"Still, a meeting may not even occur," the person on the other side adds matter-of-factly. "What will you do in that case?"

"Then I am afraid we shall have to do this your way," comes Histoire's serene reply a moment later. "Still, I doubt that will happen, at least if our timing was correct. As a matter of fact, they may have already met; for beings such as them, simply being in the same building should be enough for their subconscious to note each other's existence. Probability indicates that we shall not need to proceed with your... idea."

"... Is it truly necessary for you to speak of my suggestion in such a dismissive tone?"

"I believe you already know my answer," the fairy shoots back, the smallest hint of smugness in her voice.

"No offense, but I honestly hope with all my soul that your plan fails spectacularly."

Histoire can only let out a chuckle at the other person's serious, business-like tone, even as her words are anything but. "We shall see."

"Those are strangely confident words for someone who called me only to voice her worries." The fairy winces at that argument, even if it's completely truthful. "Even so, I believe you have a point."

The blonde's smile widens ever so slightly. "Of course—"

"Which only makes me wonder all the more about the point of such a call."

Histoire's everything falters at those words. "W-Well..."

"In any case, I believe I should return to my work now," the voice suddenly says. "Dealing with worried fairies is not exactly in my schedule, you see."

It's not exactly surprising that the fairy's eyes narrow ever so slightly. "Very well. In that case, I hope you miscount and fill several documents incorrectly."

"I hope your tubulation leaks and water drops on your desk."

"I hope your keyboard ceases to work whilst you are typing without looking."

"I hope you forget how your documents are arranged."

"I hope you thoughtlessly wave an arm to the side and sweep all your paperwork off your desk."

"I hope your pen malfunctions and leaks all its paint as you write, rendering all your recent work useless."

"..." At that, Histoire has to pause for a moment, a startled expression all over her features. Slowly, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, only revealing her blue orbs to the wolrd once more after several seconds. "... That was not very nice."

"Funny, I thought we were not attempting to be 'nice'," the voice notes with a chuckle. "With that out of the way, I shall be off. Do take care that my prediction doesn't come true."

And, with that, the other person simply hangs up without even waiting for a reply, something which would be rather rude to do to a stranger or acquaintance.

Well, that isn't the case at the moment, but still.

Letting out a sigh, the fairy takes her eyes off the rainstorm and will her chair to rotate, the object doing so without any obvious external forces. With that action taken, she finds herself facing piles upon piles of paperwork, a tiring yet necessary job of hers as the Oracle of Planeptune.

It's also a nice way of taking her mind off of certain matters, of course.

Absent-mindedly, she takes in hand a blue pen which was lying near the renovation-related documents.

"..."

A moment later, Histoire throws it into the trash can under the desk, opening her drawer and taking out a newer pen before closing it.

No need to tempt fate.

And, with that, she begins her work, reading and scribbling on document upon document in the sort of uneven, broken rhythm only an office worker knows and can tolerate to an extent.

It's not as if she can do much about it, however.

Such is the life of the current most important person residing in Planeptune.

...

...

...

"Ah."

Suddenly, the fairy stops, her eyes widening ever so slightly in realization.

She completely forgot to tell Nepgear about that.

"... Oh, well."

Silently, Histoire returns to her job, signing and signing without a moment of rest.

Honestly, at this point, what would sharing that information with the Candidate even do?

Besides, the fairy realizes as a minuscule smile comes...

'Perhaps it shall add some more authenticity to this farce of mine.'