Disclaimer: I do not own Hyperdimension Neptunia. All characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their creators, Compile Heart and Idea Factory. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.
A/N: You may notice something odd, a return to the future/past/alternate/whatever. I normally space them out, and originally I did. But oddly enough people seemed to have enjoyed that element of the story. When I first started this, I figured it'd be the opposite. The one in the last chapter was actually the last one I had (technically speaking of course), since by that time enough background had been given to make sense of why events are unfolding during the core story.
But I've decided to go ahead and add one last one set of scenes and they kind of need to be right at the start of this chapter since it actually gives some background on events IN this chapter. Don't worry; it's not coming at the expense of the actual chapter. The chapter was already done when I decided to go back add this. It's pure addition.
Chapter 13: The Fate of the Fallen
At some point in time either in the past or future, somewhere that may or may not be the current Gamindustri…
There was a dark look on Neptune's face as she sat behind her desk, staring across the tent at her General. Her final General, the rest had been killed in the Viral War or in the ambush set up by Green Heart and White Heart. He was smartly dressed, wearing a deep purple overcoat the same color that Neptune's hair had once been over a white button-up shirt and matching pants.
"Lady Purple Heart, I must insist that you give the men some time to rest," the General pleaded with her. His voice came out grating and annoying, making the words coming from his mouth sound even more irritating than they would have otherwise. "After that battle with Lowee, we have more injured than not."
Neptune frowned, drumming her finger tips off the arm of her chair. "The last time I agreed to 'wait and recover' I was betrayed from within and ambushed by Lowee while dealing with Leanbox." The fingers stopped. Neptune leaned forward. "Only Blanc remains a threat now, Vert is comatose and Rom is injured. If we wait to recoup our wounds, it gives them the opportunity to do the same."
"I know, Lady Purple Heart," her General said, bowing his head respectfully, "but you're the only one still capable of fighting. The men, your army, there's nothing left in them. Our supplies are used up, the medicine is all but gone, and we still have a number of captured Leanbox and Lowee soldier's to oversee. You simply do not have enough forces left to invade Lowee. There isn't even enough to properly encircle the city."
The frown on her face deepened and she pushed herself to her feet.
He did have a point, as much as she did not want to hear those words. It irked her greatly but even a quick fly over the encampment, what was left of it anyways, had been enough to put weight behind his words. She couldn't kill him as a result. Truth was not something to be punished for, and he was still loyal. She could feel the faith flowing from him into her.
She made her way around the desk and up to the General. "You are right about our current forces but we should be able to bolster them. Force the captured soldiers of Leanbox and Lowee to fight for us, conscription of the common folk, forced breeding programs."
The General trembled in fear as she stopped beside him. Swallowing hard he continued in a broken voice. "The captured soldiers won't fight against their own people. It would take more time to break them than it would take for our forces to recover. Conscription could work, but without training, they're little more than human shields. Breeding programs would take years to provide a viable force."
Her frown turned into a scowl. Insubordination coupled with backtalk, but wrapped in enough truth that she couldn't strike him. She still needed someone to lead the troops now that Falcom and UbiSlyph were gone.
She reached out and touched his cheek. "There must be some way, my dear General, to mobilize a force quickly enough to lay siege to Lowee before White Heart's forces have recovered."
His trembling became worse. "I-I'm sorry, Lady Purple—"
She gripped his face, her fingers burrowed through his flesh. "That, General, is not what I want to hear."
A strange, warm sensation started to build within the pit of Neptune's stomach. It was a familiar sensation, one that oddly brought with it a sense of joy and victory. The General's eyes latched onto her chest as the sensation rose, his eyes following it as it travelled through her shoulder, down her arm and into her hand.
It was a dark purple surge of energy, laced with red and green streaks of unknown energy.
Neptune smiled.
It entered the General.
His body jerked violently and then started to spasm uncontrollably. His mouth opened wide in a soundless scream, as if his body was wracked by an indescribable pain. And then he started to change. His went black, his skin darkened, his hair grew thick and hard. His fingers twisted and warped, become claw like mockeries of their former selves. Bones snapped, ligaments tore, and muscles ripped as his body was rearranged, transforming itself into a hulking monstrosity that could no longer be called human and only vaguely resembled a bipedal creature.
"We have a number of soldiers from Lowee and Leanbox that we captured, do we not?" Neptune purred softly as she gazed lovingly at the incredible transformation.
"We do, Mistress." The voice too was a mockery of what it had once been. Now it sounded like two rocks grinding together.
It was over now.
Neptune was fully assimilated. Those tiny little screams of horror and grief that had once echoed in the deepest parts of her mind were no more.
Being within this CPU had given her what she needed to evolve once more. Each and every denizen of Gamindustri held a tiny fragment of the first Goddess, the True Goddess, within them. It had protected them from viral infections. But no longer. The CPUs were the link, the halfway point between denizen and not. With Neptune fully consumed, she could now infect all aspects of Gamindustri. No one was safe from the virus.
No one.
Not even the land itself!
"I believe I will pay them a visit now."
She would have her army, an army unlike anything this dimension had ever seen. Lowee will be ashes by the end of the month.
~o~
By the time Code found Neptune's encampment it had undergone a tremendous transformation. The General hadn't just been viral, but incredibly virulent as well. With each person he touched, the virus spread and they themselves became new carriers capable of spreading the virus.
Everyone in the encampment was infected now, a twisted mockery of what they had once been. The captured soldiers that had once been faithful to Vert and Blanc, now worshiped Neptune, their faith as twisted as the malformed shapes they scurried about on the ground. Runners, misshapen creatures with five legs and two tails, had been sent out far and wide into the country side, to spread the gift that Neptune was spreading.
Even the land itself had changed. The trees were blackened, the bark like onyx and the leaves now a sickly grey with red pulsating veins. The land itself had become a quivering black mass of something words weren't capable of describing. When Code touched down upon it outside Neptune's tent his boots sank several inches into it. It felt like spongy flesh. The corrupted ground felt unnervingly like home to Code, all it lacked was the screams that rose up with each step or the putrid puss that filled the prints left behind by his boots.
Code entered the tent and quickly glanced around. The blackened ground continued even inside. By contrast the furnishings still looked normal, standard chair behind desk and a small bed for Neptune, which she was currently resting upon, her messy tangled mass of purple-green hair spilling about her ashen form. All of her standard CPU gear had been unequipped leaving her only in her bodysuit. "Yo! Neptune, how's it going?" Code called out cheerfully as he entered the tent.
Neptune shot up in bed. When her eyes met his they widened in surprise and love?
"Code!" Neptune shouted in surprise. She was off the bed and across the room in an instant. Before Code could even register that she had moved, she had her arms around his neck and her lips pressed firmly against his. "You're alive! How?!" She asked as breathlessly when she broke the kiss.
"The Viral Behemoth Prime ate me in a single bite," Code said and chuckled, "probably only thing that saved my life really. It was rather unpleasant getting dissolved, but I had enough healing medicine to survive. Sorry it took me so long to cut my way out of it. You know how stubborn those things can be."
"Yes," she said breathlessly, "anything created by you would be strong." She gave him another loving kiss.
Code broke the kiss and gave her a curious look. "Neptune?" he asked cautiously. She shouldn't have known that he had created the Viral Behemoth Prime.
"Yes, master?"
Master?
Uh oh.
"You're not just Neptune, are you?" Code asked, fishing for confirmation of what he already suspected.
Neptune rubbed her nose against his and smiled, "I am Ultimate Neptune, the combination of your wonderful creation with what I used to be. This virus you placed in me, oh Master, it's so wonderful. I should have asked you to infect me years ago. I have never felt this alive before!" She kissed him again. "I abused you before, used your love for me without reciprocating it. Well, I won't make that mistake again. For giving me all this wonder and joy, I will give you the same. Just ask, and it is yours."
There was a smoky, lustful look in her eyes now. With the way she was pressing her body into his, there was little doubt in his mind what she meant by that. His Histoire had been right, Neptune would be willing to give him her all, but not for the reason Histoire had suspected. Neptune was a blank slate; she had no Ego, not before at least. She did now, but it was one formed from the virus that infected her. The Ego was colored by Neptune, but it was still something else entirely.
The Neptune he had known and come to love was dead and gone.
Code placed a finger on her lips before she could kiss him again. "Not now, let's save it for the victory party. I believe I heard that there are still a few CPUs left alive?" Whispers had been carried upon the wind to his ears, talks about renewed attacks upon Lowee and the few CPUs that remained.
"I'd much rather talk about something more pleasant than that," Ultimate Neptune said, burrowing her face into his neck.
"I know, but duty before pleasure, it's always been the way of things," Code said, "with you as you are now," he glanced at stared at her beautiful viral form, "I doubt they'll easily let you into Lowee. I can though, they'd still trust me."
"What are you suggesting, Master?" Ultimate Neptune asked, looking up at him curiously.
"Give me Gehaburn, and I'll make it complete," Code said simply. "With Rom and Vert out of commission as they are, the only threat is Blanc. They'll let me in, lower their guard. The moment Blanc turns her back, I kill her. Then I will murder Rom and Vert in their sleep. After that you can raze Lowee to the ground with this army, set yourself up as the supreme ruler of Gamindustri and then we will have all the time in Gamindustri to explore each other in depth."
Ultimate Neptune trembled with excitement in his grasp as her arousal filled the air. "Oh Master, you really do know how to make a woman feel good." She stepped back and held her hand out. The unfinished Gehaburn blade appeared in her outstretched hand.
Code felt a little guilty taking advantage of her trust like this, but he had to remember, this wasn't Neptune.
This was his mistake.
If it had been anyone else, she probably would have simply killed or infected them. However the virus recognized him as its original creator. Saw him for the monster he truly was. Felt the kindred spirit inside him. This new Neptune owed him her very existence, and she trusted him explicitly as a result. Like a child trusting his or her parents.
And he was going to betray that trust.
He accepted the blade from her and held it up to look over. "You've been quite busy I see," Code murmured as he sensed the various CPUs inside the blade.
"I have," Ultimate Neptune agreed, rubbing her face against his shoulder. "I wanted to make sure Nepgear had lots of company."
Code nodded, "and she most certainly does." He gave Ultimate Neptune an honest smile. "I promise you I will do whatever it takes to give her the companionship she deserves."
Ultimate Neptune smiled up at him. "I trust you."
That was one thing she could trust him with. He was going to give Nepgear all the companionship she deserved, one way or another.
"I shall return once I have added Blanc and the other CPUs to this," Code lied to Ultimate Neptune. It was so easy to lie, he'd been lying ever since he was born.
Ultimate Neptune grinned, it was a vicious, evil grin. "I can't wait, please record the looks on their faces as you murder them."
"I will."
Code stepped outside of the tent and paused as some random NPCs, little more than grey outlines, were dragged kicked and screaming through the encampment by a shambling horror. Their destination more than likely one of the numerous 'conversion' facilities designed to force people to worship Neptune. In the distance, in the ruins of Lastation, Code could see the beginnings of an enormous statue being built, an effigy to Ultimate Neptune.
This had to be changed. It was bringing back bad memories of his childhood.
He took to the air and shot off towards the north.
"Looks like I need to switch to Plan C," Code murmured quietly as the land sped past him.
"Kill the CPUs and live happily ever after with Neptune?" Histoire asked as she flew out from under his clothes and took a seat on his shoulder.
"Don't make me beat you," Code retorted absentmindedly. "If the virus had not fully taken over, I could have cured her." That had been Plan A. "Plan B was if it had just been Neptune, I could have grabbed a Neptune from an alternate dimension, injected the cure inside her, and forcefully merged her with my Neptune. However with the land itself changing… that's no longer a feasible option. Even if Neptune is cured, the land will never recover. So it's on to Plan C."
He needed to stop this before it even began. That was the only recourse, the only path left open. This timeline was doomed no matter what anyone did. It was time for a change.
"Just saying, you could stay with her," Histoire said, "I know you don't entirely disapprove of this new Neptune. I distinctly felt your arousal." She opened and closed her fingers suggestively.
"That's Plan D."
"Oh."
If nothing worked then it would be his responsibility to at least comfort this Neptune as much as possible. And do what he could to prevent it from spreading to any other dimension.
x~X~x
Blanc let out a long sigh as she leaned back against the high upholstered chair in the medical ward. The white wash walls were comforting to her, but she could have done without the sterile smell or the constant beeping of machines. Beside her, sleeping deeply beneath a set of clean white sheets, was her little sister, Rom. The left side of her face was covered in bandages.
Rom would survive, but a full recovery was impossible. The ice that had torn into her face had been laced with trace energies of Neptune's viral infection. While they had been able to remove the virus from Rom, the damage done by it was irreversible. She had lost her eye and her face was now badly scarred. The worst part about it was that the damage had translated into her human form as well.
She still had her life however, and for that Blanc was thankful. Rom was in a medically induced coma while the worst of the damage healed, but the doctors had said she should be well enough to wake up within the week.
Blanc's eyes flicked over to the wall that separated this room from the neighbouring one where Vert rested.
That one was a lost cause.
Vert was in a coma as well, only it wasn't medically induced. She had lost ninety-eight percent of her worshippers in an instant and if the reports coming in from outside were anything to go on, she was losing more every day. Neptune seemed to spend a few hours each day hunting down the remnants of Vert's naval fleet, the last bastion of her followers.
If they didn't make it to Lowee's waters soon the chances of Vert surviving were slim. Even if they did, the chances of her ever waking up were even slimmer.
The soft creak of the door caused her to glance that way. Her eyes widened in surprise when someone she never expected to see again walked inside.
"Code!"
"Yo!" Code said cheerfully, waving the unfinished Gehaburn towards her.
Her eyes fixated on that and a cold fear started to develop in the pit of her stomach. "Why do you have that?" She pointed at the sword. That had been with Neptune. It was impossible to take it from her unless she was either dead, or had willingly given it.
And Code would never kill Neptune. Code had fought as hard as any of them to stop the Viral War, but it had always been for Neptune, not for Gamindustri. He had made that quite clear, and his actions had backed it up.
If Neptune hadn't considered them her friends, he never would have bothered to save them from the situations they'd found themselves in.
Which was why Code being here with Gehaburn in his hands was a very bad thing. If Neptune had ordered him to kill Blanc and the rest…
She hurled herself from the chair, placing herself between Rom and Code. Her battle hammer was summoned to her hands and held at the ready. "Don't think I'll just lie down and let you kill me!" She was stronger and tougher than Code, but he was faster. While she couldn't beat him, she could easily survive long enough for the commotion to draw in the others, specifically UbiSlyph who could match him step for step.
"Whoa, whoa!" Code said as he waved his hands before him quickly, it looked odd while handling Gehaburn. He stared at it and chuckled sheepishly before tossing the blade towards her. "I was going to joke around but I guess this isn't really the appropriate time."
Blanc dropped the head of the hammer to the white tile floor and caught the blade with her free hand. "Don't scare me like that," Blanc said softly, letting the dread fade away. "Why are you here?"
"I love Neptune, but you already know that," Code said softly, his eyes shifted past her to her sister sleeping on the bed behind her. "But that thing isn't Neptune anymore. It's simply the virus now. It's colored by Neptune, but still little more than a virus. That's not what I want, that's not what I'm loyal to."
Blanc let out a long sigh of relief and the tension in her body, tension she hadn't known she'd been carrying, drained out. "I see, that is good." It made sense. "Why do you have this?" she asked, holding up Gehaburn. Even now she could feel the presence of the CPUs it had consumed.
Although for some reason Nepgear appeared to be missing, either that or she had been in there for so long she was no longer distinguishable.
"I'm going to change things, Blanc," Code said softly. "I'm going to go back in time and stop this from ever happening." He gestured to the sword in her hands. "The Gehaburn stores the souls of the CPUs that it kills, or are killed near it. I can pull them out and place the soul within a Sharicite Crystal, or something very similar to it if the crystal is destroyed, but…"
"It requires a host to bring them back," Blanc finished for him. "You intend to go back in time and restore the CPU Candidates so that they have the knowledge and skill to prevent this." She gestured to the window and the outside world.
It wasn't possible to do the same for the CPUs, they were all hundreds of years old and they hadn't all appeared at the same time like the CPU Candidates had.
"Yes," he pulled out a small disc that looked as if it had been made from Sharicite crystals. "I know Histoire already has Nepgear's Sharicite crystal, so I won't be able to infuse Nepgear into it, she won't let anyone near it. But I don't need to either. While I can't remake the crystal itself, I can make something similar. I've already placed Nepgear inside this. Now I just need to go back and find Nepgear before Histoire does."
"Won't Histoire be suspicious?"
If Nepgear were to appear and Histoire still had her Sharicite shard…
"True, I'll probably need to find some way of dealing with that."
"I see." She tossed the Gehaburn back to Code. "You won't be able to do that for Rom and Ram."
"I know," Code said, glancing past her again to Rom. "Even if I did add Rom, without Ram, it's pointless."
Thinking of Ram caused a sharp stinging pain to appear in her heart. Ram had died in the middle of the Viral War, killed by the viral monsters as she sacrificed herself to buy time for the other CPU candidates to evacuate Leggo Island. There was no bringing her back.
"And I don't even know how to begin with Vert's little sister," Code added. No one knew how Vert obtained her little sister. Both were very tight lipped about what happened. And any mention of that missing arm caused Vert to get violent.
"When do you leave?" Blanc asked.
A scream pierced the air before Code could respond, causing both of them to jump in surprise. A moment later a nurse burst into the room.
"Lady White Heart, quick! Something is wrong with Lady Green Heart!"
"Shit," Code cursed as he turned and shot past the nurse into the hallway.
Blanc was on his heels, racing from the room, down the hallway, and into Vert's room. She came to a stop when she reached Vert's side and stared. Vert was thrashing on the bed as four nurses futilely tried to hold her down. Even weakened and comatose she was still far stronger than the four of them combined.
"Oh no," Blanc said softly as she saw what was happening to Vert.
"Should have expected this," Code said bitterly, "ever since Leanbox fell, it was possible."
Vert's beautiful blond hair was starting to stain a light green, their straight threads twisting and curling. Thick dark lines were crawling beneath her skin as something putrid started to work its way through her system, moving from the core of her body outwards.
"Her Share Crystal, the Goddess Crystal of Leanbox…" Blanc said softly.
"Neptune is infecting it," Code said. "She's attacking Vert directly from Leanbox."
There was only one thing they could do for Vert now.
Blanc activated her HDD, enveloping herself in her power. "Move out of the frickin way!" Blanc barked at the nurses as she lifted her weapon which had now transformed into an enormous futuristic axe.
They moved quickly.
"Are you sure?" Code asked.
"Of course I'm not frickin sure but I'm not letting thunder tits go viral not ten god damn feet from my little sister!" Blanc snapped angrily at Code. Inside however she felt sick to her stomach. As much as she and Vert had bickered over the years, Blanc had come to enjoy her company. "And thunder tits would rather be dead than viral, I know that."
Code nodded and said nothing more.
Blanc swallowed hard and steeled her emotions. She was set on this course of action. "Sorry Vert, but I know you would have preferred this," Blanc said and swung. The axe howled through the air. There was no resistance as the axe tore through Vert's body, cleaving her and the bed in half. Blood fountained across the room, painting the white washed room red. The thrashing stopped as the CPU of Leanbox died.
"Damn it!" Blanc shouted angrily and hurled her axe across the room. "Her life should have felt heavier than that!" It had been almost too easy to kill her, there had been absolutely no resistance.
Code laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Perhaps she knew what was happening to her, and what you were doing for her. The Vert I know would have jiggled her breasts at least twice, even in that state."
Blanc deactivated her HDD and allowed a soft smile to cross her lips. "Perhaps you're right." She shot him a grateful smile, "you need to go, now."
"I will, and you need to be careful, shore up your defenses," Code said as he stepped back from her. "Neptune is raising a viral army the likes this dimension has never seen. The walls of Lowee won't hold out against such a force."
"I know," Blanc said, "we've seen the reports. Star and Ocean think they have a solution. They'll buy us enough time for you to change things. Just don't frickin fail, you hear me?"
He gave her a smile, "I won't. For Neptune's sake."
And with that said the air around him warped, like it was stretching, elongating. Then Code was pulled through what appeared to be a tiny pin-prick in reality, and was gone.
Blanc sighed and turned from the dimensional rift. She didn't know how Code could do what he did, but anything was better than what was to come. Making her way over to her large hammer she tucked it back into her inventory and glanced out the window.
Lowee, her nation. She would fight until the bitter end, and rest her hopes on Code being able to change things.
x~X~x
"Whew, I wasn't quite sure that'd actually work, but it seems we are back in time," Code said as he glanced around the jungle forest he was in. He recognized this zone, Gallia Forest. It was the place he had first entered this dimension.
He knew it prior to then because his first act upon arrival was to turn this place in a viral nesting ground. Yet there were no signs of that here and now. Hopefully he didn't end up too far back, otherwise he would have a long wait ahead of him.
"How do you know we're back?"
"Because the forest isn't viral."
"Oh ya, I remember that that now."
"Plus in our time it's little more than a smoking crater. Neptune turned the Nep Satellite on it once the infestation and become all encompassing."
Histoire nodded, "I remember that too. I also recall that tear that slid down her cheek as she obliterated the fairy village."
"A quick death is better than what they would have been forced to endure."
"Depends on point of view."
"True."
"So what's first?"
"First… is changing the final boss, defeating Arfoire won't make Neptune and the others powerful enough to deal with the Viral War when it arrives."
Histoire gave him a confused look. "Didn't you start the Viral War? Why the fuck would you need them to get strong enough to defeat it if… oh, right. That smelly piece of shit, Rootkid."
The Viral War had continued even after he had abandoned it precisely because it had been taken over by another. Even if Code didn't infect this dimension, Rootkid would eventually return to begin again what Code had started before.
"Yes, and to help make them strong enough not to get instantaneously gibbed when they clash…" Code tapped his foot off the platform. "Perhaps I can tweak this dungeon, just a little, ramp up the difficult, add a special final boss and some unique events… shouldn't be too difficult to lure Neptune and the others out here."
It was time to start changing things. The more he changed, the greater the difference in the future.
x~X~x
Back in the present day…
In a place that is the same Gamindustri as the previous scene…
"So this is it," IF said as she looked around the beach they were on.
It was a beautiful beach, as far as they went, a perfect combination of white sand and darker clay with a gentle incline into crystal blue water. It stretched for as far as the eye could see in either direction and on approach IF had noticed it actually ringed the entire island. The only detraction, which wasn't visible from there low vantage point, were the odd ship wrecks that dotted the beach in various places.
There had been some rather large sea monsters in the water below them as they flew over the sea, in this remote area that wasn't particularly strange.
Neither was the enormous jungle that spread out before them. The further away from the centers of power one went, the more wild and dangerous the land became. Thankfully the massive jungle zone was considered a legitimate zone: Gallia Forest. There was a long ramp near them at the end of the beach leading up to a large platform hovering twenty feet above the ground.
They were on an island in the furthest reaches of Planeptune. Far to the west where few people lived and the strongest monsters roamed. The average level here was level fifty, which meant they should have no issues with the monsters on account of Nepgear's and Neptune's levels.
That still irked IF whenever she thought about it. That Leviathan Mk-I they had fought and beaten out in the sea between Leanbox and Planeptune had catapulted Neptune past her level wise. The CPU of Planeptune was now firmly level seventy-one while her little sister, Nepgear, was a staggering ninety-nine.
Nepgear wouldn't talk about how she had gotten so strong, so quickly. She simply blushed and quickly tried to change the subject whenever it was brought up. From that reaction it was obvious that it was some embarrassing method and after being around individuals like Compa, Neptune and Neverlan, she quickly found herself not wanting to know.
"It is," Neptune said as she set IF on her feet down on the sandy white beach.
Beside her Nepgear did the same with Falcom. Neptune and Nepgear had flown out here carrying the two of them. Compa was back in Planeptune, helping Histoire out. As much as they all wanted her to come along, she was too low level for this zone, and getting out here in a timely manner would have been difficult if they had to walk.
With the average monster level being level fifty, it was just right for Falcom and IF who were level fifty-seven and fifty-six respectively.
"Gallia Forest," Falcom said as she eyed the dark jungle zone ahead of them, "this is a newly discovered zone, just popped up a few years ago. Not many people have had the chance to explore it yet." The red-haired adventuress shrugged her shoulders lightly, "to be honest, no one has actually made it out of it alive, its high level requirement is a deterrent against most exploration parties and the rest were beaten and forced to respawn before they cleared it."
"And Neverlan, Otome and Mate are in there somewhere," IF said as she eyed the forest suspiciously. "Since they haven't respawned they must still be alive, possibly stuck in a trap."
"That's… very likely," Falcom said and large sweat drops rolled down the back of IF's and Falcom's head.
"Well, let's go fish them out of yet another trap they've found themselves stuck in," IF said in a resigned voice.
IF adjusted her oversized coat on her shoulders and checked her gear one last time. Her weapons were there, including a couple back up spares, and a host of healing and energy restoring items. She trusted Falcom to have the same on her. When traveling into a new, unknown dungeon, it was always best to come prepared.
Especially since she had a feeling that Neptune had not, and Nepgear was a little too green around the ears to be expected to be properly prepared. She shook her head and chased that thought from it. Nepgear wasn't green around the ears, IF had to remember that. The Gear she knew was only seventeen, this Nepgear was something different, someone from the future.
She always had a cheerful expression on her face, but she was someone who had seen far more, and far worse, than IF ever had. Her traumatic reaction to Noire and the pain that lurked just behind those happy, carefree eyes bespoke experience far beyond the normal.
"Let's go sis!" Nepgear looked and sounded so happy. A pillar of light engulfed Nepgear for a brief moment and she was back into her human form. "It's a new dungeon to explore."
"Yes it is," Neptune said as she returned Nepgear's smile.
"You should revert to your human form, Neptune," IF said to her friend, "to conserve your energy for when you really need it."
"Really?" Neptune asked curiously. She lifted her arms and turned them over, eyeing them carefully, "I don't feel any particular drain."
"Just revert, Nep." IF never thought she'd prefer the ditzy Neptune to her adult form, but it was just a little too strange seeing Neptune prefer to be an adult. It just didn't feel like Neptune.
Neptune didn't seem to mind though and gave IF a tolerate smile, "I suppose I should." A pillar of purple light engulfed Neptune as she began the process to undo her transformation. IF and the others waited patiently for the transformation to come undone.
And waited.
And waited.
"Uh… Neptune?" IF spoke up as the purple pillar of light continued to rotate around Neptune's form without any signs of abating. "You can stop joking around."
"Ah hah… this is odd," Neptune's adult voice came from the rotating pillar of light.
"Sis?" Nepgear called out fearfully, causing IF to shoot her a concerned look. She was terrified for some reason. IF could see real fear in her eyes and the nervous sweat breaking out on her face.
"Stop the transformation, Nep," IF said quickly. "It's not that important."
"No, I think I got it," Neptune's voice came to them, sounding closer to her younger self. "Almost and…"
The pillar of light shattered. A violent explosion rippled outwards from the epicenter, lifting IF from her feet and hurling her several feet through the air. She let out a painful gasp as she landed harshly on the soft sand, digging a small, shallow trench as her body slid across the beach.
IF laid there stunned for a brief moment. That was not normal, something strange had just happened. She hurriedly pushed herself to her feet and looked around. Falcom was busy pulling herself out of her own trench a ways to her right. On her left Nepgear was still standing, a barrier raised between her and the explosion. IF marveled for a moment at her reflexes if she managed to erect a defense quickly enough to block the explosion, she had been the closest of them all.
However the strangest thing of all was Neptune. The CPU of Planeptune was sitting at the base of a small crater in the beach, her legs splayed out behind her to either side. She was staring at herself as if she didn't recognize her own body.
And IF couldn't blame her, she didn't either. She was not the same childish looking Neptune as before. While not as tall as she was in her CPU form, she was close. She was taller than Nepgear now, with most of that increase being in her legs. Her purple hair was much longer as well, the long bangs were still there but the rest of her hair continued on down to her waist. Her outfit was changed as well. Gone were the thigh high socks and childish boots. Instead now she wore a pair of dark, open front laceless boots with purple trimming and no socks at all, leaving her legs entirely bare save for a small pouch buckled to her left thigh. Her hoodie was still the same, although it had taken on a darker palette like her boots, black material with purple trimming and accents. It was larger now as well, to accommodate a bust size that had gone beyond her normal A cup size to a solid, upper B. The rest of her accessories had changed color palette as well, to match her hoodie and boots.
If IF had to sum it up simply, it was as if Neptune's human form had gone through puberty and changed her clothes to match.
"Nep?" IF called out cautiously, not sure what to make of this new development. She wasn't surprised, she wasn't quite sure she could be surprised anymore, but she needed to know if Neptune was alright.
Neptune stopped staring at herself and looked up at IF. She blinked once and tilted her head, throwing a cheeky smile at her, "Look Iffy! I grew up!" The bubbly girl said in a voice a bit more mature than her normal childish voice. She cupped her newly developed breasts. "I'm so going to rub these in Blanc's face when I meet her next."
Three long sighs of relief were let out in tandem. IF shared startled, but relieved, looks with Falcom and Nepgear. Despite the change in Neptune's appearance, Neptune was still Neptune, and that made everything alright.
"Do you know what happened?" IF asked Neptune. Even if her personality was still the same, if there were issues with Neptune's transformation, they need to know.
Neptune staggered to her feet and wobbled, seeming unused to her longer legs. "I dunno, it was like my HDD just got a clingy like that expired jello last month and wouldn't let go and stuff. And then all of a sudden, POW! I have this new curvy body!" She traced the outline of her body with her hands for emphasis.
"Perhaps you should stay out of HDD for now," IF said as she eyed Neptune's new body. She fought down that twinge of jealousy that tried to worm its way into her mind. She would not be jealous of Neptune's long legs and now significantly larger bust. "At least until we get back to Planeptune, maybe Histoire knows what's going on. Maybe she can reverse it." So that IF wouldn't feel quite so outclassed.
"Maybe, but not until I rub these in Blanc's face!" Neptune said mischievously as she cupped her breasts again, "I bet she'll pop her top! Nep Jr., I want you to take pictures."
Nepgear frowned at Neptune sternly and waggled her finger at her now taller, older looking sister. "That's not very nice, sis."
"Ah don't worry about it," Neptune said, waving off Nepgear. She turned to face the Gallia Forest dungeon and smirked at it, placing her fists on her hips as if staring down a boss monster. "Let's tally ho my faithful side-kicks! And let's do battle with whatever beasties and boss monsters await us inside!"
"At least she hasn't changed much," Falcom said with some relief. IF agreed, even if she looked different on the outside, she was still the same on the inside. They watched as Neptune marched past them like a soldier in a marching parade.
"Wait up sis!" Nepgear called out to Neptune and quickly caught up to her sister.
IF just shook her head and quickly followed after the two CPUs. Falcom fell into step behind her. "Just remember we're here to find out what happened to Neverlan, Otome and Mate, not to have fun."
Neptune waved back at her over her shoulder, "we can do both! Race you there!" and with that she bolted across the sand for the dungeon entrance.
And promptly tripped over her own legs. She tumbled head over heels a few times before she finally stopped on her back, staring up into the sky with a dizzy expression on her face.
"Sis!"
Neptune shook the swirlies from her eyes and looked up at them from her upside down position. She smiled apologetically. "Owie, still not used to having long, luscious legs."
IF had to fight down another surge of jealousy.
"Nep, just get up," IF muttered to her and stomped past her prone form.
"Whoa, what crawled up Iffy's panties?" Neptune asked as she was pulled to her feet with Nepgear's help.
"Nothing!" IF said shortly and stomped her way up the ramp into the jungle forest, officially entering the dungeon.
"Don't mind IF, Neptune," IF heard Falcom say to her friend. "She's just jealous you have a better body than her now."
"Aw! Really?!" Neptune said in a cheerful voice, causing IF to twitch violently. There was the patter of feet behind her and before she could turn around Neptune pounced on her from behind, wrapping her arms around her neck. "Is Iffy all jealous of my new bodacious bod? It's alright Iffy, I'll share it with you too!"
IF could feel Neptune's breasts pressing into her back, that just didn't seem right considering the thick material of her hoodie. That caused her to become even more irritated. "Gah!" IF snapped and shrugged Neptune off her back, "let's just get this over with and get back to Planeptune so Histoire can return you to normal."
"IF, Sis, Falcom," Nepgear said, her voice was oddly cold and hard, very unlike the normal bubbly Nepgear they'd known up until now. Nepgear had moved on ahead while IF and Neptune were bickering. "We need to be very careful in here."
"What is it, my cute little sister?" Neptune asked as she rushed up beside Nepgear. "It's a little dark inside but nothing our brilliance can't light up!"
Brilliance and Neptune were two things that did not go hand-in-hand. "What's wrong Gear?" IF asked as she finished ascending the ramp. The forest beyond really was darker than the average dungeon, but it wasn't as bad as the underground caves. So long as they finished before nightfall, there really wouldn't be any issues.
"These monsters aren't just level fifty, they're viral," Nepgear hissed as she glared angrily at a group of monsters wandering around on the next platform. "The entire forest is viral!"
"Ah don't worry, a monster is a monster! We'll beat them all easy-peasy!" Neptune said without a care in the world as she patted Nepgear on the shoulder.
Unlike Neptune, IF realized what Nepgear was getting at, and why she was so worked up. Monster's usually became viral during battle, if they were hurt or agitated enough. These monsters were viral to begin with, and didn't look like any of the monsters IF was familiar with. However the most unnerving fact wasn't the viral monsters. "Nep, it's not just the monsters, the forest is viral as well." The trees on the edge of the jungle were fine, but the further in one went, the sicker they became.
"But that won't stop us right?" Neptune said, whirling around to give IF a wide smile. "Let's just go beat up some monsters, rescue our beloved damsels in distress and return to Planeptune triumphantly like conquering heroines to a large bowl of pudding!"
And thus began their trek through Gallia Forest. They made their way through the forest dungeon, clearing each platform of viral monsters, looting all the object containers and harvesting whatever materials they could before moving onto the next. Despite the fact that level of the zone was rated for fifty plus, it was significantly harder due to the viral infections that raged through the monsters in the place. A normal monster, when a virus overcame them, would find their stats boosted by fifty percent and their hit points almost doubled.
They could still be dealt with relatively easily as their attack patterns didn't change. They just took less damage and dealt more in return. Good strategy, proper breaking of their guards and the right combos at the right time were generally enough to defeat them as easily as their non-viral counterparts. Unfortunately since all of these monsters were new to IF and everyone else they didn't know what skills to watch out for, the area their strikes covered, what their attack patterns were like and what caused them to shift aggro.
Correction, none of them save Nepgear, IF noted, as she watched the supposedly younger woman easily evade the viral monster she was fighting and dispatch it with a single strike. While her level essentially assured that there was little these monsters could do to the CPU Candidate, her movements were too fluid, too sure, for someone who was fighting something for the first time.
And the look in her eyes as she cut them down did not belong. There was real hatred in them, personal hatred, as if they were personally responsible for some past tragedy that she had been forced to live through.
Some of the techniques that Nepgear used were foreign to IF as well. Some of them were classic. Her Mirage Dance was a standard, simple five hit strike that was useful against any creature, the Slash Wave, a linear shockwave strike that crushed everything above it, and her Panzer Blade was a stronger version of her Mirage Dance that sacrificed elegance for power. All three of these abilities wouldn't have looked out of place anywhere.
It was the other ones that sent a chill down IF's spine. IF watched as Nepgear used an attack called The Annihilation Dance on a strange, hulking monster with four arms where she used her speed and incredible situational awareness to slip inside a monster's guard and strike their core in a single blow. It was an instant kill attack with a high percentage chance of causing the death status effect. Whenever she came across a monster with arms that used them as a means to attack, this was her go to attack.
Then there was her next attack, Critical Wave. This one was used against bulbous monstrosities. She hit the monster from five different directions at the same time with five attacks that looked similar to the Slash Wave. She followed it up by striking from above just at the exact moment the five crushing attacks converged on the viral monster. This six strike technique also came with an instant death effect, one that had six chances to strike home, one for each hit.
These were specialized attacks designed for enemies one couldn't afford to spend more than a few moments on. As if you were forced to move on after a single strike because the situation didn't allow you to spend any more attention than that.
If IF's suspicion was correct, there was another attack, a stronger version of Panzer Blade that Nepgear had yet to use, and would most likely come with an instant death status effect as well. Whatever future Nepgear came from, that would force that cheerful looking girl to resort to such devastating and cruel attacks, was a future IF wanted no part of.
And IF got to witness those skills time and time again as Nepgear insisted that they wipe out all trace of viral infection, which included any plant life they came across that showed signs of viral infection. At first it wasn't a big deal, but by halfway through the zone, Nepgear was hacking down every fifth tree and ordering IF to burn the roots to ash.
Neptune, being her usual self, insisted that they explore every nook and cranny they came across for treasure and other goodies. The most irritating part of the whole exploration bit was that sometimes when Nepgear cut down a tree and IF burned the remains, a new path opened up that led to a secret platform with a special monster and unique treasure.
It made Neptune just as eager to cut down the viral trees as Nepgear, if albeit for vastly different reasons.
Between the two CPUs, what IF had hoped would be a simple trek through the zone became a long slog. The only thing IF was thankful of was how easily they dispatched the monsters. Neptune and Nepgear tore through them with relative ease making Falcom and herself feel almost unneeded.
Thankfully the monsters that did respawn were of the normal variety and not the viral type. The strange monsters that IF had never seen before, didn't respawn at all. It placed some merit behind Nepgear's desire to completely clear the zone if it restored it back to what it should be.
But despite the long slog, they eventually they reached the end of the zone, the last platform, upon which stood the boss of the zone, the final viral monster they had to defeat. Behind them and around them the jungle burned, almost every tree around this final platform was viral, and the fire IF had started on the earlier platform had spread to this one, creating a ring of orange flame and setting the tone for a boss fight.
"What is that ugly thing?" Neptune asked, sounding as shocked as IF felt as they stared up at the monster before them.
The monster floated before them, hovering several meters above the ground. It looked like an enormous, almost fully grown fetus with tiny little arms and legs, an enormous, bulbous body and a face so ugly it could induce nightmares. A thick, translucent skin covered the sickening green colored body of the fetus like a protective membrane. Malevolent beady red eyes stared down at them from a face that only barely looked human. Four tentacles with bulging ends waved threateningly behind it.
"It's a Viral Child," Nepgear spat out as she glared angrily at the monstrosity before them. "Don't worry; it's weaker than it looks."
"Nepgear, its level one hundred," IF felt she needed to point that fact out. A quick scan of its status showed that it was significantly higher than the rest of the monsters in the zone, and much higher than either her or Falcom. Even though the two of them had broken into the sixties thanks to all the viral monsters they'd fought on the way here, it still wasn't enough.
"When dealing with these monsters, it's not about levels," Nepgear said as she eyed the monster warily, "it's about avoiding their attacks and hitting their weak spots."
"I take it you've fought these in the future?" IF asked dryly as she pulled out her Freak Diamonds and held them at the ready.
Nepgear shot her a startled look and then flushed in embarrassment for some reason, "I have, they weren't considered boss monsters though. They were one of the easier viral monsters we had to deal with regularly." Nepgear returned her focus to the monster before her. She raised her sword in her hands and pointed it at the Viral Child. "It's the Viral Mother and Viral Father that you really needed to be careful around."
IF shared a concerned look with Falcom. If this level one hundred monstrosity was considered fodder in the future, then that future sounded very bleak indeed.
"So what's the deal, Gear?" IF asked Nepgear.
"Well, first you need to—"
Time froze as a sudden bout of deja-vu shot through IF. A sinking feeling appeared in the pit of her stomach and she just knew what was going to happen next. Like watching a train wreck happening before her, she could do little more than watch as Neptune swung her sword.
"Hiyah!" Neptune shouted, and smacked her sword, the Laevateinn off the hide of the monster. The sword bit deeply into the soft flesh of the monster. The number 546,491 popped up above the monster's head in bright yellow as Neptune scored a critical hit.
Nepgear blinked.
Falcom blinked.
IF blinked.
The Viral Child let out an ear splitting screech of pain.
"Ya-tah! It didn't break this time!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" IF screamed at Neptune hysterically. This wasn't like the Ancient Dragon! IF knew all that attack patterns of that creature and could avoid them by running. This was a complete unknown!
"Neptune!" Nepgear shouted in warning. There was a bright flash and the CPU Candidate activated her HDD form and shot across the platform and into combat.
She barreled into Neptune and the two went tumbling away to the side just as the four tentacles on the monster's back slammed into where Neptune had been. The platform shuddered under the force of the blow and cracks spider webbed out from the impact zone. What was worse was that the platform itself began to turn black and purple as if a sickness had begun to infect even it.
"Don't let those tentacles touch you at all costs!" Nepgear shouted in warning to all of them. She was engulfed by a bright purple light as she undid her transformation for some reason. "They'll inflict every status effect on you at once and it ignores all resistances and immunities."
"That's good to know," IF said as she started to circle around to the back of the monster. She didn't really have any intention of getting hit by those things in the first place, but she'd be extra careful now. "Weaknesses?"
"Regular strikes and combos, they'll do double damage and always be a critical hit," Nepgear said as she quickly got to her feet. She pulled Neptune up with her and placed herself between Neptune and the Viral Child. "But it'll absorb and heal from any attack that consumes SP, and that includes EXE skills."
In other words they had to get in close and personal to hurt it. "That's troublesome."
"So let's all attack at once and hack it to pieces!" Neptune said cheerfully as she waved her Laevateinn in the air.
"Neptune, get serious," IF chastised her.
"No, Neptune is correct," Nepgear said, "it can only use the tentacles to attack. If we all attack at once it will divide its attacks between us." Meaning they'd each only have to deal with a single tentacle. "I wish Uni was here," Nepgear added quietly.
"Uni? Why?" Uni was Noire's assistant over in Lastation. Perhaps the two of them were friends in the future or something?
"Ah, nothing!" Nepgear said, looking embarrassed by that slip of the tongue, "let's go!"
The four of them attacked in unison, coming at the monster from four different directions. Large numbers flashed above its head as the four of the hacked away at its soft, pliable flesh. It had a great deal of HP and its Mental stat was at maximum, but its defense against regular attacks might as well not even exist.
IF dodged out of the way of a lashing tentacle and severed as much of it as she could. It would grow back, as it had the past couple times she had done the same, but it gave her a brief moment of reprieve to get in close and unleash a full combination of a dozen strikes before she had to duck back out again.
"This is easy!" Neptune shouted happily from the other side of the monster as she cut a huge gouge into the monster, adding to the hundreds that already marred its body, "nothing to it! I bet if I transform this'll go even faster!"
"No, Sis! Don't!" Nepgear shouted at her sister in warning.
It was too late however. A purple pillar of light engulfed Neptune as she started her transformation into Purple Heart.
She never finished. Faster than IF could follow all four tentacles slammed through the pillar of light and into a helpless, transforming Neptune. Cries of pain erupted from the pillar of light as the Viral Child struck with everything it had. Nepgear raced across the platform as fast as she could to get between her sister and the monster. Her beam saber flashed through the air, cutting the tentacles down as they shot past her, but as fast as she cut them down, they regenerated and struck again.
Twelve, twenty, thirty six, forty eight. Over and over the tentacles struck true, more would have hit if it weren't for Nepgear. IF and Falcom were both too far away to help so they did what they could by carving into the Viral Child as much as they could. Its HP chunked down rapidly.
But not fast enough, it wasn't nearly fast enough. The pillar of light exploded for a second time that day, sending the battered and bruised body of a naked teenage Neptune bouncing across the platform. Her HP and SP were gone, and every ailment affliction that could be inflicted in a person, including status downs, clung to Neptune, covering her in a sick, purple light.
"Neptune!" Nepgear called out to her sister in fear.
No response.
"You monster!" Nepgear shouted and charged in at the Viral Child.
With Neptune down, it could focus more on them, using two tentacles to attack instead of just one. Nepgear didn't seem to notice; she darted and weaved between them as if the monster was attacking in slow motion. Her form so quick and fluid, she seemed to leave after images behind her. She didn't stop when she reached the monster, instead she jumped up and rammed her sword into its face. The monster screamed in pain and rage and tried to attack her.
Nepgear didn't seem to care. The tentacles slammed into her with bone crushing force, inflicted status ailment after status ailment, but she didn't seem to notice. Using her sword, still embedded in the face of the monster, she heaved herself up on top of it.
And then she started to carve her way down inside it. She tore into the Viral Child like someone gone made with anger and grief. IF jumped back out of range of the tentacles and simply stared in abject surprise as Nepgear disappeared inside the monster. It writhed in agony as it was cut to pieces from the inside out. Periodically Nepgear's sword appeared, ripping through the skin as it cut its way out, before disappearing back inside again.
The monster didn't seem particularly interested in Falcom and IF anymore. It kept hitting its own body with its tentacles as if trying to attack whatever was inside it, and failing miserably. IF used its distraction to hurtle around it as quickly as she could and rushed over to Neptune's side.
IF rolled her over onto her back and let out a quick sigh of relief. She was still alive, just KO'd after being hit by so many attacks.
"Will she be alright?" Falcom asked worriedly as she arrived. Her expression was deeply concerned as she stared down at her Goddess.
"She'll make it, Nep's too stupid to die," IF said, borrowing Compas words. She was only naked because she had been interrupted in mid transformation. IF had witnessed the transformation enough times to know that during the CPU shed their clothes as they changed into their new form. It just stored it in their inventory for later use.
IF quickly pulled three items out from her inventory, an Energy Fragment, a Nep Bull EX, and a Panacea. She crushed the Energy Fragment and sprinkled it over Neptune's prone form. A revitalizing glow quickly enveloped the purple-haired CPU. With a gasp of breath Neptune's eyes shot open as she regained consciousness.
"Iffy?" Neptune asked curiously as she looked up at her.
"Hush Nep. I'll kick your ass later for this," IF said as she quickly shoved the panacea down Neptune's throat before she could say anything stupid. The purple-haired girl coughed and chocked for a moment before she finally managed to swallow the medicine. All the negative status effects quickly disappeared, leaving Neptune simply weak.
"Nepgear is really tearing it up," Falcom said, sounding slightly odd. IF looked up at her friend who had her attention fixated on the Viral Child behind her. She shot a quick glance over her should at the Viral Child and started a little in surprise.
The HP was dropping like a rock. The damage numbers appearing above its head were incredible, and they appeared so quickly that IF could barely read the number before it disappeared and was replaced by another.
"That's my little sis!" Neptune said cheerfully, not even the least bit phased by her near death experience.
"She's certainly more reliable than you," IF said as she returned her attention back to her patient. She forced Neptune's mouth opened and poured the Nep Bull EX down her throat.
"Blech! Blegh! Ugh! That's so gross," Neptune complained after drinking the foul concoction. It did the trick however, as IF watched Neptune's HP bar return to full.
IF mercilessly forced the rest of it down her throat even though she didn't need it. "Then stop doing idiotic things."
Neptune coughed and spluttered and pushed the empty Nep Bull EX bottle away from her. She gathered her legs beneath her and pushed herself up to her feet. "But how was I supposed to know transforming would do that?" she asked, IF, looking down at her with a curious gaze. Her body glowed for a brief moment and her back hoody and boots were back. "My amazing little sis never said anything about HDD or buffs."
IF was about to refute her but stopped when she realized that Neptune was right. And that thought frightened IF more than the Viral Child behind her. Neptune said something that wasn't completely asinine and stupid, this shouldn't be possible.
Especially since the Viral Child wasn't much of a problem anymore. There was an explosion sound behind them as the Viral Child erupted into a slew of dark green and purple pixels that slowly dissolved into midair. As the pixels dissipated, a worn out, but determined looking Nepgear appeared. Her clothes were partially dissolved by the acidic blood of the monster she had been hacking from the inside out, but beyond showing a little more skin than usual, she was no worse for wear.
"Are you alright, Gear?" IF called out to her.
"Yes, I ate a Panacea, how is Neptune?" she asked worriedly.
"Don't worry about me my stupendous little sister!" Neptune said cheerfully and saluted Nepgear with a sideways peace sign. "It'll take more than a boss monster to down this heroine! I'm the main character of this story. I won't be done in by a little something like this!"
That brought a bright smile back to Nepgear's face.
IF shifted her gaze from Nepgear and eyed the results of the battle that were forming above them, created by the countless nanomachines in the air that watched and monitored everything in Gamindustri.
Victory!
EXP Gained: 7,415,000
Credits Earned: 900,500
Max Damage: 147,980,150
Max Combo: 1,731
Items Found:
Celestial Bangle
Fury (Rita)
A surge of power flowed through IF's veins as the nanomachines in the air pumped seven and a half million experience points worth of energy into her body, boosting her level by twelve, placing her firmly at level seventy four.
She was still the lowest level of the four of them. Falcom was level seventy five, Neptune was eighty four while Nepgear was now level one hundred and seven.
"I think the four of us are now some of the most powerful people in Gamindustri, but for some reason I don't feel all that excited," IF said as pulled her status screen up before her. The stats she was looking at were just ridiculous. She had never imagined she'd get this powerful.
But it had come as a result of seeing that viral monstrosity. It was unlike anything she had ever thought possible. With the rest of the forest ensuring that only the strong could make it here, facing a boss monster that specialized in neutralizing the strong was quite frankly, unsettling. If Nepgear hadn't been here, they wouldn't have defeated it. They would have been beaten long before they figured out its secrets. Even a fully party of five with five support members would have difficulty bringing it down.
What had been sacrificed in the future for Nepgear to have been able to figure out its strengths and weaknesses? And was that future now becoming reality?
"Whoa!" Neptune's shout of surprise drew IF's attention. "Check out these drops! They're awesome!"
Nepgear looked concerned, "but… that viral monster shouldn't have any drops."
"Well look at this!" Neptune said as she pulled out her new sword: Fury (Rita). It was a long, slim katana, its blade made out of some clear white crystal. White and gold holy energy rolled across the surface of the blade and a brilliant golden gem was inset in the in the bottom of the hilt.
The stats were top tier as well. The same could be said of the Celestial Bangle that Neptune now wore around her wrist. While the sword excelled at offense, the bangle provided incredible defensive capabilities, far beyond anything that was currently available today. It just might be enough to keep Neptune from getting smacked around like a ragdoll.
But even so, IF still wasn't going to press her luck on that one.
"Well, whatever," IF said, waving away the oddity. "With Neptune around, I'm not surprised." She glanced around the empty platform. The trees surrounding the platform had finished burning to the ground by now, leaving only healthy, green trees and vines left in the forest. The last of the viral infection here was gone.
There was still one thing missing however.
"Where are Neverlan, Otome and Mate?" Falcom asked, voicing IF's thoughts.
"Oh they're probably around here somewhere," Neptune said without a care. She waved her hand towards the center of the platform, "you know, if the damsels don't appear out of thin air then it usually means there's some sort of secret underground laboratory or something we need to explore first."
"That's ridiculu—" IF stopped herself from saying any more.
She stared suspiciously at Neptune for a few moments before shifting her gaze to the center of the platform and then back to Neptune. She stomped over to the center of the platform and continued to stare suspiciously down at the ground. This was Neptune they were dealing with. It was quite possible that she was right simply because half the off-hand things she said ended up being right at some point in time just to mess with IF and everyone else.
IF tapped her foot on the platform.
Nothing.
She shifted a bit to the left and did it again.
Still nothing.
She shifted a bit more and tried one last time.
A dull echo rang out across the platform. "Found it." IF said, letting a large sweat drop roll down the side of her head without a care. She hated when Neptune was right like that, but it was better that she checked it out first and prove her right, then shoot Neptune down, and be proven wrong after the fact.
As the others came over to her side, IF slammed her fist into the platform beneath her, punching through a thin layer of pixels. Gripping the edge of the hole tightly she heaved on it with all her strength. Gamindustri protested the violent abuse of its surroundings with a loud screeching noise before finally with a loud pop the hatch of a hidden entrance ripped free from its hinges.
Open before them was a brightly lit, futuristic shaft leading down into the depths of a secret laboratory, just as Neptune predicted. It was actually an elevator shaft suggesting that perhaps there was actually a button somewhere on the platform one could press to activate.
"Charge!" Neptune shouted happily and jumped over the edge of the hole in the shaft below. "Oh, wow, this is pretty deep."
"Sis!" Nepgear shouted worriedly.
"She'll be fine," IF said as a loud bang echoed its way up the elevator shaft. "She has the sky falling achievement. I don't think she can even take falling damage anymore."
"It's not that," Nepgear said to IF.
"Then—" A loud whoosh cut her off as the floor opened up and the elevator appeared. "Oh." IF realized what Nepgear was getting at as she watched Neptune go flying, launched by the rapid elevator.
"WHOA!" Neptune shouted as she hovered high in the sky at the peak of her ascent. "Watch out below!"
There wasn't enough time for anyone to react as Neptune came hurtling back towards the ground like a comet. IF winced in relief as Neptune slammed harshly into Nepgear instead of her. Internally thanking NPC 60173 once more for delivering the miracle that was Nepgear to her.
"What the goodness?!" Nepgear cried out as she tried to untangle herself from her older sister.
"Eheheh, what are you doing on the ground, my clumsy little sibling?" Neptune asked while grinning happily at Nepgear.
"I'm not clumsy, Neptune! You fell on me!" Nepgear protested pitifully to her sister.
"Ah, too bad for you Noire wasn't here. I'm certain it would have been her if she was," Neptune said comfortingly to her sister as she stumbled to her feet. "I think she got an award for being the most desirable person to fall on a few years back."
IF didn't think that was an award Noire would be particularly pleased to have, or would even be willing to admit she received. "Enough fooling around Nep. Let's just get in the elevator and go."
"Right-o!" Neptune said.
As the four of them went to step on the elevator it shot back down the shaft in an instant, leaving nothing for them to step on but empty air. Neptune shouted in surprise and tried to pull herself back over the edge by wind milling her arms. IF grabbed the back of her hoodie to pull her back and was pulled down the shaft as well. Falcom and Nepgear grabbed onto IF and tried to pull her back but failed.
All four of them went tumbling down the shaft in a giant tangle of limbs. The elevator came up to meet them half way, slamming into them and hurling them out of the shaft and into the air like Neptune had been before.
They landed painfully back on the platform where they had first been.
Above them in big black bolded letters the nanomachines of Gamindustri formed a rather mocking message: Elevator Boss: 5, Nep's Party: 0
Neptune started to laugh softly. "Guys, I think we're like totally being trolled by an elevator here."
IF covered her eyes with a hand and let out a long, drawn out sigh. "Only around you, Nep, only around you. I don't think there's been a normal dungeon excursion with you since this story began."
"Never thought I'd say I miss adventuring with Neverlan," Falcom added in a deadpanned voice not too far away from IF. "At least the environment acted normal with her, I've never heard of an elevator trolling people."
Nepgear groaned, "this almost feels like one of his jokes, but I know it can't be."
"His?" IF asked wearily, tilting her head to the side to look at Nepgear. She really didn't want to get up right now.
"Oh, nothing," Nepgear said sounding nervous.
IF didn't say anything else. With all the crazy she'd dealt with today and knew she was going to have to deal with in the near future, she really didn't want to be saddled with anything else. With a groan IF pushed herself up into a sitting position and stared lifelessly at the elevator that was sitting, mockingly, open for them on the platform.
"Let's… just figure this out." IF said tiredly.
"I vote we just break it," Falcom suggested.
A lop-sided smile came to IF's lips. "I like that suggestion." For some reason the elevator started to shake in fear.
And so started another epic battle between Nep's Party and the Elevator Boss. After an hour long slog of powerful techniques, wily strategies, and a large helping of raw, brute force, the Elevator Boss finally yielded and the heroines found themselves at the base of the elevator shaft staring into the antechamber of a futuristic underground secret laboratory.
Behind them, the elevator shaft was no more, it was simply an enormous hole in the ground, carved out by an extremely irate IF who was still frothing at the mouth. Her head whipped every which way as she searched desperately for another outlet for her frustration.
Hovering mockingly above IF's face that in no way made her feel better about her achievement on winning was the results: Elevator Boss: 292, Nep's Party: 1
"It didn't even give us any experience or credits," Neptune pouted as she poked the victory screen which showed that they had received absolutely nothing for their efforts. Nepgear just let out a soft, hopeless laugh as she stared forward into the new dungeon they'd unveiled. The dread on her face on what she would find and what would happen to her was a plain as day.
IF glared murderously at Neptune, somehow she knew this was all her fault. She couldn't prove it, but she had that sinking feeling that everything in this place, this Gallia Forest, existed because of her! That feeling was a good enough excuse to—
Falcom flicked her forehead, "calm down IF, it's over, we're here now."
"Just a little! I know it's her fault! It has to be! Everything weird and strange is always Nep's fault for some reason!" IF frothed angrily.
Falcom gently bopped her on the head. "Now, now, you can't go blaming this on Neptune just because everything up to this point has been her fault."
"Sure I can!"
"Let's go rescue our damsels in distress!" Neptune shouted cheerfully as she marched through the victory screen display and across the room to the steel sliding door on the far side.
IF took a few deep breaths and calmed herself. She had to remember, they were here for their friends. She had all the time in the world to berate Neptune once they returned to Planeptune. "Alright, I'm good now. Let's find Neverlan and the others." Feeling much calmer now she started after Neptune. Falcom fell into step behind her and bringing up the rear was a despondent Nepgear that didn't want to go any further.
IF couldn't really blame her considering that Neptune had fallen on her little sister every single time and over half the Elevator Boss's victories were against Neptune.
The laboratory started off creepy. Dark, dim lighting made it difficult to see, little more than tiny bulbs peeking out of the walls and ceilings that looked as if they'd been scorched by a raging hot fire. Nothing could be heard save for the sound of their own breathing which grew louder with each step, amplified by the unnatural silence.
IF winced with each step they took as their footfalls echoed painfully down the barren corridors.
Halfway through the laboratory a sense of impending doom started to press down upon them. The blackened walls shifted and changed, becoming flesh like. Their footsteps left deep imprints behind that filled with an oozing green puss. Dark whispers started up, coming from all around them, even from within.
The light grew more dim and IF swore that with each step, someone cried out in pain.
They stopped when they reached an obsidian door. The darkness around them seemed to press down upon them. They could feel that whatever malevolence filled the place lurked just behind it. Waiting to pounce on them the moment they opened it.
"Nep, Falcom, Gear, be careful," IF whispered as she drew her katars, "whatever is behind this door is powerful and dangerous."
The other three agreed and drew their weapons, ready to do battle with the monstrous force beyond. The one that had taken her friends captive.
IF took a long deep breath and slammed the hell of her boot into the door. The door snapped open and IF charged into…
Bright light and cheerful laughter. Peace settled over IF, washing away her worries and fears.
There was an unbelievable sight before her right now. It was like she had just walked into a fairy circle. Homes had been carved into the trunks of enormous trees that towered hundreds of feet in the air above them. Delicate wooden bridges crisscrossed the open air, spanning the boughs, and bright colorful lanterns hung everywhere bathing the enormous open space in a soft, warm glow. Elves and fairies moved amongst the branches, walked along the bridges, drank, sang, danced, and were merry.
Dancing with them were the countless citizens of Planeptune that had gone missing as well.
"This place is amazing, isn't it?" Neverlan's amused filled voice drew IF's head to the left. There walking towards her nonchalantly was her friend, Neverlan, with Otome and Mate trailing just behind her. All three looked happy, refreshed and well fed.
"Happy, here," Mate said quietly, "too happy."
"It is very beautiful," IF admitted as she gazed at the beautiful place. If she could stay here forever, it wouldn't be long enough.
A tiny part of her mind warned her that there was something wrong here, but she ignored it, squashing it like a bug. It was just common sense and common sense had driven her nuts ever since she'd arrived at this island. IF didn't want to deal with it right now.
"We're stuck here on account of the impenetrable bramble barrier that surrounds the place," Neverlan said, jerking her thumb at the thick thorny branches that encircled the place, "but this isn't so bad. I think many of the people here probably don't even want to return."
"Elevator Boss… annoying," Mate said quietly, an irritable twitch had developed in her right eyebrow.
"That too," Neverlan admitted. "Couldn't go back the way we came because of it."
"Well, this is certainly anti-climatic," Neptune said ruefully as she stepped up beside IF. She sniffed the air and a giant grin split her face. "Nep Jr.! I smell cakes and cookies over there!" Neptune said excitedly as she pointed into the distance.
And without waiting for a response Neptune shot off into the distance, following her nose.
"Wait for me sis!" Nepgear called out as she chased after her sister.
"Well, we took care of the Elevator Boss," Falcom said, pointing through the obsidian entryway. It looked incredibly out of place amongst the life and nature all around them. "We can leave."
"Let's go home," Mate urged Neverlan.
"I suppose…" Neverlan glanced hesitantly over at Neptune who was jumping up and down in front of a food stall like a kid in a candy shop. "Can it wait until tomorrow though? There's a festival tonight."
"Festival, every night," Mate pointed out.
"We just got here," IF pointed out to Mate. That small part of her mind screamed at her again, urged her to leave but again IF squashed it. "We can stay a single night. What could possibly go wrong?"
For some reason Mate turned tail and ran.
Note on Neptune's new body: It's the same one as adult Neptune from Hyperdimension Neptunia VII. Google Adult Neptune and it'll come up with hundreds of images. Only difference between them is weapon.