Hello once again readers, sorry about the wait for this chapter, had trouble thinking about what to write, cause this is more or less a filler. Thank you for the review Guest and HeroBladeRiyet, the reason I didn't write a New Years special is because I started the Christmas special three days before Christmas and finished it on Christmas, after that I couldn't think about what to write and if I rushed it, it might have been bad, filled with errors, bad writing or be generally bad because it was rushed, sorry I couldn't write it, I'll try to do a Christmas and New Years special at the end of this year though. As always if you have any questions or see any problems, leave a review, with that, enjoy.
Chapter 12
"No Layla, you're not having anymore no matter what" He denied a floating spirit.
"Oh come on, you wouldn't be so mean to a Great Spirit such as myself would you?"
"Wanna bet?"
"…You're right, I surrender, please don't be mean to me" She jokingly begged.
"Um, are you sure we should be doing this?" Compa asked.
"Doing what?" He asked.
The group were walking back towards their room as Compa carried Neptune, Sky carried IF, both on their backs and the lazy spirit floated along with them.
"Shouldn't we have waited for them to wake up?" Compa asked.
"Well Neptune isn't gonna wake up for a little while, I can assure you of that and IF needs to rest, I didn't take a look at her foot just because of a sprain"
"You didn't?" Layla asked.
"You should've noticed, some Great Spirit you are"
"I haven't matured yet, so obviously I can't just pick things up like you do"
"Whatever, but she was in actual danger until we took it out"
"What was wrong with her?" Compa asked.
"Something really weird, it doesn't occur often"
"Was it really something that bad?" Compa asked.
"Hmm, sort of, but I'm not really sure, I mean this sort of thing doesn't happen every day"
"It doesn't, then when was the last time it occurred?" Compa asked.
"Well… the last time this kind of thing happened was about… two or three years ago"
"Is it dangerous?"
"It was dangerous to IF, but Layla"
"Yes"
"Do you have something against IF?"
"I don't possess any hostile emotions towards Iffy, why do you ask?"
He clicked his tongue "Then Layla, you have something against humans in general, not just IF"
"What do you mean? I don't harbor any hatred against humans"
"Does Layla hate us? Aren't we friends?" Compa asked.
"Compa, it's not that she hates you, IF or Neptune, I think that in her mind somewhere, she's hostile towards humans… before you ask why Compa, she's had pretty bad experiences with people"
"Then what did I do?"
"Do you really wanna know?" She nodded, he sighed and answered "Well, to put it in simple terms, in a way you poisoned IF, when you enchanted IF, you somehow poisoned her with your power. I don't know how, but you did"
"If it was inside Iffy, how did you know it was harmful?" Compa asked.
"Well, I can sort of sense it and sort of see it, but Layla, we can't have you use magic on other humans, it could be fatal, but we'll work on that…Oh. By the way Compa, can you think of any ways powerful people could be killed?"
"Um… they were… poisoned?"
"Maybe, any other ways?"
"Um, uh… sneak attack!"
He sighed "Could be, but they're all gone"
"Do you think they're all gone?"
"Well, all the squads are assigned to different nations"
"I mean the ones in Planeptune"
"Hmm, good question, but no, the ones I personally knew were killed, but I don't think all the squads were taken out"
"Survivors?"
"No, that number is way too small, perhaps he was lying for a reason or his information was incorrect, but I just really hope that isn't the actual number of survivors"
"What about the damage caused?"
"Well, that's actually pretty interesting, you see even though they were killed, the thing is, there was damage to the city itself, but there was a problem, you see the gate was wide open with no guards"
"Then didn't they just force it open?"
"Well, you see that's the thing, it wasn't forced open, it wasn't any different when I left in the morning"
"Oh… that means you have a traitor?"
"Yes! Exactly, and what's worse is this traitor did not just let enemies in, but might have somehow gave them the upper hand"
"What do you mean?"
"Give me a sec, you see, now that I think about it, from what I saw none of the enemies were injured or even hurt, none of them had been killed, even in an ambush, some of them would've been taken out, but weirdly enough none of them were injured which means?"
"It means that somehow on that specific day the enemy had become stronger!"
"Well, close to what I was thinking, but I was sorta thinking differently, somehow everyone had been weaker, it could've been from some really powerful hypnosis, illusion or even poison gas for all I know"
"So you think this is what happened?"
"I think so, but it's just a theory for now, for all I know someone was stupid enough to accidently open up the gates and somehow let them in while there weren't any guards. Who knows, someone could've actually been dumb enough to do it"
"Um, excuse me, what are you talking about?" Compa asked, completely confused with this conversation.
"Oh, Compa, don't worry, it's not your problem so you don't have to deal with it" He replied.
"B-But I wanna know, I don't like being left out!"
"Yes well too bad, you wouldn't want to get involved, it would mean you would probably inspect dead bodies and fight off monsters from your worst nightmares. That's why you shouldn't bother caring, it's not your problem to deal with, its mine"
"Oh, okay then" She replied, sounding disappointed and depressed.
"No need to worry Compa, he's doing this with your interests in mind" Layla said.
"It's still not fair" She pouted.
"We've finally arrived!" Layla yelled.
After some time had passed, they were relaxing in their room.
He yawned and asked "Quest?"
"Nah, repetitive gameplay sorta gets boring after a while" Neptune replied
Layla then commented "Then in this case, don't you mean repeating what has already been written in previous chapters?"
"True" Neptune placed a hand under her chin "Maybe we should do something different today, I dunno, but it seems like nothing's gonna really happen today"
IF then spoke to him "Hey, come outside, we need to have a talk"
"Again" He sighed "You know, it's like we do this all the time, can't you just say it here?"
"No, I'll meet you outside" She commented before she left the room.
"Is Iffy gonna confess? Is your heart pounding with excitement?" Neptune asked.
"Iffy doesn't exactly seem that close to you, I don't think she harbors emotions for you… unless you used a love potion of some sort?"
"No Layla, I did not use a love potion, just cause I can make them does not mean I plan to ever use them"
"You have love potions?" Compa asked.
"Yeah, I confiscated some a few months ago from some people"
"… W-Where do you keep the love potions?" A bashful Compa asked.
"I think I put them somewhere safe"
Neptune then asked "Hey, can I have some?"
"No"
"Can you give some to Compa?" Neptune asked again.
"No"
Compa then asked "Why not?"
"Because they're illegal"
Compa then commented "I thought as much, there aren't any shortcuts"
Neptune then nudged his arm "Come on, can't you gimme some, bend the rules a little. Please?"
"No, by the way, what would you do with them if you used them?"
"Hahaha, ain't telling, every girl has their secrets!" Neptune proclaimed proudly
"I believe she would use it on one of us" Layla commented.
"Yeah, also, the effects are temporary, so don't go thinking that these are solutions to your love problems so don't even try it" He then left the room.
Neptune clicked her tongue "Dang it, totally wanted to use it to cheat"
"Nep-Nep, cheat on what?"
"I was just gonna make him fall for me, but now I gotta try to trigger flags"
Compa then muttered "You too Nep-Nep"
Layla sighed upon hearing these comments.
Outside the two other members had a conversation
"So IF, what did you wanna talk about?"
"Well, I just wanted to... wanted to"
"Wanted to what?"
"I wanted to… thank you" She said with difficulty.
"Thank me for what?"
"For helping the friend in the hospital, she's really happy she can go back to her normal life, but how'd you do it?"
"That is a secret, but nobody knows right?"
"The only people that know are you, me and her, other than that people think it's a miracle"
"Alright, cool, anyway, anything else you wanna talk about while the others aren't here?"
"One thing… D-Do you have anyone you like?" She asked with a slightly red face.
"No, not really"
"You don't?" She asked with a disappointed tone
"Actually, there is someone, I really wanna fight Neptune when she's transformed, I love how she's able to be strong without having to train"
"So you wanna date Neptune?"
"Not really, it's just that I've been told I get attracted to weird people… they probably didn't mean it in a good way"
"That's because you're just as weird, but the question is, do wanna date her?"
"Not really, it's just that I love how Neptune gets stronger without even having to train... now I really wanna fight her"
"Are you… do you like Compa?"
"Sure"
"Is there any chance you would go out with Compa?"
"Not really"
"Just to make sure, you think she's cute right?"
"Yes, I think she's cute"
"Then why don't you try going out with her?"
"Hmm, nah"
"What do you mean nah? Think of it this way, if you get to go out with Compa you get to spend your time with a cute girl that has huge… boobs and a… good… figure"
"If I think that way then I can't go out with her"
"Why not, if you two go far enough then you'll get to do… things… with her"
"I can't, if I go out with her because of a reason like that then I am simply treating her like an object"
"But don't you wanna do… d…dirty… things with her?" She asked with hesitation.
"Why are we even having this conversation?"
"Just answer the question! You don't think this is embarrassing for me?!"
"Good point, but now that you mention it, those kinds of things don't really cross my mind much"
"You're definitely weird"
"Yeah, a lot of people tell me that… why?"
"You're a teenager and you're not thinking of dirty things, there's obviously something wrong with you, but now that I've put that in your head, why don't you date her?"
"Well, I wouldn't want to date her based on that, if I were to date Compa, it would be from how I… like to spend time with her than anyone else for example, that would be enough of a reason to date"
"You know you're… actually a good person"
"Do you just assume I'm a bad person?"
"Generally"
"Figures, but there's my answer"
"Yeah, well um… sorry for putting you on the spot"
"It's fine, who knows, as I get older I might date girls because of that looks"
"And if you do I'll slap you" She replied nonchalantly
"Uh, should I thank you or get angry"
"You should thank me"
"Uh, okay then… thank… you
"Let's just go back inside"
"Wait, say that in the future if I do like someone would you… help me?"
"Say that again?"
He groaned "Um, if I like someone and I want to… date them, would you help… me?" He asked.
She then reached up and petted him "I think I now know why she likes to pet you so much… why is your hair so soft?"
"Not you too… fine, if you're not going to say yes then I'm just going to go back!"
"No wait, don't run, don't worry I'll help, but you'll have to let me do this whenever I want"
"What! No! Layla already pets me on a daily basis, I don't need you to do it as well!"
"If you don't I'll tell Nep"
"You're blackmailing me?!" He sighed "Fine, pet me all you want, let's go back inside, I feel tired"
They headed back inside as Neptune greeted them "Hey lovebirds, were you making out?"
"No" The two answered with a plain expression
"You weren't… So if you weren't making out that means… you were doing 'it' weren't ya?"
"Nep-Nep, you can't just… say those kinds of things out loud… even if they might be true"
"C-Compa, m-me and him, we wouldn't do it, not in a million years!" IF denied.
"Hey Layla, should I feel offended here or not?"
"I don't know, but you do understand what 'it' is do you not?"
"Yeah"
Layla then placed her hands over her face and asked "Then w-would… you do… 'it' with anyone of us?"
He just paused and asked "…Did you lose a bet or something?" She nodded her head "It was Neptune wasn't it?" She nodded once more "Neptune, Compa, what were you talking about while we were out?"
"N-Nothing important, just some stuff!" Neptune denied while avoiding eye contact.
He then looked towards Compa "…Nep-Nep's right, we… we weren't talking about anything" She began to fiddle with her fingers and look away.
"I'm not even gonna bother, so IF, what we doing today?"
"Depends"
"Hey Iffy, can we just chill today?" Neptune asked.
"Nep-Nep, we have to keep on helping more people"
"Do we have to?" Layla asked.
"Yes, we have to" Compa answered.
The three then got into an argument, IF walked over and sat next to him "Since those three are arguing, what do you want to do?"
"You're asking me?"
"I gotta thank you somehow"
"Well, I was just wondering if I'm actually allowed to carry weapons, like my sword or guns"
"Right… I should get you a license"
"A license?" He asked.
"Yeah, it gives us permission to take on dangerous quests, carry weapons and access secret information"
"Oh, that's cool, when can I get one?"
"Hey, do any of you want a license?"
"For booze? Sorry Iffy, I dunno 'bout drinking, don't wanna set a bad example" Neptune replied.
"To who Nep?"
"You know, the readers, they use their eyes and to read words made up of symbols known to be letters"
"They probably know right from wrong, I'm talking about getting a mercenary license"
"Does it involve physical activity?" Layla asked.
"Obviously, you'll be tested"
"Maybe, but how are we doing with money?" He asked.
"Ask Compa, Nep somehow persuaded me to give all our cash to Compa"
They all looked to Compa, she took a look in her satchel, she then answered happily "We have… enough for today"
IF looked confused "Just for today? Where'd the rest of it go?!"
"Nep-Nep asked me for some and-"
"And you gave her all our money?" IF asked.
"Not… all of it… Nep-Nep said she really needed it!"
"Yeah, it was totally worth it" She pulled out a case "I got me a game!"
IF sighed "Compa, don't give Nep money without asking me first, okay?"
"So I can keep it right? Cause I ain't giving it back"
"Yes Nep, you can keep it, don't give her any more money even she begs"
"B-But… Nep-Nep transformed and told me in a very serious voice that she needed it"
IF was somewhat angry as she asked "She did what?!"
"Yeah, I sorta transformed and asked Compa" She said with a carefree smile while she rubbed the back of her head.
IF face palmed and let out a great sigh "Nep, you idiot"
"How entertaining, is this why you came over to this dimension?" Layla asked him.
"Not really, another person called me here to help Neptune save the world"
"Then Histoire was the one who summoned you?"
"Yeah, surprising though cause I wasn't called upon or summoned for an entire year, it was really hard to believe"
"You get… summoned to other worlds?" IF asked with a skeptical look.
"Yeah, used to, I've been summoned at least seven times… On another note, hey Neptune, can we spar?"
"Spar?" Compa asked.
"Nep and Sky are going to fight"
"Why do they want to hurt each other?"
"Compa, view this from a different perspective, if Neptune or Sky are harmed then you may… 'nurse' them back to health"
Compa's face lit up "If you two are going to fight then I'm going to need my bandages!" She scrambled around looking.
Neptune grabbed Layla's shoulders "You traitor! How could you do something so evil?!" She asked dramatically.
He got on his knees and repeatedly slammed his hand into the ground "You… I thought we were friends… why…GODDAMIT WHY?!"
"Y…You two don't have to be so dramatic! I… I promise I won't get the bandages mixed up this time!"
"T-This time?!" IF asked in shock "What happened last time?!"
"N-Nothing, nothing happened!" Compa denied.
"Ah, it's so entertaining to mess with humans" Layla commented.
"That's your reason?!" Neptune asked, she simply nodded with a carefree smile. Neptune let go "Awww well, get ready to get your but kicked!" She declared
"Wait Neptune, I do want to fight you, but since we're running low on cash, hey IF, is there anyway I can beat Neptune and earn cash"
IF pulled out her phone "There is a tournament today if you want"
A look of excitement took over his face "Hey, in that tournament, are there strong people?"
"Don't know, but most weapons are allowed though"
"Most? Why not all?" Compa asked.
"They're banning things like mechs so no one will be invincible"
"What about artificial limbs?"
"As long as they don't make some force field, you'll be fine"
"Sweet… oh wait, what about magic?"
"Don't worry, mages can go in as well"
"But Neptune and I will be sparring right?" He asked.
"Yeah, if you're in the same block then you'll fight, but if not then you'll have to wait until finals"
"Hey Iffy, you think I could transform and charm these guys or what?" Neptune asked.
"Does it matter?" IF asked
"I believe not, shall we get going or must you prepare for the upcoming matches?" Layla asked.
"Nah, I'm good" Neptune replied.
"Me too, pretty much ready" He added.
"Then let's go beat up some random guys we don't even know!" Neptune yelled with enthusiasm.
"When Nep-Nep puts it that way we don't sound very nice" Compa commented
"Who cares Compa, registration is also almost over" IF added.
"It is?! Then let's roll out!" Neptune pumped her fist in the air.
Later, after sprinting to their destination they stood in front of something close to a stadium.
She floated there staring at it, Compa then asked "Is something wrong?"
"I believe I've viewed something similar… it reminds me of something I once saw in Planeptune, unfortunately I can't remember"
"Remember later, we have to sign up before someone takes those spots" IF told them.
They all headed inside the building to see it filled with people of different character, some were normal people and others held weapons, reception was empty as the people around them were hesitant to sign up, a big electronic television displayed brackets into two blocks, block A and B, under them were filled with different names and when read they were more like nicknames or stage names.
"Whoa, what's with the crowd?" Neptune asked as she looked around.
"Who cares about the crowd Nep, there are only two spots left, hurry up!"
"Aren't we lucky Iffy?" Compa asked
"I don't know if it's luck, but these guys they're… scared"
Neptune then had a smug look on her face "Well of course they do, cause I'm gonna be in there turning all those other guys to toast"
"I wonder why Neptune has a fountain of confidence at her disposal and where does it all come up from?"
Compa then answered "That's because Nep-Nep is the strongest out of all of us"
He then cleared his throat "Ahem"
"Um… Nep-Nep and Sky are the strongest out of all of us" She repeated.
"Who cares which one of you is the strongest?" IF asked
"I do and I'm gonna kick his but all the way to Planeptune!"
"Why is she so insistent on kicking you in the behind?"
"It's another way of saying she's going to beat me" He explained.
"She doesn't know what idioms are?" Compa asked.
"No, this is just a problem with having a spirit as a friend, some of them don't know what some idioms mean like what Neptune just said" He explained.
They finally reached reception through the crowd "Finally we reached the front desk, hello, I'd like to sign up these two, the one in red and the purple one" IF told the lady.
"Yes ma'am, names?" She rested her fingers on the keyboard.
"I'm Neptune! The heroine and main character!" She typed away.
He looked up at the screen "I'm the Phoenix Knight, magic knight and traveler of worlds" She then added that as well
"Really?" IF asked.
"Hey, other people put titles, nicknames and information, let me do it"
She then took out two sheets of paper with a lot of small detailed writing on it "Please read and sign at the bottom"
"Um, Iffy, what do these do?" Neptune asked
"It just says they're not responsible for any harm you sustain during your participation"
He then asked the lady "One question, do I have to give any other personal information about myself whatsoever?"
"None at all, you simply sign at the bottom, I add your names and you are finished"
"That's all I needed to know" He grabbed a pen and they both signed "Done, here you go" They handed it back.
"Thank you, a moment please… finished, please go to the waiting room and await further instructions, I believe your friend knows the way"
"Thanks lady!" Neptune yelled
"Alright, waiting room is on the left and we will go on the right, good luck you two"
A random guy then came up to them with one or two weapons attached to him, he was older by around ten or so years, he asked "Hey, did you just sign up?"
"Yep, we're gonna be in on the action, we're gonna smoke all the guys who come at us!" Neptune exclaimed.
"You're new here aren't you?" They nodded "Let me help you out here kids, if you're doing this just for fun then you should drop out, those are professionals who have taken out things twice they're size"
"And I've taken out monsters ten times my size, your point?" He asked
"The point is if you're not serious you could seriously get hurt, just looking out for you new people"
"Thanks for the concern, but we wouldn't be entering if we didn't know how to take care of ourselves"
IF then told him "He's right though, this is a B rank tournament, that's the kind of people you'll be fighting"
"Ranks?" Compa asked.
IF explained "You can take certain quests at certain ranks, the higher the rank the more dangerous it is, it also stops most idiots from getting killed"
"Iffy, we should be fine, we got our secret weapons remember?" Neptune asked with confidence.
"That's right Iffy, Nep-Nep and Sky are going to be fine"
"Alright fine, yeesh, you're like that ice lady" The stranger complained
"Ice lady?" Neptune asked.
"Yeah up there in Block A, see, Frost Knight" The guy pointed "I thought you might know her"
"What did she look like?" He asked.
"Uh well she"
"Appearance, clothes, colour of her hair, anything will do"
"Uh… she had a nice rack that's for sure"
"I need details, markings, symbols, weapons, clothes as I just said" He said ignoring the man's comment.
He shook his head out of his fantasy "She had short light blue hair with dark blue eyes, a sleeveless blue blouse with a light blue ribbon on her chest, light blue sleeves just above her elbows that were connected to light blue thin, fingerless gloves, under her blouse she had a white un-tucked shirt and a free flowing white short skirt which barely reached her knees, knee high stockings, combat boots and she had some spats under all that, her entire bottom half is black… there you have it, I'll be watching" The guy ran off.
"It's sorta weird how the guy knew she was wearing spats" Neptune commented
He was in deep thought "Hmm, it fits, light blue clothes, I wonder if she has something like a hilt on her?"
"What's wrong?" Compa asked.
"I'll tell you after the competition if I'm right" He looked up at the board "Frost Knight, hopefully you're the real one"
"You two should really hurry up and get in there, they won't wait for long" IF told them.
"Iffy, don't worry… thanks guy" Neptune thanked the stranger.
"No problem, I'll be watching" The guy ran off to the spectator area.
IF grabbed Compa and Layla "Alright you two, break a leg!" IF yelled.
"Um, break a leg?" Layla asked.
"Iffy is wishing them luck" Compa explained.
"I see, then… the best of luck to the both of you!"
"So Neptune, wanna get going?"
"Yeah, we gotta win!"
The two headed into the waiting room and saw a variety of different people, all looked like experienced warriors in their own right, all stared at the last two competitors who just entered. There was a serious tension in the air.
Neptune then greeted with a carefree attitude "Hi there, we're the last two fighters!" At that moment the tension dispersed with her greeting, they all went back to what they were doing "Uh, did I do something wrong?" She asked him.
"I don't think so, but let's just wait until we're called" He sat down on a nearby bench, drew his red katana and examined it
She joined him "You really love that thing don't you?"
"Yeah, she's my best weapon"
"Could we switch for today?"
"Like hell I'd give her to you"
"Please, just for today?" Neptune begged.
"No, you have your own katana don't you?"
"Yeah, but mine doesn't feel as cool as yours, so can I please borrow her?"
He sighed "I won't let you borrow her, but I'll let you borrow something else" He reached into his pocket and pulled out the two swords he had received not too long ago "Here, you can use these as spares, just in case yours cracks or breaks"
She grabbed them and looked at them "But all you're doing is givin' me your extra stuff"
"Believe it or not those two swords have been made well, but you can't use mine… we should really learn the rules, don't wanna get disqualified or anything"
"Hey a sheet of paper that says the rules" Neptune pointed out on a wall, she skimmed down halfway ignoring anything not considered important "Um, during battle, participants lose if they surrender, lose consciousness, disqualified or are teleported out."
"They even have safety measures"
"Yeah… Oh! It sounds like they're almost done talking!" Neptune heard the announcer quieting down "Who do you think we're gonna beat in here?"
"I dunno, but some of them seem strong"
"So, that all you using for your fights? You just gonna go in there with your sword and hack and slash?"
"Well, I'll use my katana if the time comes, but I might use my guns or go barehanded, although I'll consider using magic if they can handle it"
"I'm just gonna go with my awesome skills and use my ace if I feel like it, but you know… some of these guys carry around some pretty heavy stuff, that guy's got a LMG and that one has an assault rifle, a grenade launcher and that one has an actual machine gun… wow, must cost tons"
"Bullets are expensive"
The announcer had then finished talking and had called out Neptune and another contestant, "Well, that's my cue, make sure to watch me win" She sung on the way out.
Outside in the arena Neptune stood there looking around as she stood next to her opponent, completely ignoring the voice, she saw a familiar voice in the audience and waved madly "IFFY! OVER HERE! HIIIII!" All Neptune knew was she saw IF facepalm and sigh "MAKE SURE TO SAVE ME A SEAT!"
"BEGIN!" The voice yelled, plunging them into battle
As the day began Neptune destroyed her opponents and he quickly defeated his, but as the day continued, so did the matches and during one of those matches, Neptune had lost.
It was the finals and two fairly young people stood in the arena, one was the Frost Knight and the other was the Phoenix Knight. Neptune had joined the other three in the stands.
"Hey guys, how you been?" Neptune greeted with popcorn
"Nep, great battle, too bad you lost though"
"Don't worry Iffy, I made sure to treat Nep-Nep, she's at full health!"
"Yeah, she was wrapping me up in her bondages… but it's awesome how you got front row seats!"
"T-They're bandages! I didn't get that tangled up"
"Yeah, well I almost suffocated again, except this time you went for my mouth and you know how I need that to… you know… make comments about your bondages and other stuff"
She looked so sad as she commented with defeat "N-Nep-Nep"
"Anywho, Iffy, Layla, was I the bestest, most awesomest thing you ever seen?"
"You should've seen yourself Nep, I've never seen you move that fast before and you even made her use her powers"
"Yeah, that's right, keep going"
"It was an amazing battle, but perhaps we should move to a seat in the back for our own safety?"
"But these are front row seats, I even got us some popcorn"
"Understandable, but if she's a Rune Knight and a Captain, then you witnessed only a fraction of her power"
"Why, is there something about her?" Compa asked.
"Yes, they feel similar, I can feel it though"
"Feel what?" Neptune asked
"I can feel their power, they're suppressing it, both of them are, I can tell because he's been doing it this entire time"
"That means everything we've seen up till this point isn't even him trying" IF commented "Wait, you've seen knights fight, what's this going to be like?"
"Unfortunately, about that certain fact, I've never actually seen two Captains fight"
"You liar!" Neptune yelled.
"No! That's not true, it's just a fact that whenever two knights duel you usually hear something large being destroyed or an explosion of some sort"
IF sighed "Hey Compa, what do you think, should we move?"
"No, if we see him fight it should be here in the front row seats, we're friends after all!"
"But I can't believe Nep lost" IF sighed "You had to get cocky"
"iffy, chillax, he'll win us the money for sure and then we can go and buy all the pudding we want!"
Down in the arena a man were speaking with the two "You two have come so far for such young people, how old are you?"
"16"
"17"
"I see, and since you two have similar titles, do you two personally know each other?"
"We don't know each other personally" He answered.
"We're just in the… same line of work" She answered.
"And where do you two come from?"
They looked at each other and he answered "We're not from Gamindustri"
"Ahhh, so you're from another planet, for all you kids out there who don't know what I'm talking about, a planet refers to a world such as Gamindustri which consist of several large and different landmasses that come into contact with each other often, these four landmasses make up a planet known as Gamindustri, there are other planets out there we might bump into every now and then, they're our neighbors so play nice!"
"Yes, something close to that" She answered with a serious and calm expression.
"I can see you two are itching to battle and so our spectators, let's not keep them waiting any longer" The guy teleported away "This event is sponsored by Lady Black Heart, now let's get started!"
The two quickly jumped back a far distance from each other, they took out their weapons, he held his with both hands, it cloaked itself in crimson flames, she took out a hilt, ice surrounded it, forming a katana of ice, completely perfect, it was see through as it had a light blue shade to it and was simply an elegant blade. The two had auras surrounding them.
In the stands Layla had a big smile of anticipation, IF asked out of worry "You okay there? You're looking a bit creepy"
"No, I'm just merely excited at the thought of seeing two Captains fighting, this hardly ever occurred back in my dimension!"
"There's something wrong with you people, I'm sure of it"
Layla then asked herself "Perhaps I should take spirit form? I don't want to be harmed, but I do want to watch this oh so much"
Back on the ground they stared at each other, people had anticipated this match, for the end of the tournament grew closer. People had phones and cameras out to record this soon to be spectacular battle, children in the stands were excited to merely be there.
The announcement then began for the countdown "3…2…1…"
"BEGIN!" With those words the two warriors disappeared and re-appeared in the middle, they had clashed, in that moment the arena shook, they then continued as the small tremors continued, it could barely be felt, but it was still there. Quick and powerful strikes came from both warriors, neither were letting up as they had completely forgotten about the audience that watched them and had placed all their focus into this one battle.
They watched the spectacle of ice against metal, two warriors fighting against each other, they knew what they watched wasn't a simple show, but knew that if either made the wrong move it could be their last, and yet, no hostility was felt as each strike flowed into the next.
He pushed her back as she vanished back and gained some distance, a few floating spears of ice formed with haste as they were launched towards him, he vanished backwards to gain distance and threw some flaming knives to counter the spears, they made contact as the knives were frozen and destroyed, the spears were burnt to nothing.
They disappeared once more and clashed together, launching even more attacks at each other, as they fought fires spewed from his side and ice formed on her side, a few meters away from that clash a radius of fire and ice had formed around them, one was of fire and the other was of ice.
The two jumped back and swung upwards, along the ground a trail of fire and ice clashed , they rose up and destroyed each other.
The two were breathing a bit more deeply, he slouched over for a moment, in that moment she appeared in front of him, he tried to block an incoming slash, but barely parried and stumbled backwards, she readied herself for the final strike before stopping at his throat, she murmured "Fire clone" His body burst into flames which quickly froze and shattered, above he dropped down onto a quickly formed thick sphere of ice, his blade pierced the sphere, the moment it did, flames erupted from above, trying to burn through.
Unfortunately for him those flames froze as well, he appeared a distance away from the frozen area, the ice dispersed into small particles of ice which turned back into nothing, she grabbed the katana and looked at it "Close, but not close enough" She told him before throwing it back to him.
In the stands Neptune was panicking "Iffy, hey Iffy, you listening?"
"Nep, shut it, I'm trying to watch the match!"
"B-But, I'm gonna have to fight him, I am going to have to fight THAT!"
"You'll be fine"
She hugged IF "Please Iffy, help me, I don't wanna die! I'm the main character, I'm not supposed to die!" Tears ran down her face.
"F-Fine, just stop it, I'll try to organize something so let me watch"
"Thanks Iffy, you're the bestest friend a friend could have"
Back in the arena the two looked at each other and smiled. He quickly swung his blade sending two slicing waves in an X and he swung once more to launch a tsunami of fire. She quickly looked up and then brought up her sword to block, she felt a hand grab the hilt, something hot, she took a quick look to see it was him who had a hold on her blade, his hand was on fire, she vanished and he followed, the waves had cut the wall and the tsunami died down, he appeared where he stood when he grabbed a hold of her and she stood on the opposite side.
He threw her weapon back "Now we're even"
She clicked her tongue and asked "Enough warm ups"
"Fine, you're obviously the real deal so why not take it up a notch, but let's avoid killing everyone here alright?" He asked jokingly.
The two smiled as they both pulled out similar badges, threw them up, caught them with their spare hands and thrust in front of them, both yelled out the same words "Seal… release!" A red and light blue energy were being released from their badges, all of it flowed above them and formed two large magic circles, each above them, both shattered. Their aura's became thicker, the air around them distorted as if they looked upon a mirage. The rubble around them began to float and shake, they felt a slightly stronger tremor beneath them.
She placed a hand on the ground, giant clumps of sharp and spiky icicles popped up out of the ground from her position, spreading outwards like a wave, he did the same, he placed his hand on the ground and flames erupted outwards, they combined together, creating an explosion of fire and ice, sending shards and small flames spewing in every direction, because of that explosion it blew up dust, blocking vision, however two figures in the midst of the dust, their battle cleared away all the dust, they jumped back to the edges of the arena.
He stabbed his blade into the ground and reeled his head back, she pointed her spare hand at him as spears of ice were formed around her and were launched, he then breathed a massive amount of fire back at her, taking up half the arena, the spears of ice were launched continuously as more and more were created until she was firing a barrage of spears, they intersected in the middle, after a while the flames began to weaken.
Soon the ice had penetrated the flames, but something had stopped the advance of the ice, the flames dissipated and now flaming knives were intercepting each one, he was now throwing flaming knives, his hands were moving at a superhuman like speed, this went on for a while, until it had stopped.
A few knives fell from his sleeves as he was slouched over and was breathing a bit harder than before, the same was for his opponent. A red energy appeared around his body and a blue for her, they were surrounded in a light, covering their bodies, he drew his blade out of the ground, soon these two lights charged at each other and zoomed all around the ground, coming into contact constantly releasing sparks, the two lights then flew up into the air.
They came together in the air, trying to defeat the other, but no, they couldn't for both were pushed back, they slammed on the ground, the light faded enough for them to be visible, they breathed heavily.
"Let's end this" He suggested, she nodded as an answer
They held their weapons at their side, as if drawing, but neither bothered to sheathe their weapons, energy travelled from the air and their bodies to their weapons, their weapons were not cloaked but were more like drowned in energy after a few seconds. His eyes had a faint glow in them.
Small bits and pieces of their energy were seeping from their blades, they separated like small pieces of cloth coming apart, they took one quick look at each other and ran forward, their movements were sluggish and slower compared to their previous ones as their fatigue was great, they ran towards each other almost reaching the middle, they stopped meters short of each other and swung, two large and massive waves were created when they swung, it created a blinding light and a big dust cloud.
…
…
…
After the light faded, the dust cleared and everyone regained their sight, the area they fought on had been destroyed, the only parts that weren't destroyed were what they stood on and the area behind them taking the shape of a triangle, the land was destroyed as if a meteor had struck. Their weapons still had a very small amount of energy left, however it was fairly weak.
They stood there tired and exhausted, one more than the other, he got rid of whatever little energy remained on his blade with a quick swing, he then sheathed his blade, took a deep breath and stood up straight.
She wobbled and shook as the energy on her blade escaped, leaving nothing, the tip of her blade formed a crack that ran through her entire blade, her blade shattered leaving nothing but the hilt, she fell forward after she muttered "Thank… you"
He quickly caught her "That was fun for me too, now then, let's get to the infirmary" He shook and wobbled slightly before he regained his balance "I might need to rest as well" He then lost conscience and fell backwards.
Later after the battle they sat in an infirmary, next to him sleeping in a bed, next to his bed was the Frost Knight.
"N-Nep-Nep, stop it, he's injured!"
"But he's sorta muscular and stuff… and he's sorta cute" Neptune was touching his body
"Neptune, he has just been in one of the most amazing battles I have ever seen, I have a good feeling he won't like what you're doing" Layla pulled Neptune's hands away.
"What, come on, he's asleep and probably can't move, this is the perfect time for a H-scene"
IF whacked her "Nep, this isn't that kind of fic"
"Yes Nep-Nep, if you want to do those things, you do them in secret!"
"Neptune, avoid grabbing his tail recklessly, if you don't do it gently and softly he might attack you on instinct"
"Gently and softly, got it" She moved closer before a black hand stopped her.
"If you grab it again without my permission, I will end you"
"Heh heh, sorry sleepyhead… you at full health yet?" Neptune asked.
"Not yet, my body is sore as could be, my joints ache" He took a deep breath "I'm sorry all of you had to wait"
"Don't say sorry, that was amazing" IF told him.
"It was?" He asked.
"Yes it definitely was, you two were spectacular" Compa added.
"Yeah, you two were going vwooom and vwooom, slicing and dicing, shooting fire and ice, throwing knives and stuff, fighting in the air, it was AWESOME!" Neptune yelled as she gave him a thumbs up.
Layla then added "As they say, it was marvelous to see you battle"
"Good to know you liked it, now where's my katana?"
Neptune pulled it out "Here she is!"
"There isn't any damage to that thing, where'd you get it?" IF asked.
"Hmm, long story, but you didn't draw her did you?" He asked.
"Nah, Layla was being a worrywart and stuff, telling me not to pull it out… can I do it now?!" Neptune asked.
"Uh, how about no"
"How about you let me borrow her? Let me test what this thing can do?" Neptune asked.
"Hahaha… fuck no, she's mine" He snatched it back.
"Stingy"
He then got off the bed, out of concern Layla asked "Should you be moving about as you are? You should be recovering should you not?"
"Hey, you know me, I'm one of the hardest people to kill, just when you think I'm dead I come back"
"Hence the title Phoenix Knight?" IF asked.
"That and another thing… By the way I can still die if you were wondering so don't try anything" He moved over to the side of the other knight "Hey, you there, hello" He waved his hand in front of her face.
"Not you too, she's been hurt, you have to stop bothering the injured" Compa told him.
"As far as I can tell she's alive and since we were able to have such a good fight, she wouldn't die so easily… good, I think she's starting to wake up"
She opened her eyes and saw him, she sat up, looked at him, murmured "Phoenix… Knight"
"That's me, hi, you okay? No broken bones… you might have a few bruises… how do you feel?"
She slowly got out of the bed, the moment both feet touched the ground she swayed and fell into his arms "You know, it's weird how she just faints and falls into your arms… TWO TIMER!" Neptune yelled.
"To do that I would have to be dating somebody"
"But first, aren't you going to tell us who she is?" IF asked.
"I've been wondering who this woman is and why has she taken an interest in you?" Layla asked.
"Alright, listen, she is the Frost Knight, a prodigy, she graduated from the academy in four years when the average time it takes to pass is seven"
"If I remember correctly, you did so in five did you not?" Layla asked.
"Not the point, point is she can do anything, she skipped grades and has gained skills in various fields"
"You in love with her or something?" Neptune asked.
"Nep-Nep, he could be a fan"
"Actually I do know of her, she's famous because of a choice she made, instead of picking an actual career, she chose to be a Rune Knight and a Captain, but still I should've done better when we fought, I stuffed up"
"They already gave us the prize money, wanna go already?" IF asked.
"Yeah… how much did we get Iffy?" Neptune asked.
"50,000, you did great out there" IF told him.
"Thanks"
"But no wonder Nep lost, she was too strong"
"She just caught me off guard, I betcha if I versed her again I could win"
"But Iffy, are you sure we can leave yet? Do you think he's in a good enough condition to walk?" Compa asked.
"You're the nurse, you tell me"
"Um, you seem to be fine… I think… if it hurts anywhere just tell nurse Compa!"
"That's so re-assuring, but if I am in pain or bleeding or something, could you… give the bandages to me so I can do it myself?"
"No! I'm the nurse and I administer treatment!"
He clicked his tongue "Damn" He placed her back on the bed
"Then perhaps you would like me to heal him then?" Layla asked.
"You? But you're not a nurse… are you?" Compa asked.
"No, but I am able to use some healing artes, they can't be compared to what the combat medics use, but it's enough to heal minor wounds"
IF stared at the prize money they had earned "Hey Compa, if you hold onto this, can you promise not to give any to Nep?"
"Um, what if it's an emergency situation?"
"Thought as much" She turned to him "Here, this is yours"
He took the prize "Um, sorry if I'm confused, but why are you giving it to me?"
"You fought and did your best, you earned it and therefore it is your own personal money, you can do whatever you want with it"
"Um… thank you?"
"Why do you look so confused after I just explained why?"
"…I… don't know what to do with it"
"You can spend it on anything, video games, flatscreens, a new phone, you could even slap Nep in the face with it for all I care"
"He can?!" Neptune yelled
"Hmm, tempting, but I can do whatever I want with it huh?" He stared at the money in thought.
"That's surprising, he's actually putting thought into it" Layla commented.
"And I'm surprised you didn't wonder into the males bathroom out of pure curiosity this time"
Her face went red "Y-You said you would never bring that up again!"
"I didn't say for how long though"
She groaned and whispered "You're no different than before"
"Oh! I got it!" He yelled.
"You could always buy a certain friend of yours some pudding, chocolate, lollies or even take her out on a really expensive date buying her tons of cool stuff during the day?"
"Sure, hey IF, wanna go out tonight?"
"Fine, what restaurant we going to?" IF asked as she caught on.
"You two have fun" Compa told them.
"No! Not Iffy! You're meant to ask me who, then I say me… I was even gonna wear a dress and everything"
"You… in a dress, in a fancy restaurant acting lady like" He looked up in thought "Nope, can't imagine it, too unlikely"
"Could you say that after I transform?"
"Hmm… you wouldn't really need to wear a dress when you transform, you're already pretty enough"
Neptune had a confused look "Awww, you don't have to lie, but thanks"
"I'm not lying, no matter what, whenever you've transformed you've retained that beauty from start to end, even while fighting you… combine elegance and grace with each move… you could say that you're as beautiful as a goddess in a sense"
"Thanks, but you say that about me when I'm transformed… sorta got mixed feelings 'bout that, but if it's a compliment I'll take it!"
"You don't have to lie, Nep won't mind"
"Hey! That was a totally honest compliment from the heart and I approve!" Neptune yelled with her hands on her hips.
"You don't have to try so hard to keep her happy you know" IF told him.
"It's not fair that you're only complimenting Nep-Nep"
"But she asked… wait, am I meant to lie?!"
"No, you shouldn't lie to your friends of all people, you know that" Layla told him.
"Yeah, good point, but anyway, I know what I wanna do with my money"
"What is it?" Compa asked.
He split the credits and handed each of them an equal amount of 10,000"Here, take it"
IF sighed "You're not meant to give the money back to us, you're meant to use it for whatever YOU want!"
"I am, I'm paying each of you for what you've given me so far"
"We haven't given you anything" Compa commented.
"You don't think so, but since you have no idea, I may as well tell you… Compa provided me with food, a roof above my head and treatment, even if it was a bit… shifty... IF has provided me with knowledge and a means to travel. Layla is there as my self-restraint and to stop me from doing anything too stupid and Neptune is one of the main reasons I'm here in the first place on this little adventure, so there, fuck your reasons! I'll use mine!"
IF grabbed a hold of Compa's shoulder "Compa, help, he's too much like a kid, he's... like you"
"Was that a compliment or an insult?"
"It means he's too nice right now, please, I can't look at him"
"Awwwww, that's like… one of the nicest things you've ever done" Neptune hugged him and shoved her face into his clothing and took a big whiff.
"Did you just… sniff me?"
"…No"
"Are you a dog?"
She looked up at him "No way… I'm way cuter than a dog"
"Okay, stop, you're creeping me out" He pushed her away.
"WHAT?! He didn't fall for me?!" She fell to the ground "But my cuteness level was over 9000"
"Are you sure you wish to gift us with this?"
"Sure I do"
"However Iffy is correct, this is you hard earned money, you don't have any obligation to give it to any of us"
"Well too bad Layla, it's my money and I'm doing whatever the hell I want with it"
"I see, you're still just as nice as ever" She hugged him lightly "You should do as you were told and mature"
"I have matured if you haven't noticed, I don't wander into random places anymore"
"No, you're still just as adorable as you ever were"
"Please, I beg of you, don't call me that" He swayed and fell onto her shoulder and said wearily "Crap, I guess I still gotta rest a little more"
Neptune had gotten off the floor and stopped moping, IF and Compa had figured out what to do with their share "If you still have to sleep, we'll wait" IF told him.
"No, no, that would be stupid, I might have to rest for a few hours, is our room close?"
"We can just wait here, you fought your hardest, you don't have to push yourself, no complaints right Nep?"
"Got nothing"
"Wait… what about Chian's, how far away is that?"
Compa urged him to the bed "You shouldn't move, you should just sleep for a little bit"
He stood up straight "I'm fine, see" He lightly slapped his cheeks "I can do a little bit of walking, plus" He looked towards the sleeping knight "I was hoping if we could take her with us"
Later at Chian's place, he was sitting up in a bed.
"So let me get this straight the Tech Expo is still on which is being sponsored by the Parliament, but Avenir have been preparing for this Expo ever since their creation and have even made the decision on what is going to be showed there in order to absorb the entire industry, but this is all probably a way to cover up another scheme of some sort. Did I get most of that right?"
"Yep… oh, you forgot that that Singe guy has a robot fetish!" Neptune yelled.
"Yeah, I know that bit, a cyborg looking for love is pretty cool, but that's not relevant to the topic at hand"
"There's also the fact that he wants to replace all humans with robots" IF added.
"Great, company hell bent on absorbing industry and has even chosen weaponry as the topic giving them time to create god knows what kind of weapon and a guy with a robot fetish who wants to replace everyone with robots, yay"
"But did you get enough rest?" Layla asked.
"Yeah, but that was fun, but what was with all those people?"
"They were reporters and screaming fans, what else could they be? Have you calmed down?" Layla asked.
He nodded "Shit, that was scary"
She then petted him gently "There, there now, no need to fret, they're all gone now"
"If you can't handle crowds, then how did you even deal with the soldiers we knocked out before?" "IF asked.
"Oh, that, it's easier to talk when people are trying to kill you or if they're hostile, I still get nervous and all, but I find it easier to talk to crowds of people when they're trying to kill me… plus our lives were sort of in danger"
"Good enough, but how did you do all those things? And why was there a seal on you?"
"Uh, well I, um… it's really hard to explain"
"How do you even disappear? You were even breathing fire! How do you breathe fire?" IF asked.
"It's just my uh… magic, um… IF, did I… do something bad?"
"Of course you did! You know how worried I was when you fell over?!" She pinched his cheek.
"Sorry, I'm sorry, stop it!"
She let go "Jeez, you know how much trouble you put us through?"
"Sorry"
"What's with the seal? Are you some kinda criminal getting punished?" Neptune asked.
"Oh, that, that's normal for Rune Knights"
"Is that really normal?" Compa asked.
"For Captains is it"
"The seals are put into practice because of the amount of destruction caused by Rune Knights in their adventures" Layla explained.
"Destruction?" IF asked him.
"Uh yeah, about that… we have seals so that we don't somehow accidently blow up cities or… mountains"
"Did you destroy a mountain?" Compa asked
He scratched his cheek "Yeah… it's sort of smaller than before cause some of the top is missing… it was a complete accident"
"Idiot" IF added.
"Hey, can you show me that trick?" Neptune asked
"Depends on what kinda trick you're talking about"
"The one where you move really fast, like a ninja, you know, the one where you disappear"
"Oh come on, pretty please with pudding on top" Neptune begged.
"I can't, it's a secret technique I came up with, only Captains or higher can usually learn it and you're not a Rune Knight so I can't teach you"
"Yeah sure, I'll be a Rune Knight, so teach me master how to become an overpowered main character"
"Uh, becoming a Rune Knight isn't exactly something you do on a whim"
Layla looked somewhat tired "Sky, I'll be reverting to spirit form, you don't mind if I rest on you do you?"
"Oh, sure, good work, but aren't you going to the spirit realm?"
"You must be confused, I'm merely taking spirit form, not entering the spirit realm" She covered a small yawn "I'll materialize when I feel like it, until then, may you stay safe" She then faded.
"Yeah, good work"
"Is she going to be okay?" Compa asked.
"Yeah, she'll be fine, she's just feeling a bit lazy, although I have no idea when she'll come back, but she is still in this room, it's just I'm the only one who can see her"
"Why?" IF asked.
"Stuff"
The door opened as Chian peeked her head through "Hey, you awake?"
"If I gotta lift something or move, I'm not doing it" He told her.
"Your friend's waiting in the other room, she said she wanted some time with you alone, but you gonna give her to me too?"
"No, why?"
"Cause that other one is working great, we're almost onto something, I can feel it, anyway, she wants to be with you alone, you shouldn't keep a girl waiting"
"Ooh, lovey dovey time?" Neptune teased.
"Understood, I'll be right there" He answered, he got out of bed and sighed.
"Are you sure you can walk?" Compa asked.
"I'm fine, apparently I have something to do" He left the room quickly.
"What's he in such a rush for?" IF asked.
Later, the three girls had their ears to a door.
"Why are we doing this?" IF asked.
"Iffy, shush, I can't hear" Compa told her.
"Wait, I got it" Neptune opened the door slightly and peeked through the hole.
In the room the two sat apart from each other, on the opposite sides of a table, he asked her "So, what did you want to talk about?"
She was squirming on her chair, looking down at the table and was nervous "Um, you okay?" He asked.
She stood up, straightened her back and bowed down "Y-Yes sir! I apologize for my rude behavior towards you during the match today!"
"Um, what?" He asked in confusion.
"Please forgive me for my rude behavior!"
"Um, I didn't particularly mind much, but you weren't really being rude"
She stood up straight "T-Thank you very much sir!"
He sighed and told her "Oh, for the love of-look, I'm going to tell you to do these things, so listen carefully, one, do not call me sir, it's weird for people to call me sir, second, do not treat me like a superior, we are equal individuals and I don't like being treated like that and thirdly, be yourself, got it?"
"U-Um, yes si-um… Phoenix" She quietly sat back down.
"You seem different from before, were you acting?"
"Y-Yes, I act different in front of big crowds, I get nervous in front of crowds so I act serious so I'll be taken seriously"
He then had a cold and serious expression "I just have one question, how do you know who I am? Not that many people actually know what I look like, but when I took a look in your mind, you seemed to know, why?"
"T-That's, um… you see… we've met before and I remember your cat ears and… tail" She answered nervously.
His expression changed back to normal "Oh, we've met before… that would explain it"
"Um… I know this might be rude, but… what else did you see in my mind?" She asked with embarrassment.
"Nothing really, I avoid looking through personal experiences and memories, I only looked through the information you had about me, nothing else"
"Then did you also… look up information on me?"
"Don't need to, I already know who you are, I didn't know your physical appearance up till now that was all, you're 17 years old, recently graduated six months ago and was given the rank and title Captain, you are the Captain of squad 73, your main element is water or ice and have gained the title of Frost Knight due to your large use of ice, you have learned several secret artes and techniques such as one that was originally mine and have made it your own"
"Am I that famous?" She asked, flustered.
"However, your lack of experience is a problem, you haven't completed missions considered dangerous and have only taken on missions such as the protection of a town, village or city with the aid of others, you were given the title of Captain from the former leader as that person is now in retirement"
She looked slightly sad "That's… correct, people have high expectations for me and I don't want to let them down… this will be… my first B rank mission"
"Usually you take on these kinds of missions before becoming a Captain, but this is just plain reckless and stupid, why now, you only have half a year of experience"
"There were some people who told me I wasn't a real Captain until I completed a B rank mission by myself"
"For now, tell me your mission"
"Oh, um, my mission is to capture 10 rogue knights, I followed them through a dimensional gateway found in Planeptune just a yesterday and I ended up in here in Lastation, I needed money to eat and-" He then cut her off.
"Alright, stop there, I get that part of the story, what are their ranks and amount of experience?"
"There are three D ranks and the rest are Cs, each have around three years of experience and all personally know each other and have formed a small group and are against the Magic Association"
"I see, how much time was in-between you and them?"
"An hour, luckily they didn't know how to conceal their power and I tracked them down here, I arrived this morning and looked around, but couldn't find them, I then got lost in a forest and found this city"
"That's fine… dammit, if I knew about this I wouldn't have used my title"
"Why? Aren't we meant to be proud of them?"
"Yes, but we just entered a tournament that has been televised and probably recorded, it's best to assume that they know we're here and are preparing"
"Preparing for what?"
"To battle us or to run away, either away they know you've been sent to take them out… are these people smart?"
"A little, by the time we had found out about it, we were too late, they had already left and according to the records, they had an entire day ahead, but they couldn't move fast so I was able to catch up to them, only after they had reached Planeptune… the situation there… is it real?"
"Unfortunately it is, however I didn't bother to investigate further, after that I just… I didn't do what should've been done, my mind was somewhere else at the time and I took out the demon stronghold and everything in the way, not one of my best moments"
"I… I'm sorry"
"Don't be, you had nothing to do with it, there's no point in you apologizing, but I think I might know what they were after"
"Did Planeptune have a powerful weapon?"
"Yes… Planeptune did have a powerful weapon"
"Were you the one who killed that army of monsters?"
"Yeah, that was… me, I somehow managed, but everyone else died, all the other remaining soldiers were killed when they tried to get revenge"
"What reason did they have to send an entire army? I just don't get it, what was this weapon and what could it do? Why are weapons so important?"
"That's a good question, but this weapon you're talking about… he's sitting in front of you"
"They wanted… you?" She had a look of confusion.
"I'll show you, watch closely" He showed her his hand, in a moment his right hand turned into a brown dragon claw, covered in scales, it then quickly morphed back
"Monster Artes are skills that only those with monster blood possess, it enables us to use the abilities of monsters. Dragon scales are one of the hardest things out there, it's hard to cut and guns don't do anything, lasers work a bit better but not enough to stop the one using the laser to be killed. And then there are the powers of the Phoenix, when using them damage is immediately healed with fire, even if you get cut or shot. Imagine that, an army with the scales and strength of a dragon and the healing powers of a Phoenix, they would be near invincible"
"And they wanted your powers?"
"Yes, it's happened before and could be one of the reasons, they might have been there to study and replicate all our powers, after all, everyone was brutally murdered except all the other Captains, they only had one or two wounds as only their vitals were attacked, but they weren't able to grab any of the bodies"
"How do you know?"
"Because… I buried them, their bodies were still somewhat warm and I… I remember each of their corpses, all the other 29 Captains, their subordinates and everyone who was caught up in the mass murder"
She quickly covered her mouth out of disgust and horror "I'm sorry… I feel… sick"
He got up and walked over to her and patted her on the back gently "Don't worry, it's not something we should be discussing right now, I mean, it's already nighttime… you need to rest from the battle today"
"About… that, did you… hold back?"
"Uh, yeah, sort of… sorry about that"
"Why?"
"I don't know, maybe I just wanted to have some fun, but I still wanted to win… anyway, from your story, you don't have anywhere to sleep for the night do you?"
"Um… I was… no, I… don't… do you know any inns or motels I could go?"
"You can stay with us for the night and you gotta change out of those clothes, they're dirty"
"Huh?" She looked down to see a few stains "All I've been doing today is running around and fighting, it would be nice to take a bath"
"We can talk about all this stuff tomorrow, but she can stay with us, right you three?"
The three then fell forward, and were on top of each other "Compa, your boobs are heavy" Neptune commented being on the bottom.
"N-Nep-Nep, what are you doing?"
"I can't help it if you shove these huge things in my face!"
"It's fine if she wants to stay with us for the night as long as she isn't like these two"
The two knights stared at them "Maybe you shouldn't stay with us, you'll be dealing with this most of the time"
"No, your party is made up of… interesting individuals"
"Interesting huh? Let's leave it at that"
"Yes, but that person with the silver hair, was that… the Great Spirit of Light Aska?"
"She is, but the previous one was somehow killed, right now she goes by the name Layla Light, she doesn't take her true form because of personal reasons"
"I won't pry, but" She bowed down "thank you very much for allowing me to stay for the night"
"No problem Frost, but you've loosened up huh?"
"Huh?" She stood up straight with a confused look "Oh, I guess I have, you're not as scary as I thought you would be"
He rubbed the back of his head "Yeah… a lot of people think I'm scary for some reason" The two smiled.
"Iffy, are we being ignored?" Compa asked.
"Completely, it's like we're not even in the room"
"Yeah, but all this stuff about missions and rogue knights sounds cool, ya think those rogue guys got some sorta tear jerking story?" Neptune asked.
"Nep, who cares, we're not hunting them down"
"But there's a problem Frost, I gotta warn you, we're not exactly living in luxury"
"That's fine Phoenix, I was planning on camping tonight anyway"
He looked out the window to see rain "You shouldn't, it's raining, so wanna get going?"
"Lead the way"
Neptune then jumped in "Hey! You two have been completely ignoring us, we're a part of this fic too you know!"
"Fic?" Frost asked.
"Nothing to worry about" He told her
Yeah, hi again, I added another entirely random character, as I said this is a filler, hopefully I'll think of something that makes her more important to the main character, who knows, I might, but anyway, got anything to say put it in the review or message me, if you feel like something's missing from the chapter or my story just say so in the review or message me. Sorry if this seemed a bit boring, had trouble.
But thank you for reading and I hope you people had a good new years.