Chapter 14:

*BAM!*

*BOOM!*

*BRRRRRRRRRRRRR!*

Now that is one hell of a punch. I can feel the shockwave as though an explosion just happened. The doggie, as she likes to call it, is blown 20 feet away. I think I see a crater on its chest. うずめ comes down, wearing a satisfied look on her face as she shakes her hand, as though alleviating the soreness.

" 'Unyaaa~...I finally won against the doggie~...' " she comes up to us wearing a mix of a tired and satisfied look on her face. It's like she just had a refreshing workout.

"D-Doggie…?" a confused Nepgear is confused. Probably from the cute nickname うずめ gave to that wingless dragon.

" 'But it's totally because of you guys that I was able to defeat it. Thank you~ Thank you~ ' " she gleefully said.

"No need to thank us, we're friends now! I'd go bat for ya any day of the week!" Neptune said.

"She's right. Um… so, what's your CPU name, Uzume?" Nepgear asked.

" 'It's Orange Heart! ' "

"You know, I was really surprised by your transformation, Uzume" no shit, Neptune. I think we all did.

"I thought you'd get even more aggressive in HDD form, but you're completely the opposite!" that goes for you too, you know.

"I can't get over it! It's so crazy!" please get over it.

" '... Huh? Nepsy, why do you know about CPUs…?' "

"Oh, right right! There was so much going on, I forgot to tell you we're both CPUs too!"

" '...Really!? Are you serious!?' "

"Really, really! I'm the patron CPU of Planpetune, Purple Heart" she gleefully poses as though there are multiple spotlights all pointing at her. With the paparazzi raving at her.

"..Except… I kinda have no shares here so it's not like I could transform and just show you..."

" '...So, you're a CPU too, Gearsy?' "

"Yes, I am… Although, technically, I'm a CPU Candidate"

" 'Then, then, then, then...' "

"Nope" I answered Uzume's eyes that are now full of excitement and anticipation. I think she was slightly disappointed.

"Big Brother is a special case"

"Mhm, mhm. He's our resident bully!" that sounds wrong in all sorts of ways, my wife.

" 'Wow, this is crazy! Never in a million years would I have imagined I'd run into CPUs in a desolate place like this. So cool!' "

"Oh, believe me, we're just as surprised. But I'm sure this is fate!" I think fate has been favoring us a few thousand times already.

" 'You're right!' "うずめ glows in white just as before. Her form changes and the light dims.

"...Tch, it looks I ran out of time" and here comes her rough voice to neutralize her previous voice.

"Ran out of time…? Oh, right, it looked like you were using a share crystal to transform" Nepgear says her observation.

"Grrrrrrr..."

We jerked our heads towards the source of the growl. We see the wingless dragon, struggling to get up as it glares menacingly at us. The flames roar in between its clenched teeth. Ready to be fired at us at a moment's notice.

"No way! It's still alive?!" of course it's still alive, Nepgear. all she did was punch the thing very hard.

"Damn it… You're a resilient bastard, aren't you? Do you want another beating, you idiot?!" うずめ said, her fist clenched.

"Shoot, any more of this is gonna be tough, even for me..." when were you the resilient type, my wife?

"...but if it still wants a fight, then we'll keep going 'till the very end!" she swings her sword around as she declares.

"Woah woman, stop swinging it around like that"

*Badum!* *Badum!* *Badum!* *Badum!*

"What kind of sound effects are those?" I say as it quickly runs away like a runaway horse.

"...It… ran away..." even my redhaired friend is dumbfounded.

"Haha! It's running away because of my intimidating strength. Yeah, keep on walkin', tough guy!"

"Probably afraid for your careless swinging" I said to my wife.

"Maybe because it's just hurt" not like Nepgear is wrong.

"I'm not satisfied that I couldn't finish it off, but now I can finally take on that giant" うずめ declared.

"W-Wait just a second, Uzume! How can you be thinking of fighting that giant?!"

"Hey, hey. What's the matter, Nepsy? What happened to 'we'll keep going 'til the very end'?"

"You know that's not what I mean! All I'm saying is, you might not make it if you try fighting like this"

"She's right you know. We're kinda at a disadvantage here" brazen confidence is nice and all but there's really a time and place for it.

"If we don't kno-!"

Instincts suddenly take over me. I move in between them and swing my sword. Intercepting something that is coming my way.

*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*

"Nepu! Jared!"

"Rgh?!"

"You okay you two?" I asked.

"Nepu! Wh-what was that!?"

"Most likely from that Titan" I can actually feel its presence, even though we're some blocks away from it. Ergo we can't see it at street level.

"...Tch! A surprise attack, how cowardly…!" うずめ is furious, raising her fist towards the sky as she breaks free from me.

"Let's return the favor twofold! It's our turn to debut!" uh, no. So I want to rest.

"Ah…!" うずめ falls on one knee as her face grimaced.

"Are you okay, Uzume?! Did you get hurt from that explosion just now…?" Nepgear runs up to her.

"You kidding? It takes more than that to take me down. Let's focus on how we can kill this thing- Oh, crap. Did everyone get out okay…?!" remembering something important, うずめ presses a button on her watch.

"It's me! What's your status? Have they all been evacuated?"

"Uzume. We've just finished. We're in the next town over" and the deep calm voice exits the speaker once more.

"Oh, good… we just made it..." a relieved tone escapes her.

"Yes, they're safe now thanks to you, Uzume"

"Then I can fight without reservations… Thanks for the update" Uzume ends the call with flames burning inside her eyes.

"Seems like everyone was able to escape safely. It's all because of you three… thank you" so… why is she saying this as though it's her last goodbye?

"O-of course, but don't you think it's time we escape, as well?!" Nepgear said.

"Escape?! I've been waiting so long for another chance!"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"...!"

"Neptu...! NEPTUNE!"

"...!"

"Dodge!"

*BAM!* *BAM!**BAM!**BAM!*

I try to give chase but fireballs suddenly fly across my vision. An eruption happened between me and her, the moment the fireballs hits the ground.

"...! Neptune!"

I didn't mind the puff of dust nor the debris nor the ringing in my ears. I push through towards Neptune.

"Whew, just dodged it by the skin of our hairs" I found her on top of うずめ.

"Jesus Christ woman, don't just jump out like that..." I help her up.

"Sis, Uzume! Are you both alright?"

"We're fine! I mean, it was too close for comfort, but it looks like we're doing okay"

"Yeah, thanks to you, Nepsy..."

"Geez, Uzume! You really think it's a good idea to fight this thing when you're all beat up?" my wife asked.

"Of course I do"

"It's too risky! Let's get out of here while we sti-!"

"SHUT UP!" Nepgear's plea dies out from a command filled with fury.

"Weee!?"

"I haven't had a shot like this in so damn long, and I don't expect you to get it. But if Nepsy and the rest wanna leave then just go"

"W-What are you saying?! There's no way you can hold your own with that thing..."

"No. I can do this. I'm gonna fight even if the flesh is falling off my bones..." what are you going to do when you become a zombie? Nibble it to death?

"Besides, I won't lose in a fight even if I die! Even if I have to go down with it, I'll..."

"Hiyaaaah!"

*SMACK!*

"O-oawwwww! What the hell're you doing!?"

A big smack on the back of うずめ's head from our friendly neighborhood Neptune caused her to crouch down and hold the place where she got smacked. She looks at the perpetrator with teary eyes. That must have hurt. She's lucky that Neptune smacked her and not me.

"Drop the tough girl act and live to fight another day! You know, what they say where there's life, there's rope!" classic Neptune. Pffft!

"...R...rope…?" even うずめ is dumbfounded by the weird mixup of quotes.

"I-I think she meant to say 'hope'" Nepgear corrected. And Nepgear is trying to contain her laugh.

"Yeah, that's the word! Hope!"

"All the good little monsters were able to escape, isn't that good enough for now? You don't need to push yourself, pal"

"We better wrap this up. I think our giant masked raider will fire another one at us"

"And that's how it's gonna be. Nepgear, gimme a hand here"

Nepgear creeping behind うずめ, she holds her by the underarms and lifts her up. At the same time, Neptune lifts うずめ's waist over her head. うずめ can't hide the red on her face as she just realized the sister's quick movements and execution.

"Woah, hey! Lemme go, you jerks! You can't just pick me up like this! Put me down! Jarsy help!"

"I can't. I gotta protect you girls from raining fireballs"

"Got a good grip on her, Nep Jr.? Let's blow this pineapple stand!" and we started to run away.

"HEY, LISTEN TO ME, DAMN IT!"

"Viewer disclaimer, no pineapples were harmed during this run"