Again, guys, sorry for what happened before. Forgive me for that, and please bear with me if I continue to do that. I'll try my best to keep going, so do me a favor and post as many reviews as you can!
Chapter 25: Corrupted CPU
"Kh!"
Pirachu quickly flew to the side, evading a wave of red energy that had spawned from Akai's blades. The attack soared through the air and smashed into the side of the Basilicom, cutting through the wall like it was paper and smashing into the ground with the sound of a meteor demolishing the earth. The rat responded in kind with a ball of lightning that flew at dizzying speed, only to watch it get smashed into nonexistence by his opponent's blade.
"Try and do better!" Akai taunted before suddenly dashing through the air, flying exactly as a CPU should, and delivering a solid kick that sent Pirachu spiraling meters away before the rodent could recover.
"Same to you, chu~!" Pirachu quickly waved his paw, and a million spheres of energy suddenly materialized around Akai. He grinned and brought down his arm, and the balls of power quickly followed suit and condensed onto Akai all at once.
Akai just gritted his teeth and summoned forth a spear, identical to Vert's. The lines on his armor immediately turned green as he did, and he raised the spear towards the sky. A powerful gust of wind coalesced and formed a tornado that destroyed all of the spheres that came into contact with it.
"That's my power!" Vert exclaimed in shock. As she tried to take a step forward, she suddenly felt a dizzy spell overcome her. She braced herself against the table, trying to steady herself. "Wait, what's-?!"
"This is the same kind of drain on our life force that Linda had!" Noire cursed, struggling to remain upright as she stared up at the battle between the CFW and Akai. "So Pirachu and Linda really do have the same kinds of powers!"
"Which means Akai should be suffering the same effects, right?!" Neptune asked, practically in hysterics by now. "He could die!"
They watched as Akai grinned and threw his spear at Pirachu. Green energy streaked from the tip, and the weapon exploded with enough force to send a train flying through the air like a toy. Pirachu flew to the side and crashed into the Basilicom, and the ceiling collapsed as he did.
Akai then raised his hand to the sky, and the lines on his body that were pulsing green suddenly changed color and became white. A massive, two-handed war hammer blinked into existence in Akai's hands.
One that looked like the splitting image of Blanc's.
"Hey, that's mine! That's my hammer!" Blanc screamed in what sounded like complaint, but no one paid it much attention. Their focus was riveted on the teenage boy.
Pirachu flew out of the Baslicom all of a sudden, carrying a massive ball of debris with him. "Take this, chu~!" Screaming that, the CFW attempted to use the massive lump of brick and steel to smash Akai into the ground.
Akai merely spun once and smashed it with the hammer in his hands, sending the debris raining down onto the ground messily. He quickly thrust out his hand and clenched his fist, and rings of ice suddenly formed around Pirachu and shackled his arms and legs together.
Akai then flew in close and delivered a powerful downwards strike that sent the CFW plummeting into the ground. Upon hitting the ground, a powerful shockwave made the entire city shudder and rumble unsteadily. Everyone on the terrace felt their balance shift, and they leaned against the closest thing they could reach to steady themselves.
He then flew down and landed right in front of the dazed Pirachu, and he threw the hammer away. It quickly dissipated, and Akai held out both of his hands. Instantly, two swords coalesced into existence in his hands.
One was a black and dark purple katana. The other was a large grey broadsword.
"That's-!" Noire pointed in shock at Akai, who brandished the weapon exactly like her own. Neptune just looked on in awe, unable to say anything.
Akai delivered three strikes to Pirachu with the swords, and then switched his grip on the broadsword and landed an uppercut to the rodent with the butt of the sword. As Pirachu flew into the air momentarily, Akai flew up and passed by him while delivering a powerful slash with the katana in his other hand.
Stopping in midair, Akai quickly soared back and delivered another slash to Pirachu's back before smashing him down into the ground again with another slash with his broadsword.
"Before I activate a skill, Pirachu, I'm courteous enough to leave you last words." Akai said, his voice hushed and dead serious. "Let me hear them."
"…I was never in it for Arfoire, chu~" Pirachu croaked, a self-loathing smile appearing on his snout. "Once Linda killed my angel Compa, I've always wanted to kill her myself. But I knew even then that I couldn't beat her, chu~ She's the stronger one. She always has been."
"…then I'll kill her. For Compa's sake and for you, then. I never forget someone who's shared tea with me, whether they be friend or foe." Akai replied, offering him a smile as his swords suddenly burst with blades of energy six feet long. The katana in long purple energy that formed a pointed blade of energy, and the broadsword in flashing iridescent energy that shot out a silhouette of white energy. "Anything else?"
Pirachu coughed and sighed. "You don't mince words, do you, chu~? Good luck, Akai."
With that, Akai raced forward and smashed both of the swords onto Pirachu. The most powerful explosion yet sailed outwards, eye-murdering light flashing for a mile long and a sonic boom racing outwards that made teeth rattle and houses shift in place.
And for a while, all was silent.
Akai narrowed his eyes.
In front of him, where Pirachu had once been standing with a battered grin, was a floating piece of crystal. It looked exactly like the Sharicite, but it glowed with a sinister magenta color.
So this is the power of Prime Arfoire?
Before Akai could let a single sound out of his mouth, the crystal suddenly flashed brightly before rushing forward. It struck Akai and went inside him, sending him flying backwards and onto the ground, unconscious.
"Akai!" IF cried out, vaulting off of the terrace, which had been charred with energy blasts and scattered with the debris of the smashed portions of the Basilicom. She landed straight on the floor, a few stories below the terrace, but appeared undaunted and unharmed as she sprinted to Akai's side.
"What the hell did he do in one hour?" Noire muttered to herself, peering over the edge of the terrace at Akai.
Vert just glanced at him and looked away. "I'd like to know that myself."
Akai woke up to find himself in the dream world once again. He recognized the grass caressing his fingers and the pleasant scent of flowers that wafted into his nostrils.
"…so, we're back to this?" He asked out loud, laughing a little. He let out a big sigh, and then stood up to turn around.
"Well, I figured I'd congratulate you on getting this far."
Enfive stood across from him, a gentle smile on her face. "You have the Power of Faith running within you. Congratulations."
But she suddenly frowned, and her expression darkened. "But you have something else within you as well. Why do I detect the power of Fear, Akai?"
He just laughed and touched his chest, running his fingers over the spot where the crimson piece of Sharicite had run into him. "…it was a deal I made with Pirachu."
"Huh?" She just raised an eyebrow at him skeptically. "What do you mean? You deal in trade with the Criminals of the Free World?"
"Wrong, Enfive." Akai said, letting his CPU form manifest. The armor materialized around his body, and he felt the power rise from deep within and up to his fingertips. A small orb of gently shining light appeared above his right palm, rotating like a miniature planet. "He didn't do it for himself. He never wanted to become a CFW for Arfoire, or whatever the spiel is. That's why I chose to befriend him."
Enfive just grunted and crossed her arms, still eyeing the boy with a look of suspicion.
"…Linda killed the person Pirachu wanted to get close to." Akai said, his smile growing bitter. "That's all there is to it. He immediately began to hate her for it, and being a CFW became his token to developing a weapon to kill her. He devised a secret strategy with Linda to find someone who could connect with the power of Faith and then use them to destroy the CPUs in Hyperdimension."
"So that's what their plan was?" Enfive clenched her fists. "So that's why they brought you to Hyperdimension?"
Akai nodded. "They were planning on having me connect to the Sharicite, and then using that connection to drain the Faith out of Hyperdimension. Doing so would make Fear spread, and make it easier possible to summon Arfoire."
"…you still haven't answered my question. What did you talk to Pirachu about?"
"Thing is," Akai sat back down and glanced at the capital of Gamindustri that he could see from here, the city that Enfive herself governed. "Pirachu told me something. About how Croire is the one behind all this."
"Croire?" Enfive looked away. "So she's what's pushing them forward?"
"She gave Linda and Pirachu the remaining fragments of Arfoire Prime's powers, the Trojans and said that it would be the key to help bring back Arfoire." Akai just scoffed and then furrowed his eyebrows. "But that's not their Arfoire. With the Trojans, I suspect that Croire was scheming to summon Arfoire Prime."
Enfive's expression just grew more and more worried. "I see. So…why did you-?"
"He told me that even if he and Linda fought head on, Pirachu would never have won." Akai said, laughing as if to spite the dead rat. "She got greedy, and took the bigger portion of the Trojan when Croire gave it to the two of them. Pirachu wound up with the weaker powers, and Linda's the stronger one."
"But, you know what?" Akai raised his left hand upwards, the palm facing skyward.
And just above it, a dark black sphere coalesced into existence. It cracked and fizzed with crimson and indigo lightning, which stretched out violently as if reaching for any and every sign of life with a five mile radius. The arms of oddly-colored lightning charred and ignited the blades of grass that came into contact with it.
"He said that Faith wasn't enough. And so we decided: I was going to take him out anyway, and he wanted her dead. I'll kill him now and take his Trojan, and I'll use it to kill Linda, Magic, Trick and Judge. Then I'll bag Croire and do what I think I should do with her then."
"…you really are ruthless, now that you've gotten serious." Enfive let out a sigh. "So? With all of this power in your hands now, you won't be making the girls fall love with you anymore, right?"
"Wait, what?" Akai clenched his fists and let the energy from both the Faith and the Fear dissipate. "What are you talking about?"
"The connection to the CPUs, the bonds, that you would form, would inadvertently link you to the Sharicite and enable you draw strength from the Shares." Enfive replied as if she were lecturing him like a teacher would her student. "Since you've already created a direct link to the power of Faith, you no longer need to make them fall for you in order to get stronger."
"Hmm…" Akai put a hand to his chin. "Well, if I had more than one way to access the power of Faith, wouldn't that make things easier for me? Or…rather, wouldn't that make me twice as strong? At least, something to that effect?"
"It'll make it easier for you to draw on the power of the Shares with two power lines connected to the generator instead of one." Enfive replied, shrugging her shoulders. She began hovering just above the ground, taking a position as if she were sitting on a chair despite there being none. "But I know you don't really care about that."
"…well, I don't really need to do it anymore, do I?"
Akai smashed one fist, crackling with Fear energy, against the other one, which glowed with Faith energy. The result was an immense shockwave that flattened the grass below them so neatly it looked almost like paint.
"But then again, it would be great insurance. If they would all fight alongside me, I can be assured of victory."
"Do as you wish." Enfive giggled and poked him on the nose. "I leave the choice to you. Besides, I think all of your planning would go to waste if you didn't do anything."
"I only have one question." Akai narrowed his eyes, and he disengaged his CPU Form. The armor and the plug suit disappeared, leaving Akai in his normal clothes. "…what's with Aoi? Why is she there with me?"
"…in order for you to be considered a CPU, someone needs to place their faith in you, right?" Enfive just turned to gaze at her city, which stood in the distance. "She's there to believe in you. That's why your powers gave birth to her: you can't be a CPU if no one believes in you."
"So you do know about her." Akai replied, glancing up at the sky. "So…she's supposed to be the one person who I can rely on more than anyone else, right? The one who will fight alongside me and believe in me the way no one else can?"
"Not quite." Enfive just laughed knowingly. "You'll also need to work for her heart. But you have that all planned out already, don't you?"
"…at least try to make things easier for me, please, if you're an all-powerful." Akai just chuckled in reply and hung his head in defeat. "I'd appreciate it if you could help me save Gigadimension without extra hassle."
"There's still a prophecy going on, you know?" Enfive replied. "It will be fulfilled, one way or another."
"Yeah. That prophecy." Akai just addressed the topic with a flat voice. "It hasn't been really discussed with me, so I only have single question about it."
"Whether or not I answer it depends on what your question is."
"…did you make the prophecy, Enfive?"
"Does it really matter, Akai? Besides, you're going to wake up soon. You might want to ask the more important questions now."
"What does the prophecy mean?"
"You'll find the answer yourself."
"Will I see you again?"
Enfive smiled again, but her smile had taken on an air of sadness. "Maybe. That's up to you now. With your connection to the flow of Faith, you can communicate with me whenever you please. And if you get stronger, you can come here on your own."
"…it's a date, then." Akai smiled and nodded.
Suddenly, Akai started to hear very faint, muffled voices in the back of his mind like someone had stuffed pillows into his ears.
He recognized the voices of Histoire and Aoi, alongside a barrage of other people.
"…guess I should go." Akai said, and he just let his body fall backwards while he closed his eyes.
But he disappeared before he hit the ground, leaving Enfive alone.
"Akai?"
He woke up to find himself surrounded, IF's voice still lingering in his ears. Histoire hovered directly above him, her eyes glittering with concern. IF and Aoi sat on opposite sides of the bed, their worried stares making him feel a little too conscious.
"I'm good, I'm good. Relax." He sat up and scratched the back of his head. "Anything interesting happen while I was out?"
"Well, we helped ourselves to your fridge." Neptune replied instantaneously before getting conked on the head by Noire.
"It was just her." The Lastation CPU retorted. "The rest of us aren't rude enough to take someone else's food without permission."
"In fact, you should be harsher with Neptune." Blanc added, crossing her arms over her head. "Why do you even let her take your food, anyway?"
"Well…I live here, so it's become a kind of tax." Akai replied, laughing embarrassedly. "I've already gotten used to it, so it should be fine."
"Wait, let's not get off topic." Vert said, trying to take the reins of the conversation that was slowly turning off course. "There's a question I want answered, more than anything else."
"Sure." Akai nodded and leaned backwards, propping himself up on his palms.
"How come you were able to use our CPU Weapons?"
The air in the room grew serious and heavy, and the rest of the CPUs present immediately took a very obvious interest in the new topic of conversation.
Akai just let out a deep breath. "It wasn't really anything special. Pirachu and I just went around each piece of Sharicite in every nation, and I established a connection with each piece when I touched them. I'm linked to all four nations' Shares now, so I can take a form similar to your CPU forms."
"But how are you able to do that?" Noire asked, pressing forward. "I mean, you're just a human."
"It's a little difficult to explain." Akai glanced at the window idly as he spoke. "If I were to put it simply, I have the ability to connect to the power of the Shares. And so I did just that."
"You shouldn't do that without our permission, Akai. No matter how dire the situation, that's a course of action you should consult with us about first." Vert replied, her tone sounding quite upset.
"…sorry about that." Akai answered apologetically, bowing his head.
He looked up to find everyone else staring at him with a look of surprise. "What? Did I do something wrong?"
"No…but I wasn't expecting you to apologize so easily." Blanc replied, a smile appearing on her face.
"What kind of character do you think I am?" Akai grinned. "I know when it's really my fault."
"…so?" Vert asked, sighing. "What now?"
"We go to Gigadimension. What else?"
…it doesn't feel right…
I don't feel that good.
Akai felt the urge to fall over hit him, and he tried his best to shake it off. He braced himself against the bedpost.
"Are you alright?" Aoi asked, rushing to his side and helping him. "The others left to get ready to leave. Should I call them?"
"No, it's okay." Akai replied, staggering back to his feet. "I should be fine."
It's like there's something fighting inside me…like a war that's draining my energy…Is this the result of taking in the Trojan and the CPU's powers? Maybe getting all of the power was more of a bad idea than I thought…
"You don't look so good, Akai." Aoi said, escorting him to the bed and sitting him down.
"Aoi…I need to tell you the new plan."
"Oh, there's a new plan?"
"Aoi…I won't be conquering anyone anymore. We're going to go to Gigadimension, find the new CPUs, defeat the CFWs, and then get the fuck out."
"Why? Your conquest plans will all go to waste."
"It'd be nice, and hella fun, but I might make things even more difficult now. Pirachu's powers are warring with the CPU's powers inside of me, and that might hurt everyone else."
"…can you still fight in that condition, Akai? You might get yourself killed."
"Never mind me. We need to get wipe them off of Gigadimension's map forever. More importantly, how's the operation going?"
"Yeah, Histoire II made things easier for me. It's all going according to your plan."
"I'm surprised they managed to round up a team in this short a time."
