Chapter 26: Filler part 2
Another day came, another night gone by, another problem to deal with. That was more or less how his life played out. This day would be no different in that sense. Although the problem was not some terrifying monster out to reap life, destroy or take over the world.
No, this problem was far worse.
He had to meet someone's family. Now, you may think that isn't too bad, sure one or two of them may not like you, but if you could get along with one or two of them. Then it wouldn't be so bad.
Thing is, he had to meet the family of the Frost Knight. The person who was previously injured, caught, raped, violated, almost sacrificed then saved. He had to tell them that the entire incident was indeed her own fault and no one else's.
This was by far the one thing he hated the most. Telling families the required information, some of which they would not be too happy to hear.
Usually it ended up in a few ways, one, they would cry and tell him to leave, two they would get extremely pissed and yell, and they may hit him with something and three. The one he most hoped for, where they took it and didn't do anything annoying or harmful. Rarely does that happen.
And here he was, in front of the hospital with some specific pamphlets which he had to give to said family.
Now, you may be wondering where he is. Well it's obvious, he's in his dimension. Let's call it Dimension Red for now.
"This… is going to be fun" he had a wry smile. Oh how he wanted to shoot himself. He slapped his cheeks lightly in the cold environment of Lowee "Let's get this done and over with"
He entered the hospital and could feel the gazes of those around him. They all backed away a little upon seeing his cat ears and tail. Unfortunately, he could not hide them. That was one of the restrictions when these visits were made. You couldn't hide very important aspects.
Although he was allowed to hide his injuries as usual. That was important. If people couldn't bear to look at him, how could he possibly hold a conversation.
As he approached reception, he saw the receptionist's expression. She wanted to run away too "H-How can I help you?" She stuttered.
"I'm here to see the Frost Knight. Can you please tell me which room she's in?"
She eyed him suspiciously "For what purpose?" He felt like this would be such a pain.
He pulled out his badge and showed her "I'm on business from the Magic Association. It's important that I see her right away"
She looked a bit surprised upon seeing the badge "One moment please" She ran off, most likely to ask someone what she was to do.
For a good minute he stood there, waiting awkwardly for someone to tell him something. All the while people would stare at him behind his back. He wanted to run away and hide, the people in Gamindustri were very hostile to him.
People would never forget that incident twenty years ago. To this day they still held those petty grudges. He wondered when they would learn.
He felt someone walk up from behind, he took a step aside to let them pass. Only for them to stop. In his mind he sighed. He felt something try and grab his tail. He maneuvered it out of the way.
"... You damn animal"
He turned around and told the person "I would appreciate it if you didn't call me an animal. Many animals are small, fluffy and cute. And I'll have you know I am only fluffy" He explained, pointing to his ears and tail "... And sometimes I am called cute… I am not short, I am average height"
"You here to kill everyone like you did before?!" The man angrily asked
"Nah… I'm here to visit someone on some business" He deadpanned "I mean… if you're here to kill everyone then I think you've got some mental problems, but I commend your action of going to a hospital for help. It was the right decision to seek mental help"
"Why you… how dare some animal talk back to me!"
"I'll talk however much I want. I'm not bound by your…" He quickly looked around to see if there were any children "Yeah. I'm not bound by your bullshit… look, guy… I'm too tired for this. I just want to get this done and leave" He waved it off and yawned "Like… I'm actually sort of tired"
The guy taking that as some provocation took a swing at him. He didn't even bother dodging as the fist made contact with his cheek. The attacker smiled for a moment at his achievement, before taking away his fist and holding it in pain "W-What did you do?! You monster!"
"Me?" He feigned shock "Really? Me? I did something? Yes I stood here and took your punch. But.. just maybe… just maybe… if you hadn't thrown a punch. It might not be in pain… Just a nice little suggestion. So calm down before you hurt yourself"
He growled and threw another punch. This time he didn't bother taking it. He caught his forearm and stared into his eyes "I said calm down…" He applied a little pressure
"S-Stop! P-Please! It hurts!"
"Really? Because I was sure you wanted to pick a fight" He applied just a little more strength "This is a hospital. Picking a fight over something that happened twenty years ago is nothing more than pathetic" He then let go "Don't do it again"
The man backed up "U-Um… excuse me" That same receptionist called from behind "... D-Doctor Toad will take you to her room"
He turned around and saw a male silhouette "Oh, hey doc" He waved "Nice to see you again"
"You causing trouble again?"
""Please doc. You know I don't cause trouble. It just tends to follow me"
"Try to keep it to a minimum… this is a hospital"
"Roger that"
A few minutes later, he reached the room with the help of the good doctor.
"After you're done. Leave"
"Yeesh" He rubbed the back of his head "Where's the love?"
"There isn't any" The Doctor left him with those ominous words
"Couldn't you have said something a little bit more encouraging. I am sixteen you know" He sighed and looked at the door before him. He resigned himself to his fate and knocked.
"Come in" He heard the voice of the seventeen year old
Now all that was left was to deal with it.
A good half hour later, filled with screaming, yelling, cursing and whatever else in between, he finally finished and left the room. As he walked back to the entrance, he encountered his favourite doctor with two cups of coffee in his hands
"That went well"
He raised an eyebrow "What gave it away? The screaming or the swearing?" He asked sarcastically. He then sighed.
"Coffee?" The man offered
"Thanks" He was handed a cup and drank from it "Still tastes like nothing… so… how you been doc?"
"Lowee's filled with idiots who hurt themselves when using magic… what do you think?"
"So the usual?"
"The usual" The two walked in comfortable silence until they reached the elevator "I hear you've been busy"
"Busy how?"
"Fighting the demons in a war"
"Fought… Planeptune lost"
"I know… just wanted to rub it in"
"Bitch please"
"Shut it furball" The two smiled at each other "But still, Planeptune's recovering nicely"
"By nicely you mean Purple Heart has gone into a peace treaty with the demons?" He nodded "Figures…"
"You could've won that war"
"There wouldn't have been any point… win, lose. It doesn't matter anymore. What matters is what comes after the war"
"I thought you'd be more torn up about this. You did go on a rampage"
"I wanted revenge at the time. Now I really couldn't care less"
"Who caused Planeptune to fall? It obviously wasn't you"
"Don't know… a traitor most likely or some spy. But during the invasion. A majority of the people were evacuated, the people that died were mainly the military and some law enforcement, so Planeptune should be back on its feet soon enough"
"Weren't you friends with them?"
"Yes… but they're dead now. I already buried them, put their names on their makeshift tombs and payed my respects. Not much else I can do. Other people can make their actual graves"
The two sipped their coffee "We shouldn't be talking about the dead so casually in a hospital"
"Why? Dead bodies never put you off"
"It puts other people off"
"Ahhh… right" He downed his coffee "Well, thanks for the coffee. I should really be leaving. Don't want a riot"
He received the empty mug "And try not to come back you little brat. I already deal with enough idiots during the day. I don't need another"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll try. See you" He then disappeared the next moment. The doctor just continued walking and drinking his coffee.
He appeared elsewhere in Lowee, in some random back alley. He pulled out a knife from the wall, one of his many markers in the world. Hid his ears and tail and walked onto the street. Looking for some souvenir to bring back to the others.
Of all the things they had to ask him, it was to bring back a souvenir. He shivered under the cold of Lowee. For some strange reason it was always snowing.
He could use magic to keep himself warm, but becoming over reliant on magic was not advised. After all, what would happen if someone were to steal or seal his powers. At that point he'd be useless. So he put up with the cold. Only keeping his artificial limbs warm, they weren't built to deal with extreme temperatures of either cold or heat.
He spotted a gaming store and figured he would take a peek to see what all the fuss was about. The first thing that happened was utter confusion. He took a peek and saw different titles here and there, different consoles and whatnot.
He could generally understand it. A PS3 and a PS4 were easily named. One is an older model, the other is a new one, most likely with different features or better in some way. Each with their own games specific to the model. That much was easy enough to understand. Thankfully their names pointed that out quite easily.
No, what confused him was this XBOX One and 360. What the hell was with these confusing names, And why in the world was the One more expensive than the 360. Why was this so confusing?
He gave up. They had asked him to buy games but he didn't know what he was buying or what was good or bad. What's worse is how much they bloody cost. He was not that rich and they were expensive as hell.
Games were less common here than in their dimension. Now named the Hyperdimension. In Dimension Red, games were a little less common, not to say a lot of people didn't buy them. But with all the wars and conflicts in the last ten years.
Games and entertainment weren't developed as the nation's primary interest like in the Hyperdimension. Weapons, technology and magic was. Second was the powerful monster threat, third was the protection of people's lives. Games were below such priorities.
"Yeah, fuck this" He muttered as he left. He gave up, the girls would understand, he was too lazy. Instead he would just buy a random assortment of snacks, pudding and whatever else to keep them happy. Need it be known that a Neptune without pudding is a sad Neptune.
Ten minutes later, he left the store with a fair amount of snacks and whatnot "Hmm… may as well" He headed to the Magic armoury. A store backed by the Magic Association where many adventurers or other people with the Magic Association could shop for weapons as well as magic items.
In fact, there weren't any branches, the Magic armoury was literally one store, connected to the four nations. Essentially letting everyone have access to the same goods.
However, only people that are a part of the Magic Association can buy any weapon or item. In the Hyperdimension they had the guild, here they had the M.A. Not that normal people couldn't buy things, magic accessories, clothes and stuff were things they could buy freely.
Just not anything that could harm another person. In those cases, they can only buy normal weapons after going through a background check. People were crazy after all, and giving a psycho a weapon was not a good choice.
But as he browsed, he made his way to one familiar spot. His favourite alchemist and shopkeeper, she always seemed to sell useful stuff no matter what.
"Hello friend. Good to see you again" The little alchemist greeted with her big white gloves and strange bunny hat thingy.
"Hey Gust, got anything good for sale?"
"Always!" She answered with a smile "Take a look!"
Although, his eyes were more focused on the girl "Hey Gust… don't you ever age? It's been a couple years and you're still pretty much the same"
"What are you talking about? Gust is Gust" Many theorise that it's the hat talking and the body is just a puppet.
"Right… but seriously… you haven't aged a day ever since I met you. And I was a kid when we met"
"Gust is Gust" She repeated "Nothing more" He shrugged
He looked at her variety of wares "Hey, what's that?" He pointed to a plate
"Wireless phone charger. Very useful if you break cords easily"
Now that he thought about it, IF does break her chargers quite easily. He pulled out his phone "I'll need two of them, do you have one for a phone like mine and for a flip phone?"
"Absolutely!" She reached below the counter for a pair and placed it on the table "These will work. If not, come back and I will help with problem"
"Got it… hmm"
She then looked at his sling "Broken arm?"
"Yeah, a spar went wrong and… well, you get the idea"
"Would you like Gust to make potion?"
"Nah. It'll heal. I still got my left arm…" He picked up an accessory "What does this one do?"
"When activated, it warps space directly in front of user. Prevents bullets and anything from hitting"
"Wait… isn't that overpowered?"
"You can make your own. Gust sees no problem"
"... How do you know I can make it?"
"Gust knows lots of things… Gust won't use it against you. You're a good customer"
"So… you would blackmail someone?"
"Gust has said no such thing" She replied with a smile
"Really?"
"Yes"
"I'll take your word for it then" He placed the accessory down and looked at everything else. There were weapons, light armour with magic effects, accessories and other stuff. But nothing he needed "Then I'll take the two chargers"
"Thank you for your patronage. Please come again!"
"See you Gust" Like that he left his favourite alchemist. One day he would know her secret, one day he would know if it was the hat or the person talking. But seriously though, he was curious.
As he left the shop, his phone rang "Hello. Phoenix speaking"
"Good, you're here. Since you're in the area, you have a job to do"
"Alright. Gimme the details?" He put his shopping into storage
"Near Lowee, there have been a large group of bandits killing and stealing from anyone that goes past them. Recently, they've become much larger and their victims are numbering in the dozens"
"Approximate numbers?"
"At least a few dozen, there could even be a hundred of them there. We believe they're part of a larger network"
"And what's my objective?"
"Exterminate them… but keep some of the important ones alive. We'll send a cleanup crew after you to take in anyone who's still alive. I'll send you the details. Best of luck" The person hung up.
He looked at his phone to see that he received a few files "Right, time to get to work"
Elsewhere in Lowee. A bunch of bandits hung about in their hideout. All was well for the bandits. Especially the boss seeing as he made a big haul of those merchants.
"Boss! Boss!" A grunt ran in
"What?"
"S-Some of our guys are dead!"
"What! How many?!"
"I-I don't know! I just went over there and found their bodies!" Suddenly the man lost consciousness and fell to the ground.
Behind him was a boy, young with red hair and crimson eyes. One arm was in a sling, the other held a bloody red katana. He raised it and pointed it directly at the boss "Surrender and I won't kill most of you"
The bandit picked up an axe beside him with his imposing figure, he was at least twice as tall and twice as strong "You little brat. You'll pay for killing my subordinates"
"Don't you people kill for a living?" He tilted his head "Oh, but I suppose anyone would be mad if their comrades died"
Four of the dozen or so people in the room charged at him with their weapons. However, that didn't matter. The moment they reached within five meters of him, his sword arm became a blur.
Next thing they knew, their bodies fell to the ground, their heads touched down only a second later. Cleanly cut off. It was without a doubt, those four were dead "Want to reconsider?" He pointed his bloody blade at him
The boss tightened his grip for a moment, only to drop it the next and then get on his knees and put his hands up in the air "I… I surrender… don't kill anymore of us"
"Good choice" He swung his blade with a deadpanned expression, flinging the blood off. He kept it afloat in midair and wiped it down with a cloth. Ridding it off any blood "Others will come in here to arrest you, resist and they will kill you" He turned his back and sheathed his blade
"You… you're a demon… you're not human… you're a monster in sheep's clothing"
"I suppose… I've never really thought of myself as a human…" Technically he was a different race "Good luck" He waved as he disappeared into the shadows.
Outside he met with another group "I'm finished with my job. Your turn" He said as he walked by.
Taking that as the signal, they went in guns ready. They expected some resistance. Someone to fight back. However, what they found meant no one could fight back. There were nothing but corpses. Killed effortlessly.
There were no signs of a struggle in this godforsaken place. No fighting, no struggle to survive, just the smell of death and the sight of blood. It was obvious what killed them all, a single wound, slit throats, heads cut clean off, stabbed through the chest. Those three were the most prominent causes of death.
Some of the members of the subjugation force even threw up. Who could blame them. However, the leader only wondered what kind of monster could possibly leave such death in their wake.
Said monster was buying more snacks, figuring they would like them. To think, he was murdering people about ten minutes ago.
Anyway, he had concluded his business for the day and headed back to the Hyperdimension secretly. The knowledge of other worlds was kept a secret between those that could keep their mouths shut, mainly because people are stupid and scared of the unknown.
Before he went near them, he sniffed himself. Just in case he smelt like blood… no, he was good.
Once back he knocked, just in case "I'm back"
Compa opened the door "Welcome back. How was your trip?"
He sighed "Full of screaming, yelling and insults… so the usual"
"Did they treat you badly?"
"Well… considering I did tell them that it was their own daughter's fault and told her to quit, yeah… it's sort of natural"
"Ahh… well, good work"
He made his way in and dropped down on the bed. He dropped the bag down beside him and pulled out the charger "IF, catch"
"What is it?"
"Wireless phone charger. You keep breaking yours"
"Thanks" She got to testing it, and was happy to find it works
"Did you get pudding and snacks?" He dumped the bag next to her "Oooh, other dimension pudding" Arfy and the others jumped around her. Simba though was resting on Noire's lap. And yes, the golden kitten was still adorable
"Hmm… I don't see any games… did you forget?" Vert asked
"I went in there and I had absolutely no idea what to buy" He shrugged
"Well, you are sitting in a room with one of the best gamers in Gamindustri…" he tilted his head in confusion "If you want I can teach you about games and their value as entertainment"
"Umm… really?"
"Of course… all you must do is sit beside me and I will teach you in detail… now I won't bite" Noire wanted to interject, but Vert was unfortunately right, out of everyone in this room, she was indeed the best suited for teaching video games. In the background the rest of the girls just went through the snacks.
He sat down beside her "So… how do we do this?"
She looked at his arm "Unfortunately, you won't be able to hold anything that requires two hands"
"I can use my telekinesis in place of my actual arms to compensate. They're just as accurate"
Vert's mind immediately understood how she could use that. If she became that dexterous, she would no longer be bound by the restrictions of two hands and feet. For she could finally play many games at once. She would look into that great possibility later "Have you played any games before? They need not be video games like what we have"
"I've only played games a few times here and there. A few board games and card games"
"How are you still alive?" Neptune asked "That sounds soooooo boring… what did you do for fun?"
"Train, study or work" Everyone gave him strange looks "And read?" Blanc found his answer to be acceptable.
"That…" Vert paused "Sounds like a horrid life filled with nothing but utter boredom and disappointment"
"Learning magic was fun when I didn't accidently hurt myself"
Lady Green Heart sighed "There is much more to life than those simple and mundane activities. You are quite lucky that I am here to teach you the ways of gaming"
"I enjoyed doing housework too you know" He stated, trying to defend himself. However, in exchange he only got a look of pity from the goddess
She sighed "Be glad we met. For I shall change your life" She emphasised herself, earning a glare from Blanc and Noire "Let us begin… with the wonderous art form of visual novels. Let us begin with my favourites…"
"Are you crazy!" Noire placed Simba with Neptune and pulled him back "How is that a good starting point?! It's obvious that you are not cut out for this. Only someone like me can teach him how to enjoy games" She emphasised, earning a hidden glare from Vert
"My, Noire, what in the world are you assuming? Visual novels are considered games like any other"
"Neptune and Compa have told me about your room" Vert gasped "Exactly. You are obviously not fit to help him enjoy games. You two are much too different!"
"But Noire's so boring sometimes… like she can drain the fun out of cool things… except pudding. There's no goddess anywhere that can make pudding boring" Neptune commented
He actually looked somewhat concerned "Should I… be scared? What's in Vert's room? Why are visual novels so bad for me?"
"Um… well… it's…" Compa fidgeted, not wanting to tell the answer.
"In Lady Vert's room there's…" She whispered in his ear. He looked terrified
"What! Gay porn?" He looked at Vert "Fuck this" He made a dash for the door.
"NOOOO!" Vert leapt at him with her godly strength and pinned him down
"AHHHHHH! I'M STRAIGHT GODDAMMIT! I DON'T WANT TO WATCH GAY PORN!" He crawled with the one arm, towards the door "SOMEONE HELP ME! I GET TORTURED ENOUGH!" He screamed. Thank goodness it was the middle of the day. Because no one yelled at him to shut up or were extremely disturbed by what they were hearing.
"You. Are. Mistaken… It will be… nothing more… than an… entertaining experience! " She held him down as he struggled. She had to admit, he was quite strong.
"Get off him you crazy goddess!" Noire tried to pry her off "You're only making it worse!"
"Let go! I'm not into guys!"
"That is not what I am trying to achieve here! Calm down and I will explain!"
Blanc walked over and helped the poor and terrified soul. As Vert's arms were released, his back was against the door. He was breathing heavily and he looked scared. Noire kept a hold on Vert while Blanc cautiously walked over "It's over. You're safe"
He breathed a sigh of relief "Good… I no longer want to learn about games… I'm gonna go for a walk" All his stuff flew at him, and within the next second, he was gone.
"I'll go after him" Blanc commented. Within a few more seconds she was gone too.
Vert made her way to the corner, hugged her knees and began to sulk "I only thought he would enjoy a calm relaxing experience… I didn't want him to become more afraid of me"
"Picking visual novels was obviously not the best choice… at this rate he won't even want to be near you" Noire added. It's not that she wanted to rub it in, but he was like a small animal when scared, cautious and alert.
IF just sighed while Compa had a complicated expression. And Neptune, she was sitting there eating her pudding "Jeez Vert, you really scared the pudding out of him" Further cries from the goddess of gaming were heard.
Elsewhere, Blanc walked through Lastation looking for him. After ten minutes of just wandering about, she decided to head back.
But in the corner of her eye, she caught some red hair. Luck was on her side. She ran over "Phoenix" She called out in her quiet voice.
He stopped and looked at her "Blanc?" She did wonder how he possibly heard her. But he walked up to meet her "What are you doing out here?"
"Finding you"
"... why?"
"You looked scared"
"I was fucking terrified… but I'm okay. Not the first time I've ran away from someone dangerous"
"You're… scared of Vert?"
"Absolutely. She's like my predator"
"Pft…"
"What? What's so funny?"
"... N-Nothing… for her men are usually… all over her"
"... Ahhh. I see… yeah. I guess most guys would think with their lower half when it came to her" Blanc gave him a strange look "What? You can't stop a person from thinking. It's not their fault she's attractive"
"Fair enough…" She couldn't argue with that. No matter how badly she wanted to smash their heads in, they were all free to do what they wanted… as long as they didn't do it in front of her "What about you?" She asked in a quiet voice
"Me? I have this thing called self control"
"Running away says otherwise"
"I was once tortured through a similar means. For a good hour I had to watch gay porn…" He shivered at the thought "I don't have anything against them. I just don't want to see their sex life"
Blanc felt slightly uncomfortable with how he recalled it as if it were a rainy day, although, she did feel awkward about the subject matter "Then… where to?"
"Library I guess? Wanna tag along?"
She nodded slightly "Sure. Sounds good" Her expression remained stoic, but she did feel a bit happy. The library was full of books. Books she would most likely love to read.
On the way there, they remained in a somewhat awkward and comfortable silence, having light conversation here and there.
On the way he ran into a store to buy some snacks for her to eat, she waited outside and pulled out a book from her limited inventory to pass the time.
As she read, some guy was trying to chat her up. Now, she wasn't interested, but it was nice to know that she was attractive. It was just one of those things that made a person's day better "Sorry, not interested" She told them, waving them off with a hand.
They continued their cliche like behaviour, asking if she had a boyfriend and other stuff "I'm waiting for someone"
He came out of the shop with a shopping bag "Hey Blanc… friends of yours?"
She shook her head "Just some strangers"
"This your boyfriend?" One of the flirty strangers asked.
Now, she could answer yes, get into a misunderstanding and these guys wouldn't bother her or say no, causing these guys to keep pestering her "Yeah… he's my boyfriend" She then hugged his arm
He looked confused for a moment before smiling "I get that she's adorable and cute, but sorry guys, we're already together" To seal the deal he kissed her cheek. Causing her to blush which was indeed, quite cute.
"… sorry for bothering you" They left without a word, most likely to hit on the next cute girl they saw.
Before she let go, he whispered into her ear "If you want to lower the chances of someone hitting on you, don't let go"
She considered it for a moment and weighed the options. Considering that she wanted him to be a part of Lowee, it wasn't too bad of a deal. However, that didn't stop her from blushing from the sheer embarrassment.
She nodded "Fine…" She tried to look away, to hide her blush.
"Aww, you're embarrassed. How adorable" She lightly jabbed him "Please don't hit me. My ribs are still healing"
"Sorry… about all that"
"About what?"
"About your injuries… sorry"
"Accidents happen… no need to get all gloomy about it. I'm not dead"
"But still. You did well… not anyone could fight four CPUs like you could"
"I'm just accustomed to dodging… although I was a bit careless. I thought I could take it, but you're a lot stronger than I gave credit for"
"We're CPUs, it's obvious we're stronger than we look"
"I suppose. But I just thought you would have similar stats to Noire"
"How does Noire fight?"
"Avoids getting hit when possible, usually parries attacks or dodges them. Deals damage through cuts, stabs and kicks. Avoids punching when possible. Keeps her other hand back and out of the way. Similar to fencing"
"... And Vert?"
"Keeps enemies at bay with her long reach. Avoids leaving openings and prefers to stay a distance away, keeping them within her reach, but not letting them get within striking distance. In the chance they do, or when she allows them, she most likely kicks back or lets someone else optimise that chance. In our sparr that would be you to take them out. She prefers to fight smart and safe"
"You know all that only within a few days of meeting us?"
"No, I knew all that the moment I saw her fight" She had a perplexed expression "You CPUs are naturally more powerful than pretty much everything else. But for me. I wasn't always at this level. I've had to fight repeatedly, people, monsters, or something stronger than I am. Knowing your enemy makes it easier to win"
"... I see… you're strong"
"Not at all, it's just that others are careless"
"Don't belittle yourself. You said so, you managed to hold up against four CPUs. That's an achievement to be proud of"
"... Thanks… I guess it is pretty hard to do"
"If we continued, would you have taken it a bit more seriously?"
"I would've… but I don't think I could have won… we weren't fighting to the death so I had to hold back"
"Just don't hold back on our enemies"
"Of course Lady Blanc"
"I thought you didn't care about formalities?"
"Well… you seem like a nice CPU... "
"... You can call me Lady Blanc… on one condition" He tilted his head "Come work for me"
"Hmm… sorry to say, but right now I'm working for Noire"
"Not now… afterwards"
"But… I don't do much besides slay monsters. I don't think I'd be very helpful"
"Be my assistant, you'll work with me directly. I'll even let you live there and do whatever you want"
"Hmm… I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline. I only worked for Noire because she needed my help, otherwise I only work for a short term… I have to refuse anything more than a few weeks"
"... A shame"
"Um. Does this mean I don't get to visit the Basilicom?"
"You can still visit. I'll try to change your mind, but we can go after this Avenir fiasco is over"
"Awesome!" He smiled.
Like that, they spent their time in the library, peacefully reading the day away. On the way back they went to a bookstore.
Back in their hotel room. Vert had been scolded by both Noire and Compa. Albeit one was harsher, the other was more kind. However, this caused the goddess of green's mood to fall a little bit lower. She too wanted to pet his soft looking hair and play with his cat ears.
The only other person who, to her knowledge hadn't done it yet was Blanc. For she could not lose.
"We're back" He announced, Blanc directly with him
"And where have you two been? We were worried" Noire asked them
"Library" They answered "And bookstore" They added, each held a few books. They took their spots in the room and relaxed.
Neptune ran over "Done" and locked the door "Begin thingmabob!"
Suddenly, Compa and IF grabbed his shoulders "What the fuck?" He asked
"No running like a stray cat" Compa told him
"You're just saying that because he has cat features" IF remarked
"They're very cute and adorable" Compa added
Vert then took a seat in front of him. However, she felt quite uncomfortable when he stared directly into her eyes.
"You two will work out this problem right now" Noire demanded. He tilted his head in response. As much as Noire wanted to take another picture of his clueless expression, she could not "If all of us are going to work together, then that includes you two. You will make up right now and shake hands"
"Oh… kay… I'm sorry for running away. I genuinely thought you were going to torture me" He bowed his head lightly.
Vert though didn't know how to respond to such a blunt statement "Do not worry… it is of no consequence"
From behind, a feminine hand began to pet his head. He sighed "Blanc, why?"
"It feels nice" Blanc directed a devious smile towards Vert "Very soft and fluffy" She then began to fiddle with his ears
"What is with you people and my ears? Just because I say you can touch it whenever, that does not mean you should"
Vert wanted to touch his head, to feel that soft hair, to feel those fluffy looking ears, to play with that tail… to her, she was being insulted, Blanc of all people managed to touch his head… she wanted to as well. What's worse, her desire was only further stoked when she saw how his tail moved.
"Aww come on, you know you like it" Neptune teased
"I do not"
"Really… then my turn" She began to play with his two ears "What about now?"
"Still the same" He stared straight at her
"Then… I… want to touch your tail"
"Bite me" She reached for it "If you so much as touch it, I'll throw you off the landmass"
"You wouldn't do that to your old buddy Nep would you?" His glare said otherwise "Fine. go all Noire on me and spoil me fun"
"Touching my tail without permission is sexual harassment you know"
"Soooo… when can I touch it?"
"Be my lover and I'll let you"
It took a moment for that to sink in "NEPU! So sudden! W-Wait! Hold up! We haven't raised enough flags!"
"L-Lover!" Noire spat "T-That's taking it too far! You two aren't even dating!"
"You people do realise I'm joking right?" They seemed to calm down "It's just that my tail is reserved for family, very close friends and lovers… or wife. One of those. It's a private part"
"Then… it is fine to touch your ears?" Vert asked
"As long as you don't try to tear them off, be my guest" She reached out, then hesitated for a moment. He rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand and placed them on his head "Relax… I won't bite"
She rubbed his soft hair, then began to play with his soft… cute ears. This… she could get used to this. Something so peaceful and nice. A part of her wanted him in Leanbox just so she could do this whenever she felt stressed.
And to think, she was afraid of approaching him "Hey Vert?"
"Yes?"
"Um… You still up for teaching me about games?"
A wider smile took place on her face "Why of course I am! This time, stay still and do not run"
They spent the rest of the day peacefully, without accident or anything meaningful. They played the day away, happily doing whatever. Strangely enough, he was actually good at video games. Not to the point where he could beat anyone in the room in a smash for the day, but good enough that he enjoyed it.
Later on, he was given a shooter to play with. For the first few games, he could do nothing but die repeatedly and then be insulted by children. A few games later he absolutely dominated. Killing many on the map very easily. For him, video games were similar to a simulator.
As a treat, at night he asked his angel to sing again, to give them all a good rest before the big day.
Omake: Who were the Omega Quartet?
What's your favourite fairy tale?
Ask anyone in Gamindustri in the Hyperdimension and most will tell you without doubt of the Omega Quartet.
The four heroes that rose up from humble beginnings and stood against the true goddess when she began to lose her sanity. When she was being corrupted, when she attempted to destroy Gamindustri.
The Omega Quartet were known for far more than just their heroic deaths, their legends speak of more than just their battle prowess. Stories spoke of their bravery, their courage as well as their fondness for others.
Their legends tell of their ability to help any and all they came across, how they managed to solve problems and save dozens of lives through their wit and intelligence, resolving to use the power of words before the might of their weapons.
No matter the problem, whether it be an almighty dragon or a matter of diplomacy. They took up the challenge not for fame or glory, but because they just wanted to help, because they couldn't stand by and watch as others suffered, not when they could make a difference.
Those legends spoke of their selflessness, how they put others before themselves, how they bettered the lives of all they encountered.
Their lives were passed down through story, and as a result. They were used as a form of literature, of entertainment. There were many versions, different stories made for specific audiences and whatnot, with different characters.
But from all those stories, passed on by bards and storytellers. The only aspects of them remembered were their achievements, their heroics and their weapons. The actual identities of the four were lost to time.
Their gender remained unknown, their appearances forgone for more heroic individuals, their identities abandoned in order to keep that role of the perfect heroes.
Only two people in Gamindustri knew of the Omega Quartet personally, one was an old dusty tome, another was one of their former companions.
Their faces were etched into their minds, for they could not forget, they could never forget the four girls who did everything together, arguments, playing, fighting, training as well as sacrificing their lives together.
Histoire recounted the four girls, each one more different than the next.
The spear wielder, a busty blonde, raised as a noble girl with an education. She saw from the world of the wealthy how those in lower standing were abandoned and left for dead. Frankly, she couldn't stand the injustices of the world. She was the big sister of the group, always calm, always composed, mediating between party members.
She had this tendency to fantasize about yaoi, along with reading pieces of literature not meant for innocent eyes, along with romance novels and smut.. Lots and lots of smut. But she showed no shame around her party, as intended from showing her more than questionable hobbies, the party became closer in spirit. She was 18 at the beginning of her adventure.
The bow user, a short brunette, a quiet and calm priestess with a foul temper and potty mouth that could put adults to shame. She always wanted to make a better world for her two little sisters to live in. She served as the voice of reason and logic when she wasn't pissed, ensuring they were always prepared.
In her free time, with what little earnings she had, she would buy books to read or substitutes for pen and paper, as well as send letters to her dear family when possible. Secretly she wrote novels to her liking, many of which have never seen the light of day. She was 17 when she first began her adventure.
One of the swordswomen, a black haired twintail girl. Raised in a wealthier family than most. She always seeked perfection in all she did, so that her family would never betray or harm her or her precious younger sister. She graduated her classes earlier than all, with top grades along with learning how to wield a sword from the best teachers.
However, one day, she got fed up with her family after her sister's untimely death. How they didn't even mourn her death was the final straw. She decided to take up the life of an adventurer with the intention of making the world a better place in her dear sister's name, as well as stopping others from falling to the same fate. She never wanted anyone to feel the way she did on that day, never again.
As a result of her harsh upbringing. She had trouble expressing herself through anything other than insults and offhanded comments. The friends she had were non existent, all she had were acquaintances. She blushed whenever anyone saw through her facade.
Even though her comments were blunt and at times, insulting, she always meant well. But she always had trouble communicating with strangers and was extremely nervous around them, choosing to keep the mask on in public. In private she had this hobby of dressing up as her ideal adventurers, the ones told of in fairy tales. She was the youngest of the party, beginning her journey at the tender age of 15.
Last but not least, the leader of the party and the other swordswoman, a spunky purple haired girl, a commoner with nothing to prove. Her family were farmers, she had a mother, a father and a younger sister who she doted on too much. She always enjoyed playing and hanging about, choosing to have fun when possible.
Even so, she could not read nor write, not to the same extent as those who went to school. At best, she was taught by her parents. Life though wasn't always good, sometimes they went to bed hungry, at other times the two children had little time to freely play, opting to instead help their parents.
No matter the hardships, they lived happily together. But, on her sixteenth birthday, her parents apologised to the two girls with tears in their eyes, how sorry they were that they couldn't give them a better life, how they didn't have any time to make a birthday present.
The girl hugged all her family and told them with the biggest smile on her face that she couldn't ask for anymore, that the luxuries of money could never be a better present than their love.
On her birthday, she decided to become an adventurer. She loved her family, but like her parents, she too wanted them to live a better life. To give her little sister an education and make it easier for her parents. She decided the money apart from the necessities would go straight to her family. So that one day, they could retire. On her sixteenth birthday, she became an adventurer.
The girl though was utterly unprepared, seeing as she bought a wooden sword from the bargain bin and had absolutely no idea how to earn money as an adventurer. She had never even fought a monster before. At times she annoyed the other three, sometimes they wanted to tie her up and throw her to the wolves or shove eggplants down her throat as punishment for her antics.
By some coincidence, all four chose the same day to live the life of danger, for their own reasons, intending to fulfill their goals one way or another. One thing lead to another, and the four young girls chose to form a party between the four of them, two of them properly equipped, one with nothing more than a bow and comfortable clothes, the last one had a wooden sword.
On that day, through a string of coincidence, the Omega Quartet was formed. After much time, trials. joy and sorrow. The greatest party had been formed, however, that story remains to be told.
…
…
…
Their names you ask? I don't need to tell you, you already know them. For the Omega Quartet still live to this day. In flesh and blood, retaining their personalities but not their memories… You still want to know? Just to be sure?
Fine, I'll tell you
The busty blonde was Vert, her spear along with her height, long arms and legs gave her an advantage of reach, coupled with her graceful spear technique, she could keep many enemies at bay at any one time along with being faster, allowing her to move along the battlefield faster than any other. As a result of her beauty she was sought after by many men and women for her charms. In sticky situations, she used that charm for their advantage, making sure they danced in her palm, all for the benefit of their party.
The short brunette was Blanc, don't let the bow and deadly accuracy fool you. If you got in too close or pissed her off (God have mercy on your soul) she could literally beat you to death with one hand tied behind her back and a blindfold over her eyes. The only people that managed to piss her off and live to tell another day without any broken bones were her friends. She refused to raise a hand against any of them simply from petty anger.
The black twintail was Noire, in terms of swordsmanship alone, her technique was polished to perfection and beyond. In battle, she could easily pinpoint weaknesses and destroy them. In tandem with it, she wielded a revolver made by her beloved sister long ago. No matter the situation, she kept the custom made revolver on her at all times. It serves as her memory of the lovely girl, as well as a reminder that her little sister always protected her, even in death. While with her party, she opened up and expressed herself freely. As much as she would deny it, she loved them all.
The spunky purple haired girl, and their leader was Neptune. Even though she was the weakest of them all, her charisma and ability to lead were the best of the four, even in the worst situations, she always found a way through. She learnt from the other three how to fight, allowing her to develop her own fighting style. She was the opposite of Noire, where she had polished her technique, Neptune relied more on instinct and surprises. Her party was a bunch of randoms thrown together. At first they had conflicts, but as time passed, they were a part of her family. They were her sisters in arms. She couldn't ask for anyone better to fight alongside her.
You can chalk it all up to coincidence if you wish, the coincidence that the Omega Quartet are eerily similar to the CPUs. But calling that nothing more than chance is a bit of a stretch. You know better.
Why are the CPUs the stunning image of the Omega Quartet you ask? That answer is for another day.
Hello again, for those who read through it all, how was it?
I feel really proud of this omake. Honestly, by itself, I think it would be a great idea for a fic all on its own. To me, it's a fantastic idea. That would be a story I would love to read, by all means, go out and write your own. Tell other authors, spread the idea. But if you do, do credit me for it though. For all the time I've been on this site, I haven't seen anything like it. So I would like a bit of credit, I wanna feel proud of myself. If it does indeed exist then no matter, the idea is great anyway. Don't need to credit me.
But you know, this one just clicked in my head. As some of you may or may not know, the Quartet are nothing more than a story of four heroes that once fought the true goddess. In the actual games, they've never dived deeper than that sad to say. It would've been cool to see four more human characters like them. Like some accessory of the four consoles or something similar. Sadly enough, they're nothing more than a story and a way to get cool weapons. I believe they're only mentioned in the first game and rebirth 1.
Guess what though, I think the inspiration for this came when I was watching RWBY, one of the latest episodes to date and one of my favourite characters and by far the most badass person in the show asked "What's your favourite fairy tale?" and when I came back to writing, this was the result. I was like fuck yes, this sounds awesome. I mean, making the Quartet a fairy tale fits, seeing as they're a common story among people. That's what I believe anyway.
Sorry for the long rant, but I just wanted to get that out there. And please, please, please, someone please write a story like this. It would be spectacular. Seriously though, someone do it. I'll try myself, but don't expect much.
Anyway, if you enjoyed or disliked it, leave a review, if you want to chat or ask a question in private, send me a message and I will answer to the best of my ability. With that done, I'll see all of you next chapter.
