Greetings readers, we meet again... I honestly want to say that to someone while turning around in a big chair while petting a bunny rabbit, while also wearing a suit... it's just one of those things you want to do. Anyway, hi. It's been a while, and I'm sorry to say. Only one chapter this time. I've been a bit busy later with my priorities.
I'll list em real quick:
My studies, Final Fantasy XV, other games, and the most important one of all (Drum roll) Tales of Berseria... love the Tales of franchise, so getting this was a no brainer.
But as a result of my priorities, I won't be writing as much for a while. That includes the Nintendo Switch in March so yeah. Games... expect less activity from me for some time. Moving away from all that, shout out TheLastNanaya, elatedrune, ARSLOTHES and rtsrytis31 for the reviews. I'm just thankful you readers take the time to do so.
By the way TheLastNanaya, in the last omake, the revolver is mentioned in Noire's description. It's mention is minor, but you'll find it. I'm not trying to be mean, I just wanted to clear that up. I still love you though, so don't worry.
Besides that, got nothing else to say but have fun, review or message if you have anything you want to get off your mind, and enjoy.
Chapter 27: Expo
Neptune and IF were mumbling to each other as the ceremony began for the Expo.
The rest of the group looked about in curiousity, Black Heart of course felt much pride seeing the event "So this is Lastation's largest technology event…" Blanc noted, all of the goddesses with the exception of Neptune were wearing their disguises again. Yes, it's those stupid glasses.
"Pretty huge, isn't it?! Lastation still has a lot more to show!" Sang a happy Noire. Blanc's eyes then noticed something "What's the matter? Did you find something interesting?"
"A swag booth. I'm going to take a look"
"That was what you were looking at?!" Noire retorted. Of all the wondrous things in this expo. She went to the swag booth.
"All of these are weapons…" The male looked around, his eyes gazing upon all of them "... Impressive"
"Isn't it? I knew you'd appreciate the event"
"Maybe I should put one of my swords up for display" He commented
"Hmm. A sword amongst all this technology would appear quite weak"
"It wouldn't be an ordinary sword, I would add an effect of magic that lets it cut anything and everything. With it, I could cube a person into little pieces of flesh… just a small touch on the blade, and their finger would split straight in half"
Noire's eyes went wide with surprise and fear "Please don't exhibit that… That's illegal and… horrifying"
"Aww, come on, it'd be pretty cool. With what's Avenir gonna show, I doubt I'd be doing anything bad"
"Even so, it sounds too deadly as a normal weapon!" He shrugged and looked around
Vert noticed the biggest problem of all "Um, Noire? There are no publishers having any games on display"
"The theme this time is weaponry, so there's no game exhibit here"
A look of shock and sadness presented itself on the goddess of green "No…! That was my only hope of enjoyment here…"
Noire sighed at the goddess' worries "We're not here to play around"
"Yes, I know, but it is an event, so we might as well enjoy it to its fullest extent"
Neptune raised a hand with enthusiasm "Heck year! I second Vert!"
"Don't butt in, Neptune!" She sighed "Why are you all so relaxed?" She complained "Now, everyone, be quiet. It's about to start"
Ganache took the stage "Welcome, and thank you for coming to the Avenir sponsored Technology Expo"
"What's he saying? It isn't Avenir, I'm the sponsor of the event!" Complained the angry CPU
"Noire, you sound serious. C'mon, smile! Your cute looks are going to waste" Neptune cheered
"Let me be who I am now. It's not like anyone else is looking at me"
Back to Ganache "And so, we have a special opening ceremony for you all"
Neptune's eyes lit up "An opening ceremony! I wonder what is is? I hope it's a gaming contest!"
IF had to reply "That may be interesting, but it feels lacking for an opening ceremony"
Compa then joined "Oh, then maybe a famous band will come to play!"
"That sounds likely. Maybe it will be a full orchestra" Vert added
Blanc agreed and also added "I'd love to hear a live chiptune compilation"
"Oh, then I want an energy charged, turquoise-haired futuristic idol singer!" He thought for a moment about Neptune's description. He was fairly sure someone like that existed… but for the life of him, he couldn't remember her name. He knew it had a number
"I sure hope what you girls said is true…" Noire muttered on the side
"In keeping with the theme, we would like to hold an exhibition match! Of course, we will enter our own weaponry with pride!"
IF rolled her eyes "What a farce. They're just using it to promote their product"
"The opponent… Representing our smaller local companies, is Passe!" And of course it was Chian's company
The group shouted out in surprise. Neptune then pestered the girl "H-Hey, Chian? What's going on?! We didn't hear anything!"
"I don't know too! I'm just as confused as you all!"
"The exhibition match will start in 10 minutes. Both entrants, please prepare"
"Prepare for what? There's nothing we can prepare for…" Chian said in despair
"Chian, do you have the weapons here?" He asked
"W-What? Yeah, but…"
"Bring them to us… now" Chian hesitantly nodded and ran off.
In the meantime the girls noticed someone with Ganache, someone quite familiar. That unhealthy coloured skin, the bad makeup, with the pointy hat, a problematic personality and just old.
It took a few moments for them to understand.
"Ahhhhhh! Arfoire!" The group yelled.
"What's that old lady doing here?! I thought she can't move right now!" Neptune yelled
"I think she's planning to use the weaponry since she's too weak right now" IF replied
Blanc clenched her fist at the simple sight of the bitch "So, it was all a setup by Arfoire, then…"
"So now we know there's a connection between Arfoire and Avenir" Added Vert
Compa on the other hand began to panic "What should we do? Should we run, or fight?"
Noire shook her head "We can't run! We'll waste all the effort everyone put into the exhibition"
"But this is obviously a trap" Compa noted
"Of course it is" he replied "But that doesn't matter. Running is something we shouldn't do"
"Agreed" Vert nodded "If we were to turn our backs, the people won't forgive us"
"Well then, we better get prepared"
"Oh, you're too serious there Blanc" Neptune told her
"... What do you mean?"
"Hey, Chian. We need to prove who's best to get to meet the goddess, right?"
"Huh? Ah, yeah, that's right" She held a suitcase in her hands.
"Well then, Noire, it's best to show who's boss in front of everyone"
"Of course. If it's at the event, the judging would be out in the open and fair"
"Then it's simple. We beat up Avenir's machine and showcase Chian's weapon"
IF sighed "Making it sound so simple, like always?"
"Yah, that's our Nep-Nep"
"Still, I do not think it is resolving the source of the problem…" Vert added
Neptune shrugged "Not like we can back out already. So might as well go with the flow. And we just don't need to lose, you get it? Not lose. No problem!"
"Yes!" Compa cheered "As long as we win, it should be fine!"
Blanc smiled at the chance "It does give us a chance to return the favour too"
"Well…" IF gave up "I don't mind taking up a lopsided fight"
"If Iffy says so, then I'll jump on board too"
"Please, lopsided?" He mocked "We've gotten through worse"
"Okay then. Let's show them who's weapon is boss here" Noire commented, feeling better about the situation.
"Thanks, all of you…"
"Come on, Chian. You worry too much. Oh! Where is the weapon?" Neptune asked
She opened up the suitcase and presented it to them "Here ya go" In it was a pair of swords.
"Who is going to use them?" Compa asked
"I suppose either Neptune, Phoenix or Noire"
"Then Neptune, Phoenix, you use them" Noire offered
"Are you sure? With your character, I thought you'd say, I'll take that!"
"You two were the ones testing it in the first place. Take it" The two picked up their respective weapons and attached it to themselves, he now had a new sword hanging by his side "I'll be judging later anyways. Make sure you stand out, you hear?"
"Okay! If it's a star you're looking for, look no further than old Nep!"
"Us two? Damn straight. We're gonna do this with style!" The two high fived
"But will you be okay with only one arm?" Compa asked
In response, he smiled and took out his arm from the sling "One arm?" He slammed his fist into his left palm, shattering the cast "I've had plenty of time to heal up" He wiggled his fingers just to show them
Noire crossed her arms "... Show off" In response he only put on a cheeky smile.
"The exhibition match will now begin"
"Good luck. I'm counting on you"
Noire brandished her sword "Leave it to me. I'll send it to the junkyard"
"All right! I'm changing forms from the start!"
"Hey, no! Bad Nep. If you change here, everyone will find out who you…" She expected a bright light "... Wait… What?"
"Huh? Wha-? Iffy, I can't change. What's the matter?!"
"That can't be" Blanc told her. Only to receive the same problem "But, why now…?"
"Then I shall change!" Vert offered. But the same result "... I cannot as well?! What is going on?"
"What's happening?" Asked Noire
From Avenir's side, Arfoire laughed "Ahahahaha! Looks like you're all confused"
"Arm-ore-d'core?!" Neptune yelled (She's referencing Armoured Core. It took a sec for it to click in my head)
"That's not my name!" She yelled in frustration "You're doing that on purpose, right?! Don't think I'll get irritated!"
"I don't think Nep-Nep has any real intention…"
"Right. Her mentality is more on the side of 'as long as I have fun'." Blanc added
"It seems you all want to know why can't use Hard Drive Divinity"
"... Is this because of you?" The brown haired goddess asked
"It's most likely something that cuts off your abilities or your connection to share energy. Preventing the four of you from using HDD… probably something close by creating an anti-CPU field of sorts"
"You… you knew?"
"I guessed… I can't use a majority of my powers either…"
"Correct…" She threw on a confident smile "I evaluated the copied powers and created a device to prevent HDD and stop magic. Though this can only be used in a limited area, it should suffice here"
He looked at his fist, opening and closing it repeatedly "Not enough to diminish my combat ability" He could still feel it, it didn't stop magic, it merely sealed off a majority of his power. Thankfully, he had more than the seal could stop.
"How unexpected that our powers are sealed…" Vert panicked slightly
Noire clicked her tongue in frustration "It seems this stage was set with this in mind all along…"
"So, what now?! Should we give up?!" Neptune suggested
"Stop whining! You're the one who convinced everyone to participate!" Noire scolded her
"Give up? Don't insult me" He took a step forward and stared Arfoire right in the eye, threw on a confident smile "It'll be a nice handicap" They couldn't look weak, not up here.
"It seems everyone is ready, so I would like to start"
Neptune jumped "Oh, no, no, no! Not at all! If we can't give up, how about a time out?"
He placed a hand on her shoulder "Yeah, you're right Neptune. Maybe Avenir's shiny new toy could use a timeout… you know… just in case you see any kinks that need fixing" Neptune screamed slightly
"Not my fault! Totally not what I said! He said it! He said it!" She stood away from him and pointed directly at him
"Not that's just rude" He commented at her display
Ganache's eye twitched "And now… let the 1st match… begin!"
"Oh come on! Cut me some slack!" In their hands was a large katana with an orange edge, a yellow plus sign, along with a black handguard. A orange hilt of a lighter and darker tone. There was some black material wrapped around the end.
In front of them was a tank with legs. He questioned it, why it didn't just have tank treads. Surely legs were cumbersome and treads would do much better. But who cares, it was his enemy.
The others dodged the moment it began to fire at them, him though, he remained in place. He drew his sword and deflected the shots with ease.
He swayed left and right, the shots looked as if they were passing straight through him. He made his move while the others surrounded it. He sighed at their wasted effort. The point was to show off as much as possible, mainly him and Neptune. If they fought like they usually did, it would defeat the purpose.
He dashed forward, moving unpredictably, forcing the artificial intelligence to try and track him. However, within seconds he readied that large blade and cut through its legs. Forcing it to tilt to one side.
For a moment he looked at it, then back at his sword. He rubbed the back of his head "Well… um… I actually wasn't expecting it to cut that well" He had tested her weapons, but he never thought he would feel less resistance than expected.
"Don't underestimate the weapons of Passe!" Chian shouted in pride
"Hiyaah!" Neptune dealt the finishing blow to its head. He saw a few flaws with this, first, its legs, sure they were shielded, but they were cut off, sure it was mobile, but besides that. It was slow. Second was its guns… they didn't rotate. So it was pretty much dead weight.
As it lay there, the light leaving its eyes. Everyone looked puzzled "... Uh, we won?" Neptune asked
"... Apparently" He replied "... I actually thought it would be harder" He wasn't even doing anything special.
"That was easy" Compa commented
"I thought this was gonna be a forced loss. I wonder if the battle was bugged?"
He shrugged "Maybe we're just that good?"
"Ah well. Good job guys!" The two leads high fived.
On Avenir's side, they began to argue about random stuff.
"It was a lot easier than I thought. Kind of a let down, you know?" Neptune told the group
"I was worried when Nep-Nep couldn't change, but I'm happy we won"
"Considering the weapon did do most of the work, it was actually pretty easy" he added
IF agreed "I think we've showed that Chian's weapon is better, isn't that right, Noire?"
"Yes. I think everyone who saw can agree to that"
"Then, we got a super-win then!" There was a sudden tremor "Nepu?! What's going on?!"
"Don't think defeating that one machine makes you a winner, Neptune!" Arfoire yelled "Next, try and go against CPU Breaker!"
They all looked at the large machine "Now that's a new one…" IF commented
"No matter" Blanc replied "We just have to defeat it"
Arfoire scoffed "Hmph. Let's see how much longer you can keep your composure. Now, get the match started!"
"You're all asking for it!" Ganache appeared "Let the 2nd match begin!"
The robot in front of them was twice their size, had a humanoid figure, a pair of wings, a large pair of legs that allowed it to squat to lower itself. Its hands were a pair of what one would assume were swords… or something incredibly dangerous. One or the other.
It was a mix of white, dark blue, dark purple and yellow, with white being the main colour.
They all took their fighting stances in preparation for this large mass of mechanical wonder. The first to charge was Neptune.
Her sword was immediately blocked as she was sent flying back to the ground. He sighed "Of course, we jinxed it""
In the next minute or so, the rest of the CPUs were down, in that short bout, they had been defeated easily. IF and Compa couldn't fight that, they were human.
He looked at the fallen CPUs… and sighed "Some CPUs you're meant to be" He muttered
He knew the problem, the CPUs weren't accustomed to fighting opponents stronger or faster than them. They were used to fighting others of similar strength, somewhat higher or weaker.
Him though, that was a normal occurrence "IF, Compa, stay back" The two obeyed and stepped back. They weren't stupid enough to argue that they could possibly help. They knew how good he was in close combat "What a pain in the ass" He muttered.
He had to not only fight it using Chian's weapons, but also had to hold off on magic. It wouldn't do to win using something other than her weapon.
He dashed forward, he took a step to the side, avoiding its yellow lance. He slashed at its weapon, and was happy to see a cut in the material.
A slight duck to avoid its other arm, a step back to avoid its swinging leg. A slight turn of the body allowing the lance to stab thin air, a small jump letting it strike the ground beneath him, a twirl around its lance. At every chance he cut anywhere and everywhere. Testing its body.
To those around him, it looked as though he were playing with it, moving as little as possible to dodge. However, his serious expression said otherwise, but that was all it was, not a single instance of panic, fear or doubt. He was full of confidence.
To all who witnessed it, they felt like they were watching a graceful dance, to the point of perfection. In fact, he appeared quite beautiful, that dance of his captured the hearts of those around him, however his sharp eyes did not leave his opponent once.
Like a flower in the middle of a bloody war zone. Something impossible, something untouchable and amazing. The CPUs understood what it was, what allowed him to dance around his enemies. It was nothing short of pure skill. Honed from what they could guess to be hundreds upon hundreds of battles with different enemies.
For not even the CPUs themselves had reached that level, they did not fight with such precision, to the point where even a single blow meant death. For they had protection, however that protection meant they could become complacent, and careless. In turn what protected them possibly made them more prone to weakness than this boy.
Suddenly he retreated a few steps back outside of its reach and sheathed his blade. He lowered his center of gravity, his hand hovered over the hilt.
The katana was one of his more favoured weapons, he relied more on speed and mobility. For him, it was trustworthy, in the war, he claimed many lives using a katana. He had to give praise to the Japanese for such a weapon and their use with it.
Sure, it wasn't a practical weapon. Because of how thin it was, it would break, chip, warp easily. And against armour, it did nothing but scratch the surface. But with magic, he could compensate for those problems and just cut things in one or two swings.
On a side note, Chian's weapon was similar, but different, it's blade was thicker and less prone to breaking. The edge seemed to have some technology incorporated into it to cut better as well.
But right now, none dared move, not even the machine. Out of the silence, there was one line he asked "Let me ask you… does a machine like yourself ever experience fear?"
He then disappeared… no, that's wrong, he simply became a blur. The eyes of the many have never seen anyone move that fast. Only his party and Arfoire could easily recognise him. And to think, he wasn't using anymore magic than the usual in his everyday life.
The CPU Breaker on the other hand easily recognised him and stabbed at his superhuman form. Suddenly, he changed his course to the left and back to the right, stopping just before the midsection. Next was an orange flash that phased through the yellow weapon.
From his back, the other arm swung. However, the orange flash didn't stop at that one arm, it mercilessly went through the other arm, a mixture of red, black and orange then moved to the legs then stopped behind it.
However, he faced the audience, he had maneuvered both him and the CPU Breaker, either by accident or on purpose, but it didn't matter, he had shown off.
He didn't even bother looking back as it tried to turn, half of its lower legs were cut off and it toppled over like a newborn infant. He swung his blade twice and sheathed it quietly. His serious expression never once left him.
"... Whoa… that was awesome" Neptune muttered.
Him though, most of that was planned, besides cutting off all its limbs, that was more of a reaction and decision making in the moment. Everything else though, he had planned. For he needed to make an impression on everyone else. And with the way the sword glowed orange, it helped.
Plus, he felt quite proud of himself, he always wanted to say that line. It sounded cool and terrifying, definitely a nice way to scare his enemies. But he felt a bit tired, it's been some time since he's relied on his physical ability alone. Not entirely alone, he still needed magic to move and grasp his blade, but it was mainly physical ability.
Those thoughts could be for later, he walked up to Neptune and offered her a hand "Aren't you meant to be helping me?"
"Well… it's sorta too hard to fight without the transform thingy"
"What power…" Blanc noted towards both contestants.
"It does explain Arfoire's confidence earlier, but now it seems to have fallen along with her monster"
Everyone else was too stunned to speak. Honestly, they weren't expecting too much to happen. Sure there were a bunch of them, but they were human. Rarely could humans win against machine. But now what was impossible was up for debate.
The party gathered to congratulate their male member.
"You looked really really cool" Compa cheered "It was amazing"
IF nodded "Compa's right, this one's all on you"
"I expected nothing less… even if you did show off" Noire told him
"I couldn't agree more, it was quite impressive for a human to succeed where we could not"
"Oh, well um…" He looked down in embarrassment and had a slight blush "... Thanks…" The girls jumped in their hearts at how adorable he is.
"Awwww… you're blushing… that's so cute" Compa petted his head
"I… am not cute!" He yelled, however, that light blush on his face did nothing to support him. He wasn't a kid, he was at least twenty goddamit.
"Who cares! You did it buddy!" Neptune hugged him "We won!"
"Don't you mean he won?" Noire asked
"He did win all by himself" Blanc added
"You moved extremely quickly, might I dare assume that be your top speed?"
"Actually, when I was a kid, I used to be able to move much faster" He could account that to his less severe training and heavier weight "But it's not dead yet"
They all looked at the fallen machine, laying there, no different than a junkheap :"No. It's not moving" IF noted
"Really?" Neptune let go of him as he ran over "I only cut its legs and arms. Even if it doesn't have them, it should still be able to move" He began to poke it with his sword "Wakey wakey. Rise and shine… you really dead or you just playing?" He tilted his head and continued to poke it.
IF sneakily began to take pictures, she herself had to admit, he was indeed quite cute at times. Much like a curious child with the way he seemed naturally curious about things.
"Why'd it stop?!" Arfoire complained
"I told you it was still under maintenance"
"That's no excuse for it malfunctioning! This is our chance to crush them!"
"Yes, I know, but with how it is, there's no way I can restart it"
"It seems your plans have malfunctioned" Vert told her "Surrender and we will not hurt you… too much"
Blanc grinned "But if you wanna get your head smashed in. I'm up for that" He made sure to note, that Blanc was somewhat violent.
"Another boss battle…" Neptune complained "We just went through one. Can we like… get a break or some pudding in between?"
"A beating?" Noire asked "I'm all for it… you have some problems to answer for… problems I would be happy to carve into you" Yeah, he made an extra mental note. The CPUs were fucking psychos.
Pissed off, she began to kick the machine "Urrrrh! Move! Move, you piece of junk!" It then jolted back to life. He immediately backed away from it
"Nepu?!"
"You're kidding me… it's moving again?!" Noire asked
"Mind you, that's not an old TV…" Added Ganache
"Hahahahahaha! Who cares?! Any machine can be beat back to shape!"
"That's so archaic. How old is that lady, anyways…?" IF complained
Neptune was the next to tell her off "Hey! You're not supposed to rough-house machines or game consoles and stuff!"
"Like I care!" As it hovered above the ground, it then began to fly repeatedly into the wall "What?! Wait! I didn't order you yet! And attack them, not the wall!"
… It's totally malfunctioned and out of control…" Blanc noted
"See?" Neptune told the old lady "I told you that you shouldn't treat machines badly"
"Wait, you said that after the fact…" IF retorted. It then rammed into another wall
He made his way to the edge of the stage and faced the audience "Everyone! Please evacuate the building in an orderly manner!" He raised his voice. However, they stayed in place, stunned and confused.
He rolled his eyes and pulled out his gun *BANG BANG BANG* He fired up at the ceiling.
A sigh was let out "If you don't want to get hurt, leave" They then began to hastily leave.
"Ummm… are those missiles?" Compa asked
"Get to cover!" IF yelled, causing the party to run.
He turned around and saw it's shoulders had opened up, in them were small missiles… which it then launched "Explosive rounds Computer" Immediately his bullets were changed. He held it with both hands and began to fire.
*BOOM BOOM BOOM*
They exploded in the air within moments of each other, a festival of explosives hung in the air for a moment, dealing minimum damage to their surroundings. It continued to rain down missiles on its surroundings, only for them to be shot down in the air.
Thankfully the audience began to evacuate, sure, they were panicking somewhat, but it was good enough.
Noire saw how he was minimising damage, but he couldn't keep going "We have to stop it"
"Ganache. Is there any way to stop it?" Blanc asked
"Unfortunately for you, I have no intention of speaking with a fake"
"Like I've been saying, I'm the real deal! Stop foolin' around already!"
"A… little… help… would… be… nice!" He yelled
"Hmph"
"Heads up Noire!"
She looked up in the air and saw a missile heading towards her. It only earned a slight frown from her as she swung her sword, shooting out a flying slash that went through it. Causing it to explode "Ganache. Is there no way to force it to stop?"
Slightly stunned by that spectacle, he paused "... I've been trying, but it seems all my signals are being blocked"
"Shoot its shoulders!" He yelled
"I'm trying!" Neptune yelled back "It's hard to aim when everything keeps going boom!"
"Do you want this place to turn into a crater?!" He screamed back "It's taking everything I got just to hit them!"
"Just… keep going! We'll get there!"
"I'm gonna run out of fucking ammo before that happens!"
"Relax… it's gonna be alright!"
"Just shoot woman!" The two were having a conversation as they shot at the CPU Breaker. IF and Compa were helping evacuate the people
"Why not send in another machine to stop it?" Vert asked
"Well that would be perfect if it weren't for them being destroyed by you"
"The hell?! Why are ya speaking with them like normal, huh?!"
Vert pondered the situation "If we could at least use HDD, we may be able to stop it…"
*BOOM*
Its shoulder exploded, blowing its arm straight off "They seem to be performing quite well without it though" She added
"Yes! We got it! Did ya see me? I… am a boss for hitting something that's moving that fast" Neptune bragged
"Please. You were pretty much just shooting randomly and hoping you got lucky"
"Nuh uh… It's called skill… Whose bullet hit its shoulder? Huh? Whose?" He raised an eyebrow and stared at her "Kay fine, we both get the credit"
It was still flying, its other shoulder made a motion "It's still got the other missile launcher"
"I got this!" Neptune pointed her gun at it. He did the same.
*BANG*
They fired simultaneously, there was a spark in the air, as if something metal had collided. A bullet flew into its shoulder, causing another explosion.
"Up top!" He high fived her with his left hand "Ow!"
"Oh uh… sorry… wrong hand" He then saw something big flying towards them "Shit!" He grabbed Neptune and jumped out of the way "Awww come on… now it's just tackling everything"
"Please Ganache, help. We need to break the device sealing our HDD" Noire asked the man
He sighed "I suppose… But, how will you stop the jamming device located on its head?"
"... What?!" The group asked
"Are you an idiot?! Why'd you place it on a place like that?!" Noire yelled
Neptune raised an arm "I'd be happy if we did what the old lady over there did to stop it!"
"You want to kick something flying in the air?" He asked
"Nah. Just give it a good old whack"
"I doubt something as convenient as that will happen…" Noire replied
"That is quite possible"
"Seriously?!" Noire retorted
"The device was a prototype which was forced in. If enough force is applied…"
"Can we stop it?" Neptune asked
"That is hard to tell, but being unstable, there is a chance it can be stopped"
"I got it!" He yelled, raising a hand to volunteer
"You?" Noire asked "What can you do when it's flying around so randomly?!"
"Please, I can deflect bullets easily, you think I can't track something flying around" He drew his blade "You said it was on its head right?"
"Yes… however, to hit something moving that fast is impossible"
Noire bridged her nose "He doesn't understand the meaning of impossible" She sighed "Well go on then...we're waiting"
"Can't say I'll get it on the first go… come on… gimme a target" He holstered his revolver and held his sword in a reverse grip. He ran out to the middle of the stage and crouched down.
His eyes remained on the flying menace. In the next moment, the ground beneath him was crushed as an orange light, flew straight up, creating a line for an instant.
"He missed" Blanc noted
With that, he reversed himself as his feet slammed into the ceiling. In the next moment he jumped back down at it with that same superhuman strength. This time, he didn't use his sword and let go. Instead he opted to morph his hand into a dragon claw and grab its head. Opting to drag it back down with him.
*CRASH*
It was thrown headfirst down onto the stage, causing it to shake. Beside he stood "That's good yeah?" A part of its head was destroyed. He swung his hand, morphing it back to normal in an instant. As if nothing more than a trick. The orange blade fell from the ceiling and landed in his hands, then it was placed on his belt.
"... Yes… I would say from the looks of it. It has stopped completely, but…"
It rose and tried to tackle him, instead it didn't, he side stepped, punched it in the head and ran away "The CPU Breaker machine still hasn't stopped, even after all that abuse" Vert added
"Then we just have to finish it off. Let's go everyone!" They then used their powers as goddesses and transformed "Phoenix, you can rest, we'll do the rest" Noire told him
"Then I'll leave it to you guys. I'm gonna check to make sure there aren't any more civilians" He then ran off
"Don't worry. For me, it's nothing more than scrap metal" Noire focused "Access! Magic Drive Divinity!"
Fire burst from her feet, engulfing her. Those around her took a few steps back immediately to avoid being burned.
Around it were 0s and 1s, similar to HDD. A moment later *Snap* The flames died.
From it emerged Lady Black Heart in all her glory, with her crimson processor units attached to her body. Larger than before, the veil around her waist had become shorter and more see through, a length similar to her skirt in her human form.
Her leotard had many crimson outlines around the small patches of white.
She no longer held a white blade, now, it was completely black, just above the handle, was a bright red power symbol, much like the one on her crest on her chest, a red power symbol over a white fire patterned crest.
Red streaks ran from the power symbol on her sword to the back of it, giving it a futuristic appearance. It had a flaming red edge, actually on fire.
Her wings were just as large as Neptune remembered, however, this time, two of the six wings were a flaming crimson. Looking as though the two blue ones were butterfly wings. Each wing emitted a strong light, producing particles of both red and blue light.
Besides that, the rest remained the same, however, all in the room felt shocked and awed by her majesty and her divinity
The other CPUs couldn't help but marvel at her transformation. To think magic could be used in tandem with their own powers, indeed, it was quite powerful.
She stepped forward "All this time, I've had to put up with Avenir and its antics Both of us had to. But today I'll pay you back in full, for the two of us… think of it as your parting gift to hell" In her voice was an extreme amount of anger "Let's go!"
They took action and charged the flying monstrosity which had re-attached its arms by some miracle.
The first strike was Noire's, it was blocked by its arms, but was thrown back by Noire's mighty weapon "Burn!" She swung her blade, releasing a large wave of fire, singing its surface, but doing little damage.
From the sides Neptune and Vert assaulted it together, striking it quickly with a blade of lightning and spear of the wind. However, its outer armour proved to be quite tough.
Together, the two heavy hitters of the group at this point in time charged and slammed it into the ceiling, causing cracks to appear.
"HYAAAA!" With a war cry, Noire slashed at it repeatedly, assaulting it with her burning rage and sharp blade. She then kicked it back down into the ground. She stretched out her left hand, a red light on her fingertips. Immediately she drew a red magic circle with haste "Fireball!"
She launched many large flaming balls down, each the size of a bus. Exploding on the poor machine.
*BOOM BOOM BOOM*
Explosions rang out from the center, Noire did not stop at all. The three others drew their own magic circles "Lightning!"
"Wind Lance!"
"Ice Shards!"
Massive amounts of lightning covered the area, all diverging on one spot, powerful and sharp bursts of wind caused large cuts on the entire area, a large barrage of ice the size of people rained down like hail. Deadly and fast.
Truly, it was a sight to behold, watching the four goddesses attack from the sky. It was both terrifying and dazzling. Just from looking up, they truly did indeed embody a power beyond humans.
Their teacher was revising his thoughts on the CPUs. He knew they possessed abilities far beyond that of a mortal, but this only proved the fact that they were CPUs. Being CPUs, they even had pretty much perfect memories. For any other, much practice would be needed to be able to draw a magic circle off memory alone.
They then stopped and waited for the dust to settle, they looked down with eyes void of mercy "Is it fucking dead yet?"
"Patience Blanc" Vert replied
"Why not just keep going?" A slightly tired Neptune asked "Continuing and throwing all we have will assure our victory"
"Because Neptune" Noire answered "We don't know if our best will be enough… Better to keep our strength instead of squandering it" Unfortunately, Noire was right.
They were already breathing a bit more heavily, they were tired. Magic was still new to them, It was tiring and draining them already, Their HDDs improved all their abilities many times over. It physically changed them.
It even increased their proficiency with magic, allowing them to use even more power than normal, letting them turn basic spells that can be easily countered into a deadly force. As a result, they didn't hold back, they weren't reserved in the slightest when attacking. Resulting in a larger expenditure of power.
"It's still alive!" Neptune yelled, preparing her blade.
Out of the dust came dozens of missiles "Lightning!" Neptune quickly reacted, streams of lightning struck them all, going through each like a branch. Causing an explosion below them.
From it, the CPU Breaker charged through, presenting itself with a damaged appearance, full of holes, burns, cuts and whatever else.
The first one it tackled was Neptune, with a slight groan of pain she was slammed into the wall. It stabbed at her, only to be deflected by Neptune's blade "You've caused enough damage!" She yelled out in frustration "Gahh!" It kicked her further into the wall.
It then flew away, dodging a slash from Noire "Neptune" She called out
"I'm fine" She hovered out of the wall "It's has more strength than we assumed"
As it flew about in a random pattern "Even after that beating…" Noire clicked her tongue "Then we'll have to go all out then…" She watched it be distracted by Blanc and Vert, throwing spells around. She took a deep breath and prepared herself
"Noire, what are you doing?" Neptune asked
"Going all out of course. No mercy from here on out…" Her finger glowed once more, this time, she drew a purple magic circle "My mind be slow, my body be sluggish, my reaction lethargic" Down below, her teacher looked upon her with worry "My enemy swifter than I, stronger than my current being. For this moment, give me strength, let me surpass those who stand before me… Secret art..."
Compared to everything they had been taught prior, this magic circle looked to be far more complicated. It possessed far more runes than their simple spells as well as possessing different geometric shapes, all meshed into one circle.
"Noire!" Neptune leapt in between her and the machine, kicking it away with her godly strength
"Lightning Frame!" Black electricity crackled around her. In the next moment, she flew off, faster than ever.
"Come here you bastard!" Blanc yelled, getting ready to smash its head in. Only for Black Heart herself to send it spiralling to the ground "The fuck?"
However, before it even hit the ground, a blur came down and kicked it back up into the air. That same blur flew about, pinballing it in the air, juggling it with the sound of metal being destroyed with each and every interaction.
The rest of the goddesses identified that blur to be Black Heart, however, the speed she moved at was unheard of.
"Neptune, do you know how she came to be that fast?" Vert asked
She nodded "A spell" She drew it out immediately "We can't let her have all the fun" Immediately, the three imitated her and activated it. Their teacher worried greatly, they were too overpowered for their own good… of course, he wasn't one to talk.
"Lightning Frame!" The three yelled, purple, green and white electricity crackled around them. Like Noire, they sped off, nothing more than a blur to the untrained eye.
Three others joined in juggling the CPU Breaker, once mighty, now nothing more than a toy for the CPUs to test out their new powers on.
Noire slashed at it, as if she had many arms. Vert's stabbed looked to be in the thousands to those below. Neptune's strikes were quicker than lightning, Blanc's axe, strongest there is with the added speed.
Their foe, could do nothing to react to their opponent's new found power, it couldn't gather its bearings or re position itself. It's technology deemed useless in the face of four goddesses. It could do nothing, but await it's assured oblivion.
Its arm was sliced off by Neptune. The leg, pierced through by Vert and torn off. Smashed into the ground by Blanc. Its head pierced from above by Noire.
Now, it no longer moved, it lay there, life gone from its body, mind pierced through by Noire. And vengeance was finally achieved by the Goddesses for all Avenir had done.
This victory was swift, however, the CPUs were all tired, far too tired to do any more. They had all deactivated the spell and were on their knees, using their weapons as rests. Noire even reverted back to her normal HDD.
Three of the goddesses couldn't understand why, however, one could, the only person that actually learnt the spell from its creator. Noire.
It was simple, Lightning Frame did two things. It increased the speed at which one thought, essentially making them think faster or in another sense, everything else slows down.
Besides that it strengthens the body however many times and pushes it to its limit. Allowing them to exert more strength, move faster and use their body to its fullest. However, it came with a price, unlike other strengthening magic, it pushed past limits. If misused, one could easily destroy their own bodies.
However, that was in theory alone, without the required knowledge, they couldn't alter the spell or rid it of its safeties, therefore the spell could not cause any permanent harm. Although, further testing on goddesses was required.
And that's why they were so tired, not only were they exerting more power, they were also exerting their bodies further than ever. Without any form of practice, it would be difficult to tell what was the margin of safety. For this spell has no limit on beings such as the CPUs, if she wanted, she could go even further. But that was just plain reckless.
Right now, they paid that price by feeling extremely sore and tired "Aagh! I'm beat! I can't lift a single finger!" Blanc complained
"I'm beat, too. I can barely stand up" Noire added, panting from her fatigue
"Oh…? Then what perfect timing…" Arfoire stepped up "Tch" She took a step back as a red katana impaled the ground in front of her "You again…"
Suddenly, he appeared beside the blade, he drew it from the ground and pointed it at her "A bit greedy don't you think, trying to take another when you already have two?"
"Then" She drew her large spear "I'll settle for you" He swung at her, forcing her to jump back "But killing the rest of you sounds like a nice bonus" Her shadow expanded for a moment, out of it came two familiar figures, one known for her prominent bust, the other for her lack of "Let's see how you fare when you have to protect these dead weights"
These beings of shadow had the same appearance, however, their eyes were a yellow. Immediately, they all moved to the other three quickly. The fakes went for their counterparts while Arfoire went for Neptune.
He teleported to the middle of all four goddesses, immediately, he forced his mind to think faster, to slow down "Blacky! Blanc!" His mind yelled.
Slowly, a black flame separated from him. He threw his blade towards Arfoire and a knives towards both Vert and Blanc. He ended his session to think, it was a good technique he learnt from this knight once upon a time. The person who taught him was apparently a failed knight once upon a time in his world.
Both avoided the thrown weapons and let it fly past them. They tried to grasp their weapons to fight back, however, their bodies simply refused to move.
As they watched their ends coming upon them, they felt time slow down, Neptune watched as Arfoire's hand came closer, the other two saw their own weapons coming to finish them. Above them, they saw his thrown weapons, it seemed like a last ditch attempt. They were only thankful he tried.
Neptune's vision changed to that of his back, the other goddesses watched as he grabbed his thrown blade as naturally as breathing. Electricity crackled around him. A quick pair of slashes and a punch, to push her back. He then disappeared once more after placing his sword in the air.
Vert's vision was disrupted by his figure, he caught the knife and diverted the fake's spear to the side, causing it to only shave off a few hairs off Green Heart. The fake let go of her spear and tilted her head back, letting the knife cut air.
As it passed by, in one fluid motion, he drew his gun to her chest and fired. The moment the bullet left the chamber, he disappeared, leaving his knife and gun in the air.
He then appeared by Blanc. His tail wrapped around the knife, catching it, his left hand grabbed the fake's arm as it came down with the axe. His other flew into her gut, forcing her to reel forward, she let go of her axe as a dark fire consumed her from behind.
His left arm grabbed the axe as it fell forward,. He then held it in a reverse grip and disappeared. Leaving his knife suspended in the air.
Back to Vert, the fake's axe was stabbed into the ground, defending from the other fake's thrust to Vert. He kept his hands on the handle and spun around, kicking her in the face with a knife sticking out of his shoe. Once done he disappeared once more.
Neptune then saw him in the air, flipping backwards. His foot slammed down on Arfoire's weapon, pushing it down into the ground with his back facing their enemy. He extended his foot out backwards, kicking straight into Arfoire. Forcing her to let go. Without notice, he vanished.
He re appeared in front of Blanc as the other charged in madness. He was in the air, he grabbed the fake's head and brutally forced it into his left knee. His other leg then extended, making contact with her chin and forcing her back. The black flame continued to consume her even further.
And like so, he continued to juggle the three, moving in between to stop them from harming the three goddesses. He did so for twenty seconds, in reality, that was measly, and not enough time.
However, to any onlooker, it was a spectacle, he would move in between blinks, moving faster than they could process, he was like an embodiment of lightning itself.
To the CPUs though, they saw it all, they saw each movement, to them, he looked to be moving normally. But they knew that not to be true, with how slow his opponent's were, his speed had risen. However, compared to what they had just done, he was slower.
But it didn't matter, for they saw what they thought to be a perfect warrior. Not once did they touch any of their targets. All attacks were stopped by one man moving beyond the limits of a human. For a moment, they believed he was like heroes of myth, those spoken of in story to inspire children. For a moment, he was like the Omega Quartet, the four heroes spoken of that fought the goddess long ago.
Noire witnessed every moment, to the CPUs, this was not twenty seconds, to them, it was an eternity. For this was not something they wished to ever forget.
Once those precious seconds were up, he had managed to push all three back. Once they decided not to attack any longer, he threw a knife towards Noire and teleported all of them beside her.
He pulled out a spear and pointed it directly at Arfoire and one of her imitations, the other became nothing more than a lump of strange material "Come on… Take another step forward if you're prepared to die" He told them
The CPUs looked at their hero and saw something unusual… he was sweating and tired, the electricity around him had disappeared. Noire then understood what he had done. He used the same spell… no, he took a large risk and was paying for it.
"Oh, tired?" Arfoire teased "Then… kill me" She took a step forward
IF and Compa then joined them up on stage, but before they could say a thing "Get the CPUs away from here" From the side, his black flame rejoined with his body and took position on the spearhead.
He charged forward and engaged in combat with the two enemies.
"Come on Nep-Nep, up you get"
"We're fighting. Any objections?" All remained silent to Neptune's question. But before they could do anything
"Shit!" He was thrown back onto the ground, unfortunately, away from the girls. As he recovered, slower than usual, the fake took the initiative and dashed forward, ready to strike. However, the moment he saw it. The CPUs saw he didn't bother taking up a stance to defend. Instead, he took one to attack.
With one thrust, both fighters pierced their target. Blood ran down the fake's spear, but he did not scream nor yell. The other lost its form and turned into a lump on the ground. Before he had a chance to think and take out the spear, shadows bound his arms and legs.
Arfoire placed a hand over his chest and began to pull out a white light from his body "You will do" He took a deep breath and breathed fire on her. A shadow put itself between them, shielding her and diverting his flames to the side
"No! Don't hurt him!" Neptune and the others charged, however, a shadow wall stood in their way. No matter how much they attacked it, it wouldn't budge "Phinx!"
"Let… go…" He called out wearily
Their blades then tore through it, however, they were too late, on the floor next to Arfoire was their friend, weak and tired "Hahahahahaha! Now I have his power too! All that's left is the dead goddesses!"
"No…" He muttered
"You're still alive? Hurry up and die will you?" She stomped down on his chest, earning no more than a pained expression
"You… get away from him… now!" Neptune demanded, all of them brandished their weapons
"You goddesses are already weak. You think you can save him?" She grabbed the handle of the spear and moved it about
"I said… no" He muttered "... Get off… Get the… hell off me… move… I said move" His left hand grabbed her leg "... Move or I rip off your leg"
Arfoire looked down and was frozen in fear, she looked into his eyes and saw nothing but bloodlust, her instincts told her to flee, to run, to get away from this monster. His smile felt so cold, and so natural.
A few moments later, she snapped herself out of it and a bright light later, she was gone.
His artificial arm fell on his chest, the spear still protruded from his chest. But none of that mattered to the warrior, all he wanted to do and all he could do was close his eyes and sleep… rest sounded like heaven right about now.
"Phinx!" the last thing he heard was Neptune calling out his name
A few days later, Noire fell down on the bed "No more… Please… let me rest… Need sleep… No work…" She complained, over the last few days, that's all she's done, trying to rebuild the land.
As a result, her shares rose greatly. Avenir was not dismantled, but was instead reformed seeing as their technology and innovation did indeed further the study of robotics.
However, Noire swore to never do another weapon expo again. She did not want a repeat of that fiasco. Ganache fled, most likely to Lowee seeing as he is an extremely faithful believer of Blanc, his ideal version, not the real one.
And Singe, he was taken in by Chian. According to her, he was formerly a skilled craftsman, so he's not just dead weight. But greatest of all, Chian learnt of all of their identities, as a result, she gained four new friends in very high places.
Even better, in the CPU Breaker was the Lastation Key Fragment, discovered by Chian. Now they had all four, all was well, all except one thing.
"Any changes?" Noire asked
"No" Compa shook her head "He's still sleeping" She sat beside him
"Would it not be better to let the hospital take care of him?" Vert asked
"Can't… hospitals have been extremely busy for the last few days taking care of other citizens… many people were hurt because of Avenir" Noire replied
"... You sure you can't use your goddess status and tell them to?" Neptune asked
She sighed "I wish I could, but we already had him checked… they couldn't help him… not right now"
They all looked down at him "What do you think happened?" Blanc asked.
He was more than just sleeping, his appearance had been altered, or in this case reverted back. It's not as though he had a different face, but things were shown. Around his face were traces of small scars as well as one large one across his right cheek.
On his forehead was a symbol, specifically chains were branded on his forehead using hot iron. It looked quite painful. However, what disturbed them the most was the rest of his body.
Signs of damage were present all over from different sources, it went all the way down to the bone, it even went through his body such as his heart and organs.
However, they couldn't tell, they were too numerous, they overlapped, some of it was burned, pierced, melted and more. There were some parts of his body that didn't have any damage, but, that was an exaggeration. Compared to the rest of his body, those areas had sustained little injury.
The moment they all saw his body, they were appalled at how bad it was. Only Compa's and Neptune's reactions were less surprised. It didn't stop the shock though.
They wondered just how he could possibly move with such a damaged body. How bad it must have hurt to simply get up, and how little strength he could actually exert with his body alone.
But that wasn't the worst of it, ever since the Expo, he hasn't woken up, not yet anyway. They couldn't even feel any power coming from their rings.
There he lay with no more than a shirt and pants, his arm and leg were on the ground beside him, his weapons, such as his knives, sword and spear were up against the wall. His belongings such as phone, wallet, ring and keys were on the small table. And his black coat was thrown on the bed
Compa changed the wet towel on his head "What did she do to you?" She prayed he would wake up, however, he remained asleep "Still hot" What's worse, he had a fever.
The rest could do nothing more than watch as their nurse tended for one of their own,
"What do you think she did to him?" Neptune asked
"Probably took his powers" Blanc replied "... I didn't pass out though"
"The effects are most likely more severe for a human" Vert added "The question is what did Arfoire steal?"
"His magic" Noire replied "That's the most likely conclusion"
"So…" Neptune paused "What happens if he doesn't have it?" They all remained silent, unfortunately, none could answer, their expert wasn't in right now "It hasn't gone down at all ever since the Expo guys…"
"..." The goddesses felt guilt penetrate their beings whenever they looked at him. If he hadn't fought or stepped in to help them, then at worst, maybe Noire's powers would have just been copied or stolen. Even if they were stolen, at the worst, she would lose her powers as a CPU, but would still be able to live normally.
They couldn't help but have these thoughts bounce back and forth in their minds.
Suddenly he stirred, his eyes slowly opened "... what… happened?" He wearily asked
"You've been asleep for three days sleepy head… we were so worried"
His eyes lazily drifted to the nurse beside him "I'm… sorry… could you repeat that? I wasn't looking"
"Ever since the Expo you've been sleeping in bed… don't worry, everything is going to be okay" Compa slowly petted his head
"How'd that turn out?"
"We did it! Everything is okay now… just rest, you have a very bad fever"
"... a fever?... oh… no wonder… Compa, can you help me up?"
"You should stay down. It's no good if you make it worse" He pushed down onto the bed with his one arm, however, he struggled to rise "Oh you… here" Compa sat him up "There, is that good?"
He nodded "Thanks… much better… did Arfoire do to me as she did to you?"
"Unfortunately, she… you listening?" Blanc waved a hand
"Huh… sorry… I can't hear you"
"Can't hear? We are right here in front of…" Vert noticed he didn't turn towards her "Neptune, please get your bullhorn. I must verify something"
"Wha? Why?"
"Nep, do it"
"Here ya go" Neptune presented the annoying item.
Vert placed it beside his ear "Everyone, please cover your ears" Once done
*HONK*
All but one winced at the loud sound. Immediately Noire grabbed him and looked him directly in the eyes "Did Arfoire do this to you? Did she take away one of your senses?!"
"Huh?" He seemed confused "I've been deaf for a long time… haven't I told you?" He tilted his head ever so slightly.
"No you haven't!" The girl raised her voice "Why didn't you tell me something so important! In fact, how in the world were you responding when you couldn't hear?!" She genuinely seemed mad
His tired expression didn't change with her sudden difference in attitude "A few years ago I connected my nerves to a spell that replicated the human ear. Now I'm…" He yawned "I can barely feel anything… right now I'm just… really tired"
"Right I'm… I'm sorry for my sudden outburst… tell us these things before the problem occurs" The twin tailed girl sighed
"Then… you… won't like what I have to say"
"What is it? It couldn't possibly be any worse than being deaf?"
"... I can't walk"
…
…
…
"What?" Was all Noire asked "What do you mean you can't walk?"
"I can't feel my legs, they're numb" The look on Noire's face demanded an answer "I stopped feeling my legs about a year ago…"
"And?"
"And what?"
"And why…" Noire stopped her voice from rising "... why are you… no... you're only telling us now because it matters"
He smiled "Precisely my student…" He yawned again "Anyway, someone pass me my pouch" Blanc placed it on his lap "Thank you…" With his one hand he tried to open up one of them, however, his grip had become so weak. He then sighed "... Could someone um… open it for me?" He asked
"This one?" Compa opened it up "What is this?" She pulled out a small blue pill
"Magic recovery pill. Speeds up recovery of mana inside the body. Throw it here" He opened his mouth, Compa then threw it, he then chewed it and swallowed.
Neptune nudged herself in between Noire and Compa "How ya feeling? Better?"
"Not in the slightest, I still feel like shit… three days. Three days of sleep and my condition is this bad" He groaned "This isn't normal" he sighed again "How annoying"
"If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask okay" Compa reassured him "We'll be here for as long as you need"
All he did was let out a sigh "Nothing we can do but wait… did anything else happen with the Expo?"
"Oh yeah, we got good news!" Neptune put on a big smile
"Like?"
"We got us the Lastation Key Fragment! We found it in that CPU Breaker thingy"
"Chian found it" IF corrected
"Details Iffy, details"
"... It isn't broken is it?"
"Nope, it's nice, identical and best of all, in one piece!"
"Any other good news?"
"Well, whenever we get one of these things it's Histy time! Come on down Histy!" She waved her arms about frantically.
A gentle voice spoke through their minds "It seems like you've gathered all the Key Fragments"
"This is… Histoire?" Noire asked
"Bad news Histy. Arfoire nabbed Phinx's power and ran off"
"I see. That is unfortunate. My condolences Phoenix. I never believed Arfoire would go for anyone else's powers besides the CPUs. She seemed to deem all else too weak"
"I'm still alive" Strangely enough, even he could hear her voice, most likely telepathy.
"So Histy, what now?" Neptune asked "Got some clues or hints?"
"Yes, for now, I ask that you free me before Noire and Neptune's powers are copied or stolen"
"So where are you then? Don't tell me you're up in Celestia?" Asked the always skeptical IF
"Not to worry. I am actually sealed in Planeptune"
"Where in Planeptune would that be?" Vert asked
"I am sorry, but I do not know exactly where"
"Okay then, let's head to Planeptune" IF suggested
"Best of luck to you all" Her voice then disappeared
"I believe Compa's home would be efficient as a base" Blanc added
"My, but how do we find Histoire?"
"Then I guess we just have to look for Histy all over"
"So... stumble upon her by dumb luck?" He asked
"Yep. It's been going for us so far. Why stop now? My powers as the main character will help us!"
IF sighed "Well, at least we know Histoire is somewhere in Planeptune
"It's worked fine so far, right? I'm sure everything will be just fine" Neptune added
"Yes!" Compa cheered "I'm sure everything will be fine, too!"
Noire then sighed "I don't know if you're positive or just happy-go-lucky"
"Well, I don't mind the approach at all" Vert added
"Yes" Blanc agreed "It's much better than being negative"
"Yeah, isn't it?" Neptune nodded "Okay, then! Let's go back to Planeptune to find Histy!"
"Wait Nep-Nep, not right now"
"Why not? We're all good"
"We have a sick patient who can't walk… I'm not sure it's a good idea to move him"
IF then looked at him "Will you be okay to move or do we need to wait here another day?"
"Iffy!" Compa called "You shouldn't put him on the spot like that"
"I'm only suffering a severe case of mana deprivation. Nothing too serious"
"But if it is a severe case, then is that not a serious condition?"
"Miss Vert's right, if it's bad then you will stay in bed"
"It's not a serious issue… plenty of people go through it… my body is just trying to recover the mana that was lost so suddenly. Usually it takes a day for it to pass"
Blanc held up three fingers "But it's been three. That's a problem"
He let out a tired sigh and nodded "It is. Unlike normal cases, I'm not recovering… I… I think… is it okay if I get a bit more sleep… I feel… so tired" His eyes struggled to remain awake, then he fell on his side and into the blissful embrace of sleep he craved.
"Arfoire did some pretty bad stuff to him huh?" Neptune commented
"Yeah Nep. She did"
Noire headed straight for the door "Where are you going?" Blanc asked
She paused "Isn't it obvious? I'm getting a wheelchair. If he can't walk then we'll push him" She left immediately.
On the way there, she spotted a familiar park. A rarity in Lastation seeing as greenery in the city itself was rare. However, on their outings together, they would pass by here every now and then.
Of course, to him, that's all they were, but to her, they were so much more than simply hanging out. It was fun, a nice change in her mundane life of constant paperwork, as well as one of the first honest relations she's had with a human for a long time. She couldn't even remember the last time she looked at another person as fondly.
On a whim she sat down and looked over a few sheets of paper, something she and only two others knew about. It wasn't something Neptune, Compa or IF should ever see, nor should she show them.
Immediately after the Expo, he was taken to the hospital, the spear had burst into data, and the hole in him had shut itself. But the most aggravating thing was how they couldn't operate on him nor do anything to him.
These sheets listed everything wrong with him, even if they operated on him, it could possibly take months, even years trying to do what they can.
Traces of mixed blood in his system, not human, but something else, she was told it was most likely monster blood. Deactivated nanobots in his bloodstream, apparently, when one was taken out and examined on her request. They were experimental in nature, and they were made to perform different tasks.
There was some kind of chip implanted directly in his brain, any attempt to remove that could easily kill him or damage his brain. Parts of his ribcage had been replaced with some metal, it had merged with his actual ribcage.
His spine was not 100% human bone, it was similar to his ribcage, but in it were some strange flexible threads running through it all. A foreign material not present or extremely rare in Gamindustri. Inside his lower back was some device. That was the only blessing in his body.
It allowed him to feel his lower body, seeing as his back was once broken. Even so, the device itself seemed to cause pain or discomfort. Obviously, at one point he had become crippled... how he managed with the pain it caused was a mystery.
But the worst thing of all and by far what she believed to be the cruelest thing of all was the thing attached to his heart, it didn't constrict it's movement. All it did was stop it… It would just stop his heart. It was even remote controlled.
Those were just the beginning of the list of foreign items in his body, remnants of explosives, shrapnel and bullets were there. Pulling away from that, what was left was his body and how little it could actually do. He couldn't move his arm above his shoulder, nor could he grip items such as a cup seeing as even his fingers weren't an exception.
Even before he told her, she knew about his legs and how bad they were. The nerves had been burnt and destroyed, replaced with something else entirely, but they didn't respond. The skin over his legs was… not healed nor restored. They were just there, as if such severe burns had never occurred. However, it seems they served as nothing more than a cover.
The muscles all over his body had become weak, not as in weak over time, but with the constant injuries. He just couldn't support himself. Even if the nerves in his legs were fine, his muscles wouldn't be able to hold him up. He would just fall.
She covered her face with her hands "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She felt horrible, the time they had spent together was fun. He had helped her out with her work, took her out to have fun and stuff. But if she knew he was in constant pain she never would have asked.
How he managed to go through his life in that body was beyond her. She had many questions, but so few answers.
Who would possibly do this, who could. All these things weren't done in a short period of time. They were done over the span of his life. What monster could possible experiment on a child and then continue to do so. To do so once is inhuman, to do so over and over again. That was just evil.
She gave up, she wouldn't get answers pondering who he was. At the least, after all he's done, she could at least push him around and maybe, just maybe, cater to some of his whims like he did hers.
Omake: On the run
In the dead of night, a lone figure was running, keeping a constant eye on her back and all around her, for her pursuers were clever and many.
Slung over her back was a large bag filled with the priceless treasures very few could properly appreciate, the rest didn't love it as she did, they couldn't see it's true worth, but she could, she always could ever since she first laid her eyes on it.
They didn't deserve it, as they say, pearls before swine. In their eyes, it was a normal commodity, but to her, they were the world to her.
Through the darkness she tread carefully, ensuring to remain out of sight as well as silent, those giving chase were no ordinary beings, they were trained and powerful. People she didn't want to face head on, not if she wanted to keep these precious treasures safe. Damage was not acceptable.
Out of the alleyway, her head poked out… left… clear… right… clear… Up… clear. A quick plan was made, to hastily make it to the next alley without a sound, in her case, to float like a butterfly. And if she saw the back's of her pursuers, sting like a bee.
With one more cautious look, she then leapt across the street with the grace of a ballerina, but the focus of a warrior. A single mistake was all it took… One mistake and she would be separated from her beloved… how she would kiss them, one by one if she weren't on the run.
*Rattle*
Her eyes went to the source of the disturbance, a trash can had been disturbed ever so slightly. Beside it, a stray dog. With a fire in her eyes, she stared down at the dog, and with a whisper "You saw nothing" Even though quiet, the dog received the message.
If anyone got in her way, they would face her wrath. Dog or otherwise. In response, the adorable dog whimpered and ran off.
Her heart ached at the sight, but she could not show sympathy nor weakness, either one would stop the plan she put all her power into making. And with that thought, she steeled her heart, took hold of her resolve and moved forward.
Her mission. Escape Lastation and find somewhere safe to hide, for escape was not the end, no. It never was. It ended when she got her wish.
As she cautiously made her way, passing by the run down sight of Lastation, buildings destroyed recently as a result of a company's test, resulting in much of Lastation still in ruins.
But her pursuers wouldn't think to look for her amongst the rubble, to hide in the destruction, to go through blocked off areas where she once fought. However, one of them was more than the average person. They could think beyond the others, that one could track down a person with ease.
Luckily for her, decoys were made. For she knew that one could most likely track her down with smell. She attached her clothing to many stray animals that roamed about Lastation, hopefully throwing them off her scent.
However, she refused to take any chances. Adding onto that, she used a perfume he hadn't smelled, and wore a coat possessing the smell of another. If there was one thing she could count on, it was the tremendous sense of smell that one had.
That spray can was still on her person. To use it then discard it nearby was just asking to get caught.
Even so, as she moved, she couldn't help but feel something was off. It was going smoothly, much too smoothly. Her mind raced about, thinking of the possibilities, was it a trap, was she being lead by the nose or had they already found her and were simply following, remaining out of sight.
Suddenly, in a fit of panic she clung to the wall from a voice nearby "Did you find her?"
"No… but I'm sure if we keep looking we'll find her eventually" The optimistic voice replied
"Not if she flies"
"Then everyone else can find her!" Cheerful and positive was how this one could be described
"Right, and we can all chase her with no sleep whatsoever!" The other one was a tad irritated, obviously from lack of sleep
"Relax, I'm sure we'll see her soon. Keep it up!" She cheered
"Right… you go that way and I'll go this way" A sigh was released as they separated "I swear, when I find her I'm going to shove eggplants down her throat"
The thief in question gulped, eggplants were her weakness, her only weakness. The consequences of being caught were disastrous… however, her treasures mattered so much more. Enough to take that chance… it didn't help that a cold sweat ran down her cheek.
Her eyes drifted to the starry sky, partially covered by clouds and the air pollution released by Lastation. Even though the moon remained hidden for the night, it did nothing to hinder her sight. For the land of Lastation had many lamp posts, all emitting fair amounts of light.
It did sadden her ever so slightly, that the stars were a bit hard to see… For a moment, she considered flying through the sky, but that idea was shot down, as she would likely be if she entertained that stupid idea.
That one had night vision, the other three had extremely good kinetic vision, rivaling or even surpassing her own. If they even saw a hint of her, they would give chase. Luckily they were deprived of sleep as well. However, it only seemed to affect two of them, the more curvy of the trio remained the same as ever.
Once more again in the night, she suffered a fright "Meow" A small kitten
Her eyes were wide in shock for a moment, before calming down at the sight of the familiar fur "Oh Simba, it's just you. Don't scare me like that" She almost walked off "Simba? No… It's a trap!"
The dark alley was invaded by the presence of magic lights "Step away from the bag and ditch your weapons" The light pierced her eyes, blinding her for a moment. As they adjusted and squinted, she made out a familiar figure.
"No, you won't take them from me! It's our destiny to be together!" It was true, she felt it, and ever since a few days ago. It had been confirmed "You won't tear us apart!" She drew her blade
"Don't bother, you're surrounded" He walked up leisurely "Surrender and we'll help you put all of them back in their rightful place… seriously it's too fucking late for this and I want to sleep"
"We will be together!"
"You're screwing with me aren't you?"
"There are no jokes in love… and mine burns brighter than the sun, it's deeper than any canyon and has my heart captive. I can do no more but to abide by its will… My will!"
"The shit I have to put up with…" He face palmed and pointed at her "Look…" He sighed "Neptune, put the fucking pudding back where you found it okay. We're too tired for this"
It was true, the one stealing the pudding, hiding like a fugitive and sneaking around like a thief was Neptune. Lady Purple Heart. Usually her being is so much more dignified and beautiful, now… actually it was the same, but with a bag full of pudding… and she was slightly poetic and a bit dramatic.
"Never! Only I can see what they really are… Only I can see these treasures for their true value. The rest treat them no differently as a simple snack, a dessert… I say nay! Pudding is no mere dessert, it transcends the label of a mere snack… It is the food of champions and gods!"
He sighed "Just put the pudding back, do you know what time it is right now?"
"Time matters not for it serves second fiddle to my love!"
"Love influenced by a love potion… yeah… no. Give it to me… now"
"It seems neither of us will bend to the other… you leave me no choice" She brandished her blade towards him "Leave me be or I'll go through you" His glare did frighten her a little "... Please"
He crossed his arms and tapped his foot against the ground, obviously waiting "Well… hurry up. I want to get this over with"
"You won't draw?" His glare intensified "I-I'll tell you now, my love for pudding is infinite!" He didn't bother responding, instead he continued to tap his foot in a bored manner "I… what are you doing?"
"Waiting for you to put the pudding down… but if you aren't coming to me, I'll come to you" He leisurely walked forward
"Stay back… I'm serious"
"Really now? You… serious?"
"I can be serious!"
"And I'm a leprechaun!" The sarcasm was strong with this one "But fine… you wanna be a drama queen, be my guest Lady Drama Heart"
"I am not a drama queen! This is a serious matter of life and pudding!"
"Says the girl stealing products made and bought everyday… get on with it"
"Neptune!" A voice from above yelled, three figures fell on her, each one pinning her to the ground.
"N-No! You tricked me! MY PUDDING!" She yelled towards the male as he picked up the bag "MY LOVE!"
On her body were the three other CPUs "Neptune, do you realise what time it is?" Black Heart interrogated her "It's too late for this, that's what!" She really enjoyed her sleep.
"No need to be so cranky Noire, you'll develop wrinkles" The lady of Green told her.
"Shut it you whore! Noire's right! It's too god damn fucking late for this bullshit!" The last one swore
"MY PUDDING! NOOOOOOO!" Her voice was ignored as they stood her up, keeping a firm grasp on her. Two of which were starting to hurt.
"Neptune, drink, it's for your own good" He waved a potion in front of her face. In response, she shut her lips "You're not gonna open up?"
She shook her head "Alright then, you leave us no choice… tickle her"
"With pleasure" Black Heart had a devious grin "This is for waking us up at 2am in the morning!" Noire's hands dug into Neptune's waist
"Pft… no… I won't… give" She struggled to retain her laughter, her cheeks were beginning to become red.
"So persistent, maybe mouth to mouth would be easier"
"What?!" Her cheeks became red as he stared into her eyes, hers went to his lips "I… I won't fall for it… I-"
"Chance!" He shoved the bottle to her open mouth "Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!" He chanted as he held her cheeks, forcing the mouth closed.
Once the contents of the bottle were gone, she felt tired and dizzy. Then her transformation reverted. Her head fell onto his chest, where he caught her "Finally" Black Heart complained.
"This wouldn't have happened in the first place if you hadn't given her the damn love potion!"
Vert raised her hand "In our defence you shouldn't have given us the love potion in the first place"
"I told all four of you to keep it safe… you know, don't give it to anyone… you had one job! ONE JOB! I didn't tell you to give it to her!"
"It seemed like a good idea at the time… but now, perhaps it was misguidance on our part"
"It was funny seeing Neptune love pudding" Blanc added
"YOU GAVE HER THE ENTIRE BOTTLE… she even stole all of Lastation's pudding for fuck's sake… fuck it, I'm done. Someone else deal with the pudding and one of you bring Compa and IF. We're done for tonight"
The next morning.
Neptune woke up, feeling a bit sick. Beside her bed, she saw her beloved friend sitting on a chair, with a book in hand "What happened?"
"Love potion… you fell in love with pudding and plotted to steal all the pudding in the world…"
"Did I do it?"
"No" The disappointment became evident on her face
"Awww… no pudding?"
"A bit later. Right now you're sick. The love potion was a bit strong, but the medicine I gave you should get rid of it soon. The effects might still linger though"
*Grumble*
Her stomach rumbled "Got any food?"
"As a matter of fact, yes…" He put the book down and grabbed a bowl of porridge "For today you'll be staying inside just to make sure the love potion's all out of your system… sit up, it's better hot than cold"
"I don't wanna" She complained. He raised an eyebrow "Fine, fine, but since I'm sick, you have to feed me"
"That was the plan… Say ahhh"
"Ahhhh… nom… tastes nice. Did Compa make it for me?"
"I did, everyone else is out doing other things…" Nothing too straining, IF and Compa were overlooking the punishment of the other three for giving Neptune the love potion "Some really important stuff" He wished he was there to put them through hell "If anything feels weird, just say so. That love potion was pretty strong after all"
"I am still hungry…" She gestured to her mouth "Ahhhhh" She took another spoonful, not once did she complain about being fed "Hey… wanna cuddle?"
"As much fun as that sounds, you're still technically under the effects of that potion, so no. Let's not do something we'll both regret"
She pouted ever so slightly "What? You don't wanna cuddle with me? But I'm adorable!"
"And sick"
"Hey Phinx buddy?"
"Yeah?"
"You staying all day or you gonna leave?"
"I'm staying, at least until I'm sure you don't go around stealing pudding"
"Then mind doing me a biggie?"
"Depends"
"Gimme a hug" She reached out to him
"Not pudding?"
"Nope! Just a nice firm hug" He gave in as they wrapped their arms around each other
*Chu*
She planted her lips on his cheek and pulled out of the hug "So… like it?"
All he did was sigh "Still under the effects of the potion…"
"Hey buster. When a cute girl like moire gives you a kiss, you're meant to blush and stutter!"
"Not to say I didn't like it, I just won't misunderstand from it…" He checked her temperature "At least your fever's gone down"
Neptune wanted to continue to pout and annoy him. However, a part of her didn't want to, that part of her just wanted to spend time with him, to enjoy his company.
For now, all she wanted was to stare at his face and enjoy that unguarded expression of his, that honest and kind smile he showed to none except those he trusted. One where he didn't have to worry. Who's to say the love potion wasn't still in effect, for her heart fluttered just by conversing with him.
"Hey Phinx?"
"What?"
"Love you tons"
"Yes yes. I love you too Neptune" She pulled the blanket up to cover her rosy cheeks and her big grin. Even if the love potion wasn't in effect, how long could she fake it for?
Oh my god, I had so much fun with this omake, I shit you not. Think about it for a moment. If Neptune actually drank a love potion and fell in love with not anyone, but pudding, could you imagine the shit that could go down. That'd be great, if this kind of thing were in the games, you could have a little side quest where you have to fight against Neptune because she stole all the pudding or a game where Neptune literally only fights for the sole purpose of pudding.
I feel like those would be good ideas, but if I were to try and make them real they would become a mess. After all, any idea can be good if its made correctly. Enough about that, but I've been having fun writing omakes lately, where I can just write whatever, read it over, and if I like it, I throw it in.
But you know what I would love to see, an omake from one of you readers. To me that just sounds awesome, if you do feel like it, just check out my profile, I placed some guidelines at the bottom there. You don't have to follow them of course. But if you feel up to it, message me and we can talk.
Well, until the next time readers.
