Chapter 10: CPU Silver Heart
"Wh-What the…?!" I looked at what I was seeing. "Listoria! Miss Kei!"
We saw Listoria and Kei were both tied up. Listoria was blindfolded and tied with a glowing rope while Kei tied with a regular rope and was gagged. We rushed towards them as I took out rapier and sliced off the ropes.
Kei was able to get up and take the gag off but Listoria immediately went limp and fell down.
"Listoria!" Compa exclaimed as she went to check on her. "She's… still breathing…"
"Miss Kei, what happened?" I asked as I turned to Kei.
"Well, from what I've seen, that rope drains CPUs' Shares from them. Shares are what keeps CPUs going but… " Kei explained. "What happened was… unexpected to say the least…"
"Unexpected…?" I looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"We were attacked by one person and she was… well… powerful." Kei kept explaining. "Even when Listoria… used her powers, she was able to beat her with ease."
"Even when she used her powers?!" IF exclaimed in shock.
"But, where are they now?" I asked Kei.
"Oh, I am right here!"
We turned to who was talking and well…
"Um, who are you again?" I asked the girl.
"Yeah, who are you?" IF asked, didn't recognize the girl in front of her.
"I think… her name was… Underling?" Plutia answered.
"Oh yeah…" I muttered before laughing. "Wow! There's no way she was able to defeat Listoria."
"Sapphire, be careful…" Kei warned us. "Like I said she was able to defeat Listoria all on her own."
Wait, all on her own? I thought to myself. We have to be careful…
"Heh. I've been waiting to beat you brats." Underling smirked as she ready her weapon. "You'll pay for making fun of me!"
"And I guess I'll go transform then…" I closed my eyes and transformed. "Transformation Complete!"
"So you're one of them…" I heard her mutter before smirking. "It doesn't really matter anyways… You're going to lose anyways…"
I noticed that Plutia was hugging her plushy.
She's still afraid of herself… I thought. "Hey, Plutia!"
Plutia then looked up, confused.
"You don't have to be afraid anymore!" I told her before looking back at Underling.
I then charged at Underling with my attack ready and strike Underling. Underling, however, blocked it with her bat and started pushing me back.
"Is that all you got?" Underling taunt at me.
"Iffy! Compa! Please help!" I turned to call out to them to which they charged in with their weapons in hands.
IF then went from behind and started to attack but Underling jumped up to dodged it.
"Wh-What?! She dodged it?!" IF exclaimed in surprise before she got kicked in the stomach and was sent flying to a wall
"Iffy!" Me and Compa cried out.
Compa tried to attack but unfortunately she got knocked to the floor. She then punched me in the stomach which left me on my knees.
"Heh. You're weak like her, huh?" Underling said as she smirked confidently as gets ready for her next strike.
I looked over to Plutia. Plutia… please… overcome your fears…
As she nearly came down with that strike, a voice was heard.
"Meanie!" Plutia yelled out.
Underling then slowly turned her head toward Plutia. "Wh-What was that?"
"You big meanie! Hurting others is not very nice~!" Plutia kept yelling at her. "I bet your mommy doesn't like you!"
I wanted you to transform! Not insult her! I thought to myself although it was kinda funny.
Underling, however, looked at her angrily. "Stop making fun of me! And so what? I can do whatever I like!"
"Oh, really~!" Plutia smiled but her eyes told a different story. She has the eyes of pure rage. "Then you can accept all my bottled-up rage!"
"Wait, what?" Underling looked confused for a second.
"Well, I'm really, really angry right now!" Plutia explained rather angrily. "I hope you're prepared!"
She then transformed. "Because I don't think I can control myself anymore!"
"What?! You're one too!" Underling looked really shocked.
Kei's eyes widened in surprise. "That was… unexpected."
"Heh. I think I can take—" Before Underling said anything, Plutia kicked her in the stomach.
"Augh! What the—?! How did she…?" Underling groaned as she was clutching her stomach.
Plutia then starts laughing. "Oh dear, are you not as strong as you say you were?" She then slash with her sword, making Underling go up. She then flew up and kept striking with her over and over until Underling was on her knees.
Normally, a person would be completely terrified by this but not me. I looked at this with awe.
Woah! That's soooooo cool! I thought.
"This may not satisfy my taste but…" Plutia then pointed the sword at Underling. "I guess I'll stop for now…"
"Rrrgh… Damn you!" Underling glared at her. "If I wasn't caught off guard, I would have won!"
Of course, I was still looking at this with awe when I suddenly heard…
"Sapphire… where…?"
"Listoria!" I exclaimed as I slowly stood up and walked my way to her.
"I feel… so weak…" She mutters as she looks where Plutia is. "What…?"
"Listoria… don't talk…" Kei told her as she bent down.
"I'm… so sorry… Kei…" Listoria apologized as she looked at her.
"No… it's okay… Listoria…" Kei said sadly.
"I… I-I…"
As everything seems to calm down, Compa was able to stand up and was able to patch up everyone. Listoria and IF were talking to each other while Plutia, who transformed back, is sitting right next to a tied up Underling. And me, who also transformed back, was talking to Kei.
"Um, Miss Kei?" I then think about what I want to say. "We got you the stuff you needed."
"I see…" Kei then smirked. "Well, you were always helping us out even when we refused. So, you want to know about who you are and where's the Key Fragment…"
I then nodded for an answer and Kei was still smirking.
"Well, first of all, do you remember what that girl said?" Kei asked.
"Yes, it was that I was like 'her'." I answered. "Did she meant Listoria?"
Kei then nodded in confirmation, while I continued on.
"And going by that logic…" I then realized the answer. "So you mean…"
"Yes, you are also a CPU." Kei continued for me. "To be more specific, you are Planeptune's CPU."
Then the friends looked up as some were surprised than others.
"I kinda figured…" IF spoke up as she walked towards us. "But I kinda thought you were the Lowee's CPU…"
"What?!" Compa looked at me in shock. "But, you fell from the sky!"
"Which makes me believe she is." IF said as she looked at me. "There's no way she could fall from that sort of height."
"Ooooh so that's what it was called!" Plutia said slowly. "I thought it sounded familiar!"
Wow, Sapphire! You finally know who you are." Listoria said as she was back to her old self. "So, how do you feel?"
How do I feel… I thought to myself.
"I don't really know…" I answered softly.
"Huh? What do you mean?" IF asked me.
"Now that I know who I am…" I said as I looked down. "It makes me wonder about why people never saw me…. Like my head thinking about that…"
"Yeah, I wonder about that too now…" IF agreed. "Hey, do you know anything about Saps?"
Kei just shook her head. "All that we know about her is that she's Planeptune's CPU."
"But what about the Key Fragment?" I asked Kei. "Did you find it?"
"I can answer that!" Listoria said cheerfully. "I actually found it in a dungeon near here and I kept somewhere they can never find it!"
"So, where is it?" IF asked.
"I'll go get it!" Listoria smiled as she left the room.
"I actually asked Listoria to keep it secret." Kei told us. "But she keeps telling me that 'it belongs in a Museum' so I had to bribe for pie." She just sighed. "And before that, she was already causing trouble before she even found it…"
"So she's a troublemaker…" IF muttered to herself.
"But she does this by accident and well…" Kei then smiled. "She just lightens up the mood…"
"She must be really important to you…" I also smiled at her.
We all smiled it off while Listoria walked back into the room, waving the Key Fragment. "Hey! I got it!"
"Thanks, Listoria…" I said as I took it from her.
Listoria just smiled. "Well, this calls celebratory pie! I know a place we can get some too!"
"We don't have time for that, Listoria…" Kei said as she pointed to Underling. "We need to interrogate her first."
"Okay… Miss Kei…" Listoria walked over to where Underling is and for some reason she was laughing.
"Hey! What are you laughing about?!" IF shouted at Underling.
"Heh. Boss would be here any minute by now…" Underling said, smirking.
Just when IF was about to say anything, we heard a loud sound behind us. We all turned to what was making that sound…
It was some sort of gigantic robot that came out of an anime or something along those lines.
"What the—? Who are you?!" I looked at it in awe.
"I am one of the four felons." He answered. "And my name is CFW Brave."
"CFW Brave?" I looked at it with shock.
"So you must be the perpetrator behind this." Kei said accusingly.
CFW Brave then nodded. "Yes, I also lead a group called Avenir."
Listoria just looked at CFW Brave. "Whoever you are, you're going down!"
"Listoria! Wait!" Kei called out to her but she didn't listen. A bright light enveloped her as she transformed and when it dissipated, a 19 year old woman stood in her place. Her hair was blue and what she wore when similar to what I wore when I transformed, but it had a more darker blue than my usual cyan color. She was holding a long chain which was tied in her hand and sawn-off shotgun on her back.
"CPU Silver Heart is here…" Instead of her usual voice, it came out more cold.
I then turned to Plutia. "I guess we have to transform too."
Plutia then nodded as we both transformed and went to Listoria's side.
"I see…" Listoria muttered as she looked at CFW Brave.
"Wait, you're not going to say anything?" I questioned her to which she was silent about it.
Giving me the cold shoulder, are you? I thought to myself.
We all then charged in to attack Brave but every time we strike, it had no effect on him.
"You all have a strong resolve but…" With one strike with his sword, he knocked us on our knees, making us de-transformed. "Your actions are weak."
"He's too strong…" I muttered as I groan in pain.
He even beat Plutia and that's just saying something… I thought. How…? How can we even beat him?
"Now! I'll be taking Lastation from you!" He announced before he was attacked by Kei.
Kei then called out her attack. "Paralysis Sword!" She knocks Brave away, paralyzing him.
"Kei? What are you…?"
"We don't have much time!" Kei yelled at me and Listoria. "If you can stand, then go!"
"Miss Kei! Why are you doing this?!" I yelled out to her.
"IF, Compa, take Sapphire and Plutia out of here." Kei told them.
"But…" IF was about to object but Kei glared at her. "Okay…"
IF then grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Kei and Listoria, while Compa carried Plutia and followed IF.
"Iffy! Let me go!" I yelled at her as I struggled to get free, but I felt so weak that I couldn't struggle enough.
And then… we were forced to leave the Basilicom hastily…
With Listoria…
"You should go too…" Kei told Listoria.
But Listoria refused. "No, I'm staying with you!"
"Listoria… this is not a request." Kei said. "But an order."
"But…" Listoria look down. "Where would I go?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Kei said as she smirked. "With Sapphire and her friends."
"But why?"
This time, Kei also looked down. "Because… you're my friend…"
Listoria slowly look back up
"O-Okay… I'll go…" She started walking away before turning to Kei. "Please… be safe…"
Kei then nodded before smiling.
"Yeah… you too…"
And then Listoria rushed out of the Basilicom, following Sapphire and the others.
That's all for now! And now for Sapphire's appearance!
Sapphire's Human Appearance: She looks similar to Nepgear throughout her hair and clothes but it has a cyan color throughout her design.
Sapphire's CPU Appearance: Her hair becomes longer and is tied in a ponytail. She becomes a little shorter than her human form and her chest size becomes a little bit smaller which is reference to the fact that Sega re releases smaller version of their consoles
That's all for now! Leanbox CPU will be coming soon! Please Review and Stay Safe!