The Misadventures of Hyperdimension Peashy

Episode 63

by Derald Snyder

*The next day, at the Overlord's Castle*

"What the hell could be taking Rayna so long?!" Etna growled as she paced impatiently back and forth. "Of course, knowing her, she probably got in a fight and got in over her head, the idiot..." Stopping, the Demon Lord put a finger to her chin. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to send her, in hindsight..." A distant meow then drew her attention. "Oh, good timing! Here, kitty kitty!"

A black-furred cat with large ears and wearing clawed gloves quickly ran up to the redhead, who kneeled and gave it a gentle pat on the head. "Hey, kitty, could you do something for me? Could you head over to Gamindustri and try to find out what happened to my Cleric?"

"Meow, meow!" the black cat nodded.

"Good kitty!" Etna grinned, standing and turning before suddenly shouting, "HEY PRINNY! Get your butt over here NOW!"

"I-I'm here, Master Etna, dood!" A Prinny ran up, nervously saluting.

"I need you to go to Gamindustri with this kitty, and provide a distraction so no one suspects her of being a spy for me," the demon ordered.

"You're asking me to sacrifice myself for a cat, dood?!" the Prinny sweat-dropped.

"Uh, if I may, Master Etna..." a young black-haired Warrior walked up. "With all due respect, if you send this Prinny all by itself, won't that Nisa immediately recognize it as a distraction?"

"...hmmm, good point," Etna admitted. "Alright, you go with the Prinny and stir up some mayhem!"

"You got it!" the Warrior saluted with his broadsword. "Alright, Prinny, kitty, let's go!"

"OK, dood!"

"Mew!"

"And try not to get the Prinny blown up on you!" Etna yelled after them as they vanished into the Dimensional Gate...

*Soon, in Leanbox City...*

"So this is the human city, huh?" the Warrior muttered to himself. Turning to his two comrades, he ordered, "Okay, kitty, you go to the east side of the city and start looking for Rayna. Meanwhile this Prinny and I will go cause some trouble on the west side!"

"Mew, mew!" the cat assented, before dashing off on all fours.

"So, how are we gonna cause mayhem, dood?" the Prinny asked.

"Simple! We'll head for a busy intersection and cut down the traffic lights!" the Warrior proclaimed. "That oughta get someone's attention!"

"Aye aye, dood!" the Prinny saluted...

*Leanbox City Hospital*

"You are a life-saver, Adrian," Peach said in gratitude as she clicked away on her boyfriend's LS-Vita. "I was gonna die of boredom if I had to stare at the ceiling any longer..."

"What, couldn't you find anything to watch on TV?" Adrian puzzled as he grabbed the remote and clicked said TV on. Surfing through the channels, he muttered, "With as many channels as there are nowadays, you'd think you could find something interesting..."

"We interrupt this broadcast to bring you this breaking traffic report," a TV newscaster suddenly popped up. "There has been an accident at the intersection of 3rd Street and 4th Street, due to the traffic lights suddenly collapsing... We have photos of the accident from social media..." The TV showed a blurry picture of two cars crashed into each other, with a penguin toy standing atop...

"That's a Prinny!" Peach reared up in realization, only to cry out in pain and fall back onto her bed as her stomach wound protested the sudden movement. "Agh, dammit, I hate being laid up and useless like this!"

"Don't worry, Peach, I'm on it," Adrian assured her, taking out his mobile device and dialing. "...Commander! Did you hear about the accident on the corner of 3rd and 4th? I have good reason to believe it's an attack by Demon Lord Etna's minions! ...Yessir. I'm the hospital with Peach right now... Yes, I'll go ahead and establish a recon point! ...Wilco, sir! Please hurry!" He hung up. "The commander says hi... Anyway, he ordered me to recon and try to gauge the number and strength of the enemy we'll be facing..."

"Well, for Goddess' sake, don't try to take them on before the rest of the 81st gets there!" Peach cautioned. "And it probably wouldn't to let Nisa know, too..."

"I'll call her en route," Adrian nodded. "Anything else before I move out?"

"C'mere," Peashy gestured, her fiancee walking up to the side of the bed... "Down here..." He obediently bent down, receiving a firm smooch on the cheek. "For luck."

"Thanks, Peashy," the soldier blushed as he turned and left...

*And so, at the intersection in question...*

(Looks like there's only two of them,) Adrian observed through his binoculars from his perch atop one of the corner buildings. He'd donned a protective vest, and his trusty assault rifle was in easy reach, fully loaded. (A Prinny and a humanoid... looks like they're just harassing people in the area for the moment.)

"Yeah, that's right!" the Warrior shouted from down below, unaware of Adrian's presence. "This intersection is now the property of Master Etna! You don't like it, find an alternate route!" He flinched as an angry commuter laid on his car horn long and loud. "Don't blow your horn at me like that! Prinny, show 'im who owns this turf!"

"You got it, dood!" his partner complied, rummaging through his pouch, before pulling out a bomb that was a big as he was! "Prinny Bomb, dood!" The commuter freaked out, quickly undoing his seat belt and rolling out of the car before it was blown up into a pile of burning scrap!

"That's right, you better run!" the Warrior taunted the fleeing human. "That's what you get for defying Demon Lord Etna!"

"Damn it!" Adrian growled as he clicked on his radio. "81st Unit, be advised! The Prinny may look like a toy, but he's packing high explosives! Should be considered extremely dangerous!"

"Roger that, Adrian-118! Hold your position!"

"Wilco, sir! Adrian out!" Putting the radio away, he continued to observe the scene, watching as a young man drove up on a motorcycle, a helmet obscuring his face... (Oh no, please don't try to play hero or something like that...) The soldier watched as the man stopped and parked on the sidewalk, discreetly dismounting and creeping up to where the Prinny was standing... Adrian's eyes widened in mild surprise as the cyclist abruptly grabbed the Prinny and hoisted it over his head! "In the name of Nisa, take this!"

(That voice! Arthur?!)

*KA-BOOM!*

"YES! Direct hit!" A-Mac pumped a fist. "Howdaya like them apples, demon?!"

The Warrior slowly rose back to his feet, covered in soot. "How 'bout I cut out your Adam's apple, human?!"

"Uh-oh." Thinking quickly, Arthur pulled off his helmet and hurled it at the demon's feet, casuing him to stumble and faceplant on the ground. This bought the young man just enough time to turn and get a running start. "Tactical retreat!"

"Get back here!" the black-haired demon screamed as he gave chase.

"Crap..." Adrian groaned as he quickly stood and slung his rifle over his shoulder. "Sorry, commander, but for my future brother-in-law's sake, I have to disobey orders...!"

Fortunately for A-Mac, his parkour skills served him well, using cars, dumpsters and other objects in the area to stay one step ahead of his pursuer's sword... leaping off one dumpster, he managed to grab onto the railing of an apartment stairwell, flipping onto it and making his way upward.

"Oh no you don't!" the Warrior growled as made a superhuman leap up to A-Mac's position, only for the young man to kick him in the face, sending him falling onto the roof of a car below, denting it and setting off the alarm. Arthur took advantage of the demon's temporary incapacitation to quickly climb the stairs to the top, pulling himself onto the roof. "Damn you...!" the Warrior groaned as he recovered, making another high jump to grab the edge of the apartment roof and pull himself up, just in time to see A-Mac leap across to another rooftop.

Arthur threw off his jacket as he continued to run, jumping across a gap to another rooftop, though he was slightly short and ended up grabbing the edge, bracing his feet against the wall. He quickly rolled onto the surface, taking off in another sprint-

-only for the pursuing demon to come down behind him and pound the ground with his fist, causing a shockwave which knocked A-Mac off his feet, sending him sprawling!

Before he could right himself, the Warrior pressed a foot to his chest and pointed his broadsword in his face! "Any last words before your body and head part ways?"

Arthur's eyes darted around frantically, before suddenly catching something, causing him to relax slightly. "Look out behind you."

"You really expect me to fall for- GAAHH!" the Warrior cried out in pain as a bullet struck his sword arm's shoulder, A-Mac quickly breaking free and rolling away!

"FREEZE! Leanbox Army!" The demon turned to see Adrian with his assault rifle at the ready. "Drop your weapon, and keep your hands where I can see them!"

"Army? I only see one of you!" the Warrior snarked. "So I think I'll resist!" He charged and swung, only for Adrian to easily duck and kick him away!

"Arthur! Get out of here!" the petty officer ordered as he switched his rifle to automatic fire, depressing the trigger and pelting his opponent with several bullets! The Warrior faltered under the rain of lead, but then managed to bring his broadsword up in a defensive position, blocking the worst of the gun fire. He then jumped in the air for an overhead swing, Adrian rolling away before he could chop him in half! The demon swung again, missing Adrian but cutting off the barrel of his rifle! "Aw, crap..." He managed to use what was left of his gun to block an overhead swing...

"The gun is mightier than the sword? I don't think so!" the Warrior taunted. But then he was knocked off balance as he was kicked in the back of his knee, before A-Mac's arm wrapped around his neck and slammed him to the ground!

"Arthur! I told you to run!" Adrian yelled as he righted himself, tossing his wrecked rifle aside.

"Peach'd never forgive me if I let you die!" A-Mac retorted as he retreated to his companion's side.

"Too bad, 'cause you're both gonna die!" the Warrior declared as he jumped back to his feet, swinging with his broadsword again, only for Adrian to activate a double-pronged energy blade and block the swing! The two combatants then clashed their blades a few times, before a lucky swing by Adrian chopped a good chunk of the demon's sword off the hilt! "Well, shit."

"Laser beats steel," Adrian taunted, pointing his energy blade at his adversary's throat. "Now are you gonna surrender?" He got his answer when said blade was kicked out of his hand, falling beyond the rooftop's edge. "Guess not," he muttered as he took his stance.

"OK! Hand-to-hand combat I can handle!" A-Mac asserted as he put up his dukes.

"Oh really? Show me then, human!" the Warrior taunted as he charged in with a left hook, A-Mac easily ducking and countering with a left-right-left combination! The Warrior tried a knee to the groin, but Arthur blocked it before head-butting his opponent, causing them both to recoil in pain!

Adrian then took the initiative, scoring a right hook to the demon's head, then kicking him in the solar plexus! The Warrior quickly recovered, however, lashing out with a high kick that was ducked under, Adrian kicking at his knee to bring him down, only for the demon to simply roll away and right himself.

"This is getting annoying!" the Warrior growled. "Triple Strike!" He hit Adrian with a right straight, then uppercut him into the air before jumping up and smacking him back down into the concrete! But then A-Mac rushed back in, hitting the black-haired demon with a body blow to the ribcage, then following with an uppercut and finishing with a kick to the chest.

"Not so cocky, now, are ya?" the young man taunted.

"You think you're so hot? Try this! Double Shadow!" the Warrior suddenly split into two, pushing and kicking A-Mac from both sides, then finishing with an uppercut that sent him through the air, landing on top of Adrian! "And now I'll finish you both!" the demon declared as he jumped into the air this time splitting into five copies! "Quintuple Shot!" Five multicolored energy beams shot out, spiraling as they closed in on the two men...

"Berry Barrier Balidare!" a young female voice cried out, the Quintuple Shot crashing futilely into a round energy barrier that suddenly sprang up!

"What?!" the Warrior gasped in disbelief, before catching something out of the corner of his eye, looking up into the sun, seeing...

"V-Extreme!" Nisa cried as she slammed into the Warrior with a powerful kick, enveloping him in a V-shaped energy blast that shot down to the street, detonating upon impact! Nicole landed safely on the rooftop, peering over the edge, watching as the Warrior tried to get up from the crater that had resulted, only to go limp and collapse, turning into white energy that swiftly dissipated. "YES! Another win for justice!" the bluenette pumped a fist in triumph.

"Mega Heal!" Sicily intoned, a green wave of healing energy washing over A-Mac and Adrian. "Way to go, Nisa! You showed that guy who's boss!"

"Nnnn... Nisa?" A-Mac groaned as he slowly got up, blinking his eyes open and focusing on his girlfriend. "Nisa! Oh man, am I glad to see you!"

"Well, you know heroes always arrive in the nick of time!" Nicole grinned, running up and grabbing Arthur in a gentle embrace, the two sharing a brief, grateful kiss.

"Good thing I called you en route to the disturbance," Adrian concurred as he dusted himself off. "I'm guessing Miss Sicily insisted on coming along?"

"Of course!" the demon angel nodded. "Like I said, Etna's wrong in trying to invade and conquer you guys!"

"Uh, who's this, Nicole?" A-Mac asked.

"Oh, right," Nisa nodded, "guess I should make introductions..."

*Meanwhile, on the other side of the city...*

Etna's cat picked her way through the junkyard, grumbling to herself... She had hitched a ride on a large truck to try and cover more ground, only to get taken here. The only reason she'd stuck around was to try and find some food... But then, the sound of mild electricity caught the cat's ear, climbing over a pile of rubble...

The source turned out to be a life-like robot, with long purple hair and a button up sailor uniform. "N... NEP... GYAAA..." she tried to raise her head up upon sensing the feline approaching, only to collapse again.

The cat regarded the damaged robot for a few moments, before making a decision. Taking a breath, she suddenly spoke, "Dimensional Gatekeeper! Bring me back and take this robot with me!" The Dimensional Gate promptly appeared in the sky, pulling both Nepgya and the cat into it...

*To be continued...*