CHP. Insects, explosions

Disclaimer: I don't own any anime, movies, music, comics, or games.

Bold - Techniques/Items/Skills/Weapons/Demon Mode / Events/ Organizations.

Italics - Thoughts/Telepath dialogues/ flashbacks/ Songs/music/phonecalls.

The two couples were heading back to their base in a cab. Russell was tinkering with his Gamer once more. He wanted to find Felsong's virus and see if he could replicate it.

Sadly, no success.

Feeling his lover's embrace getting tighter, he looked at her and found her asleep. A smile formed on his face, moving some strands of hair, revealing her beauty. Unable to stop himself, he gave a peck on her forehead, winning a disappointed groan.

Using his Observe, he still got nothing. Had they given up? Unlikely, they're planning something. Picking up his phone, he dials his contact.

"Russell, how's your date?"

"Fine, thanks for asking. Bright, is everyone there?"

"Yeah, are they back?"

"No, no, just asking. How are the girls?"

"Sakura and Illya are asleep now."

"Oh..." Despite his GPI destroyed, Russell's life as an assassin told him they weren't alone. The only problem? They're too far from his range.

"Karla, wake up."

"Huh? Are we back?"

"No, we're not alone."

His message was enough to make Karla serious. "Stop here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yup, here take this."

The driver didn't question him and just took the money and left. Russell looked around.

"REEEEEE!"

Russell looks up and finds a boot heading towards him.

Up in the air, 'Jimmy' had been following them for hours. Just as he was about to attack when the cab pulled over, he wondered once more how someone like him could end a fight in a draw.

Once the target came out, he quickly used Observe but couldn't see anything but his name. It didn't display his weakness too. He might be stronger or have an anti-Observe skill.

"He doesn't know where I am, good."

He quickly makes a dive for the kill. "REEEEEE!" the target was too late to see it coming, and his boot crushed the skull. Even if he survives it, his HP is going to drop.

No signs of life. "Tch... if their member lost to this noob, then their standards must have dropped." He muttered. "What a waste of time."

'Jimmy' then turns to Karla. He didn't recognize her from any franchise he knew. The last manga he read was Law of Ueki. She's quite a looker, a shame he needs to kill her.

"You know if you're going to sneak attack, don't scream."

'Jimmy' turns around and saw Russell still alive. He was sitting on a ruble that he made.

What just happened? He felt and saw the skull crushed until his HP had dropped to zero. There wasn't a sign of illusion or a revive skill.

Zone

A simple technique, but in his hands, it was an OP skill. It surpassed the limits of the original. It didn't stop on hypnotizing humans, but even the game itself.

Yet its drawback was just as serious. One wrong move, and it might hit him too.

Looking at his enemy, he silently casts Observe Thousand Image.

Obi Cipher

LVL: ?

HP:?

STR:?

DEF:?

AGI:?

LUCK:?

It won't be easy as he thought it would. As the two gamers fought in a mind battle, Karla was looking for anyone hiding.

However, the entire scene made little sense. Something else was happening here, but she couldn't tell what it is.

Also, the enemy seemed to be eager to face her lover.

Cipher was the first one to make a move. Hundreds of flies rushed towards them.

"Fireflies."

"Bugs, really?" Russell said in disappointment, stopping the attack with Gravity Force. His ears then heard clicking noises.

"Life Blaze."

Russell immediately jumps away as a centipede in flames chased after him. Placing his palm on the concrete, a pillar of ice erupts hitting the insect.

Godsbane Drive

Russell dashes forward, destroying his surroundings, and throws a punch, but an invisible barrier stops his fist. However, the force of the blow was enough to send the enemy back.

Heavy Rain

Not finished, Russell summons a horde of Ki Blades above the enemy. Cipher blocks with his barrier, but the endless assault was breaking it.

"Jigsaw." Another bug appears and shields its master before shooting its hairs.

Russell deflects it all, while Karla did the same. With his Vector Kata, the beast grabs the last hair and throws it back.

The insect lets out a screech of pain before dying. However, the mercenary quickly took this chance to engage in close combat.

Drawing out his weapon, which is a sickle. He swings it towards Russell's throat. Yet the beast dodged at the last second before using his gun.

"Hm... maybe combining Warden and Jackal isn't a good idea."

Shooting swords seems good on paper, but if you're fighting someone so skilled, they can catch it?

Thus he dismantles it, and the two brothers were back once more. His two weapons voiced their displeasure of the ordeal.

"Alright, alright I get it so stop! Jeez, I just wanted to see what it looks like shooting swords."

Again his guns glowed, but this time it gave a happy vibe. With a smirk, he fires off his guns while Obi used his new weapon to deflect them.

In their bout, Russell steps into something. It was another insect with fire patterns.

The blast caught his left foot. Cipher took his opportunity and fired a massive beam of light.

"Humph, for a minute there, I thought he might be more challenging." He thought as he faces Karla.

"Not to be rude or anything, but are you sure you know how to aim?"

Taken by surprise once more, the mercenary turns and saw the target with no injury.

"What the hell? How did you survive that? There's no way you're using magic." Cipher asked.

"Well, your half right. I didn't use magic. I used a Skill."

"That insect deactivates any buffs and skills upon contact he didn't dodge or blocked. So how did he survive it?"

"Though, calling it a skill is far-fetched."

"What are you talking about?"

His target gains a grim look, as if he was trying to look for a good explanation. "It's hard to explain. How about I show you?" Russell slowly approached him.

Cipher went on guard. He was ready for anything, but not this one. As he enters his range, Cipher wasted no time attacking. Eyes widen in shock as the target seems to be glitching off and on.

"This is what your attack has been hitting. The gap between zero and one. A realm between infinities and finities."

"A dimensional gap." Cipher said.

"Meh, close enough. In short, your attacks won't reach me. Doesn't matter how fast or how far you are, zero times infinity is still zero."

Bullshit!

A Modder can't even do that without outside help. They can't overwrite reality willy nilly. The most they can do is change the system of their game.

"Now as much as I like the attention of you staring at my 'Dende, ' can we move on?"

"Are you shitting me?"

"Why the hell would I take a dump on you? That's disgusting man. Hey, I don't judge, but please keep those fetishes privately."

The man grits his teeth while Russell just smiled. "You mother-fucker... I'm gonna..."

"Whoa, dude, as much as I want that achievement, I still haven't done that. Oh wait, I did, didn't I? huh... I wonder if I was that drunk?" Russell said while mumbling the last part.

Hey, he never said he didn't have sex in his original life. He just wasn't proud of it. Especially the time he had a nightly passion with a popstar and her sister didn't her eldest join on round three, or was it four?

Unfortunately, Cipher heard Russell's mumbling, which pissed the man off on how he quickly dismissed him.

"Bastard, take this seriously!"

"Okay."

BANG!

watch?v=idhTQFpB9tA

Cipher vomited as Russell brutally strikes him with Adamantine kata. How did he get past his defenses? Why didn't he see or sense the incoming attack?

"Hmm... I'm getting rusty."

With no delay, Cipher took vicious blows from his target. Russell had granted his wish. He wants a serious fight? Then he'll give it.

Finishing with a kick, Cipher struggles to regain his breath. "I know this is a bad idea, but honestly, I'm curious. My magic is a mess right now, but I really want to know what this thing can do."

Russell raises his finger as a magical circle spun around it. "Drown the West, Burn the East, Bury the north, Raise the south. Magic Formula 7: Liberenum Achearis."

On cue, his Bad Luck made itself known as the spell went unstable.

Cipher can only watch as the world became dark and soon light ceased to exist, and for a small second, the world, reality itself, seems overwhelmed by the darkness.

Suddenly the world regained its light with an explosive force, sending the mercenary flying.

"So that's what it does..." Russell muttered. "Neat."

Karla, warned by her lover through their link, had moved a respectful distance.

Cipher grunted as he crashes into several walls before coming to a stop. Russell was hot on his tails, steadying himself. He fires off a stream of light.

A direct hit! It wasn't even a clone. However, he had forgotten about Karla, who appeared in front of him, and delivers a lariat. That wasn't possible his skill 'Domain' prevents any teleportation from entering or leaving his range.

Russell, seeing his troubled look, lets out a predatory grin. Cipher retreated, but his prey had no plans to let him. Appearing out of nowhere, Russell drop-kicked his opponent and used Cipher's body as a makeshift board; sliding across the concrete.

"You're not getting away." He then grabs his leg, his grip tightening.

Without effort, the ground shatters from his brute strength. His enemy helpless from being slammed like a hammer.

Rolling away, Cipher ran, the two lovebirds chasing their prey. The duo then took turns attacking the mercenary each time he was on his knees. One would force him to stand up.

Believing the next attack was behind. Unleashing his highest skill.

He was right. The blast caught Russell's point-blank, but as if to prove his dominance. The target didn't dodge; he powered through, throwing a mighty blow with Escanor's blunt side.

Russell watched as Cipher went crashing to a fountain. "He's going, going and... STRIKE! 10 points!"

Cipher panted as he got up. "To think a modder like him existed." He muttered. Now he thought about it, the first modder to exist could do similar things that his target did.

"Is he a first-generation? That's impossible. They started dying out when the second generation appeared."

Or maybe this is the return of the first generation... if it was, then killing his target is a must. Why the hell did his contractor not warn him.

He was nothing but an expendable tool to draw out his enemy's full strength. If that was the case, then fuck this. But he couldn't get out. If he ran, they'll hunt him down. If he fought, he'll die.

"Sorry for the wait, I had to pick up my girl." Russell said while carrying Karla.

Oh, this bastard is just flaunting it. Then again, who wouldn't? He did it once when he realized his waifu was a celebrity. It was weird though, looking at different versions of her.

"That's pretty cocky. Do you really think you can beat me while handicapped?"

The beast quickly laughs it off. "Considering Karla was kicking your ass left and right. I hardly call this a handicap." Russell said. "This is overkill for someone like you."

With Observe, it pissed him off. He was losing to an NPC!

"Unfortunately, I have to share my world with you lot."

"Alright, let's see you handle this!"

Karla quickly recognized what was happening and tried to stop him, but Russell shook his head.

"I.D. Activation."

Reality was warping. It slowly dragged the couple to the abyss. Seconds later, they saw themselves surrounded by molten rocks, ruined shrines, and lava.

Did he forget to mention there are demons?

"So this is your plan?" Russell said, watching Cipher. "Drag us into the Dungeon and reap all the rewards?"

"Wait, won't we be getting exp as well?" Karla asked, getting ready for a fight.

"It's a lot more complicated. Being inside someone else's Dungeon doesn't mean you get exp from the monsters you kill. Unless you're part of his party, he's the only one getting any benefit."

Karla nodded and evaded a demon's attack. Cipher was not happy the target had figured his ultimate plan. The idea was to drag the enemy into his Dungeon and make them fight his monsters so he can level up faster. And as a bonus, they would be hard-pressed to realize that they weren't getting any of the profit.

"Alright, who the hell are you? You can't be a first-timer."

"Buddy, I'm noob, not stupid. You think I won't try this shit? Please, only a moron wouldn't."

"Then I guess you know you're screwed the moment you're in here."

"Quite the contrary, this is what I need."

"Huh?"

watch?v=tXH4oAZCyBk

"While your strategy would have worked, you forgot one crucial detail."

"That is?"

"The Dungeon is a reality marble. Your own personal reality. So what happens when two of Dungeons collide."

Cipher realized what his mistake was, but it was too late to do anything. Ley lines start appearing, followed by a myriad of colors.

"I.D. Activate."

Once more, the world crumbled, replaced by emptiness.

"You destroyed my Dungeon..." Cipher uttered in horror.

"Whoa, son, I didn't destroy it. I just took a few codes before unleashing my own. I guess this happens when two Dungeons collide."

A neutral ground. Neither has an advantage over the other. Cipher looked down, he lost.

"Just who are you?"

"Russell Redgrave." Russell said.

Cipher frowned, his Observe he had spotted a residual aura. It didn't belong to his target. Is the name was some sort of seal?

"What now?"

"Well, I could kill you, but I would be just wasting the opportunity. So I'm going to ask you this, why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why are you assholes trying to kill me? We were doing our own thing when you nut jobs started attacking us."

watch?v=Q76hbRLtEs8

Cipher smirked if he dies here, then he can at least give his contractor the finger by helping this guy. What he's a mercenary.

"I don't know, man. I just know you have something they want otherwise they wouldn't bother with you."

"Is it because I got Ereshkigal and Okita in go?"

"No, whatever it is you got kid, it's big they don't just send their best willy nilly or stay one universe this long."

"Who are they?" Karla asked.

"Sorry kid, I can't tell ya. Not because I won't, but I can't unless I want their boss after my head."

"How big is their army?"

"Their one of the oldest Gamers. Their boss alone is a war hero."

Shit. Fighting a war hero is a big game. They're hilariously outgunned.

"That's all I can say."

"Thanks."

Russell then knocks the man out before they went back to the actual world. "Let's go, we don't wanna get caught."

Both left the scene, leaving Cipher on a bench as the authorities arrived.

When they got back, Blaire immediately smothers Russell into her bosom. "Thank goodness, your alright!"

"Thank you, Blaire, but please let go. I can't breathe." Russell said.

"Master, are you hurt?"

"Not really, but we have an idea on what's going on."

After explaining it, Okita was the first to voice her thoughts out.

"So we're facing an ancient secret society? That is troubling."

"Lousu warned me about some of them, but I don't recognize this one." Ereshkigal said.

"Neither do I. However, his lab might hold some clue." Medusa spoke.

"But mommy Eri said that room keeps moving." The little wraith said.

"That's not a problem." Russell said, smiling at the blushing Goddess. "I placed a tracker inside it so I can find it."

"I can't believe we forgot about putting one," Bright said. "We can also use it as a new hideout, if Ereshkigal doesn't mind."

"Go ahead. Just don't use it for the wrong reasons."

Russell nodded before bringing out a 3d world map. "Well, at least it's not far outside of Fuyuki. Let's go before this thing goes on the other side of the world."

Everyone nodded, Silver opening a portal to the location. "Hercules watch Sakura and Illya until we get back."

Finding the lab was easy, but finding a damn hit about who they are fighting was impossible. Russell rubbed his eyes from frustration.

Not even in the files.

Russell glanced around the area. Silver was doing his best, but even he couldn't find anything. Just as he was about to give up, a sudden blast of headache hits him.

Falling to his knees, the warrior didn't notice his group rushing towards him. Bright was ordering something, but the pain was unbearable.

His vision then changed into a battlefield, a warrior standing on a battlefield, holding a spear, a crown, and a sword. His back bears a symbol.

watch?v=pBew8pAYPaQ


(He who stands alone, he who stands above and below.)

Who is he? What was he facing against?


(He bears the mark of the undying, his perpetual battle against the tide. Victorious or not, his cursed journey continues.)

He can only watch as the stranger fought monsters and men. Sacrificing his loved ones and allies for victory.


(He stands tall and proud. His presence shakes the world.)


His voice pierces the heavens. His will unshaken, his strength is unrivaled, his treasury rivals the sea and stars.

He was lonely; he was angry at himself. He wasn't proud of his status. His treasury was vast because of his allies and their sacrifice.


He who rules all, for he is the KING! He who defies all, for he is the REBEL!

The stranger turns towards him. Under his gaze, Russell felt insignificant. No, he's terrified, even though this is a memory. The image of him is frightening. His senses told him to run as fast as he can.

It didn't matter how strong he was against this man, he will lose. Period, end of story!

Then he heard him speak, smiling as if amused by something. "Your late again, old friend."

The vision stopped. The last thing he saw was the symbol of the man.

Russell flinched but watched his team. All worried about his state. "You alright?" Bright asked. "What am I saying of course not!"

"Another vision?" Medusa asked.

Russell took a deep breath and looked at the gorgon. "Yeah, can any of you tell me what this is?"

But Medusa and Ereshkigal shook their heads.

"Damn, I thought it was a clue." The leader of the team then explained what he saw.

"Let's put it on hold. For now, let's get the kids this place is more safer." Silver said.

Everyone agreed and began moving some of their belongings into the lab.

Hours later, everyone was in their room, with Russell taking the farthest one. Laying on his bed, he couldn't help but just let a frustrated sigh escape.

Why was he having these visions? Why is this organization after him?

Who were they fighting? Finally, what is Lousu's involvement in this?

As he fell asleep, his mind wanders back to the stranger. Could that man be Lousu or someone else? If he's facing an army, then he's going to need some backup.

A/N: And done, thank you for waiting folks. If you want to ask me something, just PM me. Please don't spam hate okay.

Anyway, take care and stay healthy. PEACE.