"U-Uwah..?"
The first thing IF saw, upon waking up, was the moss-covered ceiling. She was in an isolated room, with only a sliver of sunlight shining through the window. Walls were constructed out of worn stone bricks, stacked on top of each other, and the only light source inside the room was a small, yellow flame above a wrought-iron candlestick.
The coldness of the stone floor sent a shiver up her spine as she propped herself up, and saw the rest of her friends, still lying unconscious on the floor. She quickly ran to Compa, and started shaking her.
"Compa?!" She yelled. "Are you alright?!"
"W-Wah?" Compa slowly opened her eyes. "Iffy, is that you...?"
"Thank goodness, you're okay..." The brunette sighed. "Have we been knocked out by something…?"
"Ugh..." Origin put a hand to her forehead, still lying on the floor. "My head hurts..."
"How about Sir-Tech? Is she alright?" IF asked.
"...Yes." The wizard stood up, and shook the dust out of her clothing. "They must have poisoned us with the water."
"Lady Famika..." Compa frowned. "Why would she do this to us?"
"H-Have I gravely disrespected Her Majesty?" Origin looked quite frightened. "I-I could not let my honor be stained by such scandalous wrongdoings!"
"Calm down, you're overreacting." Sir-Tech groaned. "Can you just get your priorities straight for once, and stop obsessing over your honor? Anyway, IF, where are your other friends?"
"Oh no..." IF's face paled, as she came to a grave realization. "She must've figured it out."
"Figured what out?" Origin asked.
"We need to go save them!"
The brunette looked towards the gate, and found heavy iron bars barring their way out. She grabbed onto them, and started shaking them furiously, though the bars did not move an inch—her raw strength was no match for the tough metal.
"Hey! Let us go!" IF demanded.
"Cut it out!" A bossy voice retorted, before a spearman appeared, and struck the cell door with his spear. "You and your friends are imprisoned for being foreign spies, conspiring against Lowee."
"Foreign spies?!" Origin stared at him. "There must be a misunderstanding!"
"Enough! Lady Famika herself has ordered your arrest, for your association with the two foreign CPUs."
"Foreign CPU? Sir-Tech? What's going on?!"
"IF and Compa's friends are actually CPUs." Sir-Tech replied. "They've been keeping their true identity a secret from Lady Famika."
"Y-You mean those Cycling Patrons?!"
"Silence!" The spearman barked. "Until the Goddess decides to release you, you'll be remaining in this cell, and you won't be leaving anytime soon."
"Just listen to me!" IF shook the bars even harder in her desperation, but the man had already disappeared into the darkness beyond.
"Iffy, calm down." Compa put a hand to her shoulder. "Don't tire yourself out..."
"Y-You are right. Maybe we should wait for an opportunity?" Origin suggested. "They did take our weapons, while we were unconscious."
"Sir-Tech! You can cast one of your magic spells to break us out, right?"
"Unfortunately, no." The wizard shook her head. "Without my spell tome, I'm but a powerless human. I'm sorry."
IF let go of the iron bars, and dropped to the ground on her knees. There was no hope for escape. They were empty-handed, with neither weapons nor tools to aid them, and all they could do was sit and wait. Compa stepped forth to comfort her, and behind them, the pair shot them a sympathetic glance.
"Lady Vert and Lady Blanc..."
"It's okay, Iffy..." Compa caressed her companion's hair. "I'm also worried about them."
"How could a Goddess use such a...dishonorable tactic on her guests?" Origin mumbled.
"You know how the Console War is, right now. If you're associated with a CPU, you'll be liable for all their doings." Sir-Tech answered, with a solemn look in her eyes.
Blanc was the first to wake up, and found herself lying inside a dark dungeon room, illuminated only by the weak glow of several candles. She glanced around the dull, empty space, frowned at the sight of the barred gate, and finally found Vert, sprawled out in a nearby corner.
"Hey!" She gave her companion a forceful shove. "Wake up!"
"H-Huh?" Vert yawned, before she saw Blanc's face. "Oh dear..."
She hastily picked herself up from the floor, and shook the dust off her clothing, with a displeased look on her face—her elegant dress was in quite a sorry state, stained by dirt and mud.
"I never thought she would do this to us. She seems like such a fine, proper lady..." Vert let out a deep sigh.
"To hell with her! The real question is, where the hell are we right now?"
"Ah~! Our guests are finally awake!" Famika's voice rang through the cold air, before she entered the cell with her entourage of samurais, all wearing mēnpo masks.
"I do apologize for the…poison that we put in your drinks. Fortunately, we got the dosage just right. It would be a shame to accidentally kill your human friends."
"Hey! Why the hell would you do this to us, and where's everyone else?!" Blanc jabbed a finger at her.
"Why? Because I see both of you as more than just guests. I never thought that I was preparing my fine cuisine for two CPUs. Fate is a strange thing, indeed..."
"W-Wait a moment...How did you figure it out?" Vert asked.
"Let's just say, a man back in a certain village was questioned by my guards, after an incident happened over there."
Must be the tavern-keeper, Blanc thought.
"As for the other girls, I've locked them up in a separate cell, for sheltering two enemies of Lowee."
"How dare you! How dare you drag our friends into this mess—"
Vert stepped forth, and in response, Famika summoned her naginata, and swung it at her—Blanc's eyes widened in panic, but the blade stopped in mid-air, only an inch away from Vert's throat. Both of them were sweating heavily. They could not possibly fight back, without their power, and escalating the situation further was a bad, bad idea.
"Regardless of whether they are involved, my compassion does not extend to those who serve other Goddesses." Famika glared at them, her scarlet eyes burning with a cold fury. "And if they did know your identities, but decided to hide it from me..."
The cold metallic edge of the naginata was now pressing against Vert's skin, and the blonde Goddess could not utter a word. As Famika moved even closer, Blanc finally broke out of her freeze and lunged at her.
"Stop it!"
"Hmph...you are really testing my patience. Well, we had a good chat, but I'm afraid that I have other important matters to take care of." Famika sighed, and closed her eyes.
She struck Blanc in the stomach with the handle of her naginata, and sent her crashing into the opposite wall. Vert quickly ran up to her, who was curled up on the floor, coughing weakly and holding a hand to her side. Famika made a playful spin with her weapon, as she slowly approached the two.
"Please, Lady Famika..." Vert begged. "We harbor no ill will towards your people, nor the nation of Lowee."
"Of course not." Famika nodded. "But such is the tradition of CPUs. Fated to fight to the death for their nations, and only the strongest shall survive. It has always been like this, since my mother fought in the very first Console War..."
She raised her naginata into the air, ready to bring it down on the two powerless CPUs, with a small grin on her face. Before she could deliver the killing blow, a guard suddenly rushed into the room.
"I-I apologize for the disturbance, Lady Famika!" The samurai yelled, panting heavily.
"We've received a letter that there is ongoing trouble in an eastern village, and our militias were unable to ease the situation. We could send out our squadron of elite samurai, but it would take too long to prepare them for travel."
"Is that so?" Famika lowered her weapon. "There's so much going on. I won't have enough time to deal with these two..."
"I am very sorry for the hassles, milady! We can take care of this situation ourselves, if you wish."
"No, no, it's fine..." Famika shook her head. "Until I've taken care of this… annoyance, I want both of them to be securely locked up. They might be the root of the troubles that befall our land, after all."
"Yes, milady."
Her brows still furrowed in displeasure, Famika left the cell with her guards, who slammed the door shut behind them, and after a click of the lock, there was nothing but dead silence. Heaving a sigh of relief, Vert turned her sight back to her friend.
"Blanc, are you okay?" She asked.
"Tch...That...bitch!" Blanc groaned as Vert grabbed her hand, and helped her to stand back up, before letting out a pained yelp at the bruise on her stomach. "When she comes back, I'm going to break her!"
"I understand how you feel, but right now, we're no match against her, without our power. We need to find a way out and rescue our friends."
"Fine." Blanc grumbled. "But how the hell are we supposed to get out of here? There's no way out of this cell!"
"I suppose so..." Vert lowered her head. "Obviously we can't break ourselves out. At least not without alerting every single guard on this floor..."
The girls were leaning against the stone walls, and the soul-crushing boredom was already beginning to set in. The spearman outside had stopped talking to them, only occasionally striking the iron bars with his weapon when they were getting too loud.
Compa was huddling up to IF, while Sir-Tech and Origin were sitting in another corner. The wizard seemed pretty unfazed by the situation, while her knight companion was frantically muttering under her breath.
"What would Lady Famika think of me, now? How can I be an avatar of Virtue when I've broken her trust, because of a crime that I haven't committed?!"
"Calm down, and take a deep breath." Sir-Tech said. "Panicking doesn't help."
"Upholding my virtues is of the utmost importance, y-you capricious wizard!" She retorted. "A true knight will never sacrifice their honor, even in the face of great danger!"
"No wonder you are such a noble idiot. In fact, you never think for yourself." Sir-Tech rolled her eyes at the knight.
"How dare you..." Origin gritted her teeth. "Don't act so high and mighty, now you've lost your sorcery. At least I can still fight with my fists!"
"Shh." The wizard hushed her.
"Don't you dare hush me, you blasphemous-!"
"Just listen." The wizard raised her voice, enough for the entire room to hear her statement.
Everyone fell silent. They did as she said, and heard a voice coming from the outside corridor. IF and Compa moved closer to the gate, and peeked through the gaps between the iron bars. The spearman's back was facing them, and he seemed to be talking to someone, though they could only hear a meek, child-like voice in the darkness.
"S-Sir?" The speaker stuttered. "My big sister wants you to come to the castle gate..."
"Order received, Your Majesty." The spearman nodded. "I'll be there soon!"
He quickly jogged away, with his spear in hand, and disappeared into the darkness. Quick, light footsteps could be heard, before a small figure approached their cell, and put his hands on the bars.
"U-Uh, hi..."
"Yokoi?!" The girls exclaimed.
"His Imperial Majesty!" Origin quickly knelt down before the cell gate. "T-Thou hast not come to revoke my knighthood for my perceived offense against the nation, right? Right?!"
"Uh..."
"Knock it off, Origin." IF groaned. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"
"W-Well, I came to..." He stammered, trying very hard to explain, before he just gave up and fished something out of his pocket.
"You have the key?!" Compa gasped.
"Yeah." He gave her a small nod. "I stole it from my big sis', after they dragged you into the cell..."
"Have you come to free us, then?" Sir-Tech asked. "Would your big sister be fine with it?"
"Yeah..." IF was still staring at him in suspicion. "Why would you want to free us from her?"
"It's b-because..." Yokoi averted his gaze. "I-I don't want her to hurt you..."
"But why would thee trust us, Your Majesty?" Origin stood back up. "Thou hast been hiding from us, since our meeting at the garden."
"It's because I'm not really used to dealing with strangers..." He frowned. "B-But when I think about it, you actually want to be my friend..."
"We honestly do, Yokoi!" Compa smiled. "If what Lady Famika said about you is true, then we can definitely brighten up your day!
"Yeah." IF nodded. "We can always be your friend if you like."
"And thou shalt, indeed!" Origin proudly proclaimed.
"We can be friends, if you let us out, and help us save Blanc and Vert." Sir-Tech added. "But would you be willing to do it?"
The boy was clearly not expecting such an enthusiastic response. He was blushing, fidgeting with his sleeves. After a while, he looked up, with a small, determined smile on his face.
"Mhm, yeah!"
Sliding the key into the lock, he pushed open the door, freeing the girls from the narrow cell. As they left, they nodded to the CPU Candidate in gratitude, and Compa gave him a small pat on the head.
"Thanks for saving us!" The nurse smiled.
"Do you know where Blanc and Vert are?" IF asked.
"Yeah." The boy nodded. "Just follow me!"
Blanc and Vert were still sitting in their prison, struggling to think of a way to escape. Finally, the blonde Goddess sighed in exhaustion, and turned to her friend.
"Does it still hurt?"
"Well, duh." Blanc rolled her eyes. "Though it's getting a little better."
"That's great..." Vert said. "It was fortunate that they interrupted her just in time, but your bruise..."
"Forget about it." Blanc mumbled. "It's better than getting myself killed. I'm so going to give her a bruise, too, when we beat her up."
"My, you sure hold a grudge, don't you?" Vert chuckled.
Their conversation was interrupted by a loud shout from outside, as an elderly samurai rushed into the corridor, and gestured to the guards around the cell.
"Move to the castle gate, at once! This is an order!"
They quickly grabbed their katanas and equipment, before leaving in a hurry. As the last few samurais streamed out of the corridor, dead silence once again enveloped the dungeon, and the two CPUs were quite puzzled by this unexpected development.
One single samurai remained in the corridor, however, and slowly approached their cell. Their eyes lit up at the familiar wrinkled face.
"It's our tour guide!" Blanc pointed at the elderly samurai.
"Oh dear. Why are you here?" Vert gave him a concerned look.
"I'm carrying out an order." The elderly man replied, and held up a chain of keys.
"You are ordered to release us? Why would she do that?" Blanc frowned.
"It is not Lady Famika's order," the old man stepped aside, revealing a small figure behind him, "but Sir Yokoi's order."
"U-Uh...Hi..." He gave them a small wave.
Four more people emerged from behind Yokoi. IF and Compa, now reunited with the Goddesses, pulled them into a group hug, while the other two merely stood by. Compa, however, embraced Blanc a little too tightly, and saw her wincing.
"Huh? Are you hurt?"
"Ack-! Don't just touch it!" Blanc yelped in pain, as Compa put her hand on the bruise.
"I-I'm very sorry! Lady Blanc!"
Blanc leaned against the wall, while Compa lifted up her clothes and started carefully tending to her injury. It still stung, though not as badly as before.
"How did you get that bruise, Lady Blanc?" IF asked.
"It's that bitch..." She growled. "She was about to kill us, until she got distracted and left!"
"I'm really sorry for what my big sis' did to you..."
"My, you shouldn't be sorry about that. I'm sure it's not your fault." Vert assured Yokoi, though Blanc still had a scowl on her face, as she turned away from the boy.
"W-Well...Okay then..."
"Anyway, why are you saving us?" Blanc looked back at him. "Wouldn't you be in trouble, when your big sister found out?"
"She always hated the other CPUs..." He frowned. "My big sis' told me that they were bad and evil and they would hurt Lowee. But then, I overheard their talk about what happened back in the village, and I don't know if big sis' was right..."
"You know what happened?"
"Y-Yeah." He nodded. "Even though you're CPUs, you're so friendly, and willing to help those people..."
"Absolutely, sir." The elderly samurai agreed. "As much as I have faith in milady, I still have problems with her methods, when it comes to this..."
"So you're a rebelling knight, then?" Sir-Tech asked.
"I wouldn't call myself a rebel. Too old for that." He chuckled. "I just disagree with her on some specific issues, that's all."
"And thou hast sacrificed thy honor for that?!" Origin gasped. "I-Isn't it an act of blasphemy, to betray thy Goddess over trivial disagreements?"
The knight's response earned her a pinch on the cheek from her wizard friend, who seemed like she had finally had enough of her demeanor. Origin struggled to smack her hand away, while grimacing at the tight pinch.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Origin cried in pain. "L-Let go!"
"Consider this a tribune to your nobility." Sir-Tech's eyes narrowed in annoyance, as she squeezed her cheek even harder. "Can't even be normal in this state?"
"Being a true knight is norm-Ow!" Origin yelped, again.
"Guys, enough with that." IF stepped forth, and interrupted their shenanigans. "We must find a way out of this dungeon."
"Yeah, let's get the hell out of here, before she comes back." Blanc said. "She nearly got us killed!"
"There is a secret passage out of the dungeon." The elder informed them, as he walked towards a brick wall. "It has not been used for a long time, but it should be enough to escape the patrols above ground."
Moving his hands across the wall, he finally stopped on a single brick, and pressed down on it. One by one, the bricks floated away, revealing a dark, hollow passage, and the girls were quite surprised by this magic-powered mechanism.
"Use this." The elderly man tossed a torch to IF. "I forget the exact location of the exit, but I'm sure if you keep walking, you'll emerge at a safe place. Bring Yokoi with you, and I'll hold them off as long as I can."
"Got it." The girls nodded in understanding, and quickly moved into the passage.
"It's so dark in here..." Yokoi murmured.
"Don't worry, little Yokoi~!" Vert smiled and pulled him into a tight embrace. "Your big sister would be there for you~!"
"Y-You are not my big sis'!" He retorted.
"I'll be going. Need to talk with the rest of the guards." The elderly man turned away from them. "Good luck out there."
After one last gesture of farewell, they went on their separate ways, as the elderly samurai headed towards the other end of the corridor, and the secret passage sealed itself behind him.
Famika was preparing to depart from the castle, and her maids were standing around her, saying farewell to their lady, until they were interrupted by loud footsteps and shouts from behind. Turning back, she saw a spearman approaching her, who proceeded to kneel before her.
"Huh?" She frowned. "Why are you here?"
"W-What do you mean?" He asked.
A squadron of samurai soon followed, moving towards the gate in a neat formation before they, too, knelt down in respect to their Goddess.
"We are yours to command, Lady Famika!" The leader of the squadron exclaimed.
"What's going on? I never issue an order from my troops to gather?" She looked even more bewildered.
Her soldiers, too, seemed unsure of what was going on, and Famika was about to ask them about the exact details when the elderly samurai dashed out of the castle, and called out to her.
"Lady Famika!" He shouted. "Your prisoners have escaped from their cell, together with the two CPUs!"
"W-What?!" Famika gasped, before she quickly regained her composure, and turned to her soldiers. "Guards! Whatever you do, don't let them escape from the dungeon. Head to the major ports and roads, if they aren't in there. We can't let them get out of Lowee!"
Following her order, the guards and maids quickly ran back into the castle. Famika was left standing in the courtyard, sighing, accompanied only by the spearman and the elderly samurai.
"How could I fail so miserably at such a simple task...?"
"I thought you called for me, milady..." The spearman scratched his head.
"And who told you that?"
"Your CPU Candidate, Yokoi."
"Yokoi...?" Famika froze at the mention, before the clues started coming together, and a grave realization dawned on her.
"Oh, little brother..."
- ?
Neptune and Noire continued to soar their way through the sky, until they were high enough to touch the clouds. Below them was a lush greenery, stretching out for miles—the sight of this unusual world from above would never stop being fascinating.
They could see a towering city in the distance, which reminded them that it was landing time—wouldn't want a repeat of that fiasco in Planeptune. Noire reverted back to her human form, as they landed in the forest below, looking quite relieved to end her long flight.
They continued to walk towards the unfamiliar city. The wild vegetation faded into cleanly-trimmed lawns as they emerged out of the woods, and saw the city in its full glory. Every building was painted in black and white, much like the cities of Lastation, though their rigid, blocky shapes were still odd to their eyes.
While the pair was wandering through the streets, they could see several machineries humming around the blocks. Certainly a tech-savvy city, though the technology was as outdated as a vintage machine.
"This place looks really weird!" Neptune commented. "It's like an off-color copy of Lastation!"
"I'd say this city is a little…industrial, but not advanced." Noire replied. "It looks recently industrialized."
The pair continued to wander, without a clear destination in their mind. Most pedestrians were wearing some kind of formal attire, judging by their fancy suits and briefcases. Was the entire nation this business-oriented? Maybe it was only the city itself that was wealthy.
"This city is so...on the nose, with their technology and businesses. Not even my nation would be this weird." Noire said.
They soon found themselves in the midst of a huge crowd, gathered at a crossroad. People were holding recorders, and flashes of camera light occasionally pierced through the crowd. With all the chatters going on, it must be some kind of celebrity interview.
"What's going on over there?" Noire asked. "Is there a talk show?"
"For a talk show, they sure get a lot of cameras, just snapping back and forth!" Neptune perked up in amazement. "C'mon Noire! Let's go take a closer look!"
"N-Nep! There are too many people! We can't just squeeze our way through!"
"Boohoo~" She teased. "No wonder you can't make friends~! Are you afraid of the crowd?"
"Ugh! Fine!" Noire facepalmed, before following Neptune into the crowd.
She was still holding onto the Hypercube. The pair tried their best to keep it hidden from the public sight, making sure no one would see the most powerful artifact in Gamindustri in the hands of some random teenage girls.
Rocking back and forth through the crowd, they could barely see what was going on from the other side, but the speeches were broadcasted from the central stage at a deafening volume.
"Lady Sylvania!" An interviewer called out. "What do you think of the tension between Tari and Magnabox?"
"Milady!" Another speaker cut in. "Do you think that Intellastion could become the victor of the current Console War?"
"Calm down, everyone! One at a time!" A teenage girl wiped the sweat away from her forehead, and before long, many cameras were snapping at her.
"For the first question, Tari and Magnabox have been rivals for a...very long time, and it is not my place to comment on their ancient grudges. For the second question, the current Console War has indeed become a lot more heated. Though fewer CPUs exist nowadays, the tension has gotten worse that anyone could have anticipated, and every conflict is pouring oil on a blazing fire. I do not think my power would be enough to challenge Tari and Magnabox, but hear my words! I am confident that Intellastion is strong enough to protect itself from its rivals, under my reign."
Another swarm of interviewers soon gathered around the center stage, and the girls continued to answer their question one by one. Meanwhile, the pair were watching the ongoing interview with a confused expression, unable to recognize the girl on the stage.
"Who is that girl?" Neptune wondered. "She doesn't look like a typical celebrity."
"The better question is, why are they interviewing her about the whole 'Console War' thing?" Noire raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think that's weird? Unless she's a..."
"A CPU?" Neptune answered. "Yeah...that would actually make a lot of sense."
"We need to get out of here, now." Noire whispered to her, clutching onto the Hypercube. "If she figured out we're holding a powerful weapon..."
Slowly backing away from the girl, the pair started tiptoeing their way back onto the surrounding streets. Just when they had sneaked to the edge of the crowd, the Hypercube suddenly made a weird echoing sound, which attracted a few curious glances from the crowd. Most just gave them a puzzled look before turning their attention back to the stage, but the girl herself...
"That sound..." The girl frowned. "I know that sound...!"
"W-We have to get out of here, quick!" Noire almost leaped up in fright as she grabbed Neptune's arm, and sprinted away from the crowd.
The pair finally stopped in a dark alleyway. After one last glance around the street, to make sure they were not being followed, both of them heaved a sigh of relief.
"Phew!" Neptune sat down on the ground, completely exhausted. "That's a close call.."
"Easy for you to say that! We almost showed this cube to her!" Noire complained, shaking the Hypercube in front of a certain protagonist.
"Eheheh..." Neptune let out a nervous chuckle. "At least we now know that she's a CPU. Isn't that right, little cubey?"
The Hypercube chimed in agreement.
"See?"
"Ugh! Whatever!" Noire groaned. "Come on! We have to get out of here before she chases us down! Jeez, really? Intellastion? Even the name is a weird knockoff of my nation!"
Coming out of the shadows, the pair returned to the street. Noire was still muttering under her breath about the uncanny resemblance between this nation and her own, as they continued their journey. They did not notice a figure trailing behind them, shrouded in a cloak.
"Found you two..." The figure let out a low whisper.
The pair ended up stumbling into a small cafe nearby. Its interior was neat, clean and nicely decorated. As they made their way across the store, their heels tapping on the black and white checkered-patterned tiles, a woman in maid dress greeted them.
"Hello." The waitress smiled. "Would you like a table for two?"
"Uh, sure." Noire nodded.
The waitress gestured for them to follow her. They stopped in front of a nicely decorated table, located right beside a glass wall, and the pair sank into the cozy seats—what a great place to relax around for a bit.
"What would you like to order?" The woman asked, and placed two menus in front of them.
"Awww, really? No puddings?" Neptune whined, as she flipped through the menu.
"Doesn't look that bad though." Noire said. "I'll have a small cake."
"Which flavor? We have chocolate, vanilla, cinamon, and our newest specialty, eggplant."
"E-Eggplant?!" Neptune made a funny grimace. "Yuck! Why would there be an eggplant cake?!"
"I see..." Noire smirked. "I'll have the vanilla one. And she'll have the eggplant cake."
"Yes, ma'am." The waitress nodded, as she jotted down the order on a clipboard.
"Nepu-?! You can't do that!" Neptune protested. "Oh wait! You don't even have credits!"
"Actually..." Noire dangled a hundred credit bill in front of her, with a victorious smile on her face. "Before we left, Tecmo gave me a hefty amount of credits, just in case."
"N-No way! Why didn't she give some to me, too?!"
"Do you want anything else?" The waitress asked.
"Noooo! And scrap that eggplant cake!" Neptune begged. "I don't wanna eat that!"
"Jeez, fine. I'm just messing with you." Noire facepalmed. "Please give her the chocolate cake instead."
"Sure, ma'am."
The waitress gave them a small bow, before taking her leave. While they were waiting, they started glancing into the streets, through the glass wall, wondering if something interesting would pass by.
Eventually, the stream of pedestrians became a boring blur of color. Noire was struggling to hold back a yawn, and right at that moment, the Hypercube started rattling on her lap.
"W-Wah?! Hey! Would you keep it down?!" Noire whispered to the cube, in a hushed voice. "You might get us in trouble!"
"I think little cubey is getting tired of you." Neptune said. "Maybe we should switch?"
Noire nodded as she passed the Hypercube to Neptune, under the table. It was shaking even more frantically in Neptune's hands, however. In the panicked bickering that ensued, they did not notice a cloaked figure entering the store, and sitting down right behind Neptune.
"Can you please tell it to shut up?!"
"U-Uh, I don't know!" Neptune shrugged. "I think there's something wrong with little cubey..."
Now the cube was chiming like a broken alarm clock. Neptune was struggling to smother the sounds with the tablecloth, but even so, the noise was starting to attract curious glances from other customers.
"Are there any more, ma'am?" The waitress asked, after she had finished taking orders from the cloaked figure.
"That'll be all."
Right after the waitress left, the cloaked figure stood up, and reached her hand into her sleeves. Then, she leaned down, and slid something below Neptune's seat. The Hypercube made a loud, angry beep, and right at that moment, Neptune caught sight of a curious object on the floor.
"What the?" Neptune frowned. "Is that a card?"
"Wait...No! Back off!"
A sudden burst of light erupted from underneath the table, shaking the entire cafe with the impact of the explosion. People were fleeing out of the cafe, bumping into each other in the thick smoke. Neptune and Noire, knocked back into a wall by the shockwave, were coughing their lungs out as they struggled to stand back up.
"N-Nep!" Noire yelled. "Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine!" Neptune assured her, as she grabbed her hand. "Not gonna get knocked out this time!"
"That's great—Wait, where's the Hypercube?!"
They started desperately digging through the rubbles, looking for signs of the brown cube, and finally, they saw it, lying only a few steps away from a shadowy figure.
"Hey! Who are you!" Noire retorted.
"The same opponent you faced before." The mysterious figure chuckled, as she tossed her cloak aside.
"Nakayama?!" The pair gasped.
"Of course." She nodded. "After what happened back in Planeptune, well, let's just say that your possession has caught my interest."
Slowly and deliberately, she walked towards the Hypercube. Neptune and Noire quickly ran toward the cube, before Nakayama threw a deck of cards towards them, causing them to bump right into an invisible magical barrier.
"Ow! W-Wha?!" Neptune put a hand to her forehead, wincing.
"Not this time." Nakayama smiled. "You have no idea how much this Hypercube means to mortals. And for us CPUs, it is invaluable."
"Hey! Don't take the Hypercube away!" Noire retorted.
"Oh? Why not?" She narrowed her eyes, and the magical barrier shrunk around the pair, squeezing them together in a very uncomfortable position.
"Do you have any idea how important this Hypercube is? Once you have it in your hands, you will be invincible, thanks to its unbelievable power! This little cube is the reason why no CPUs can ever stand a chance, going against Odyssee. I don't know how she let it slip into your hands, but maybe it's time for someone to defeat Magnabox and claim the whole Gamindustri? Yes, claim it, once and for all..."
The Hypercube was trembling, letting out one shaky chime after another, as it floated away from Nakayama. She did not stop her advance, and moved closer and closer towards the weapon, until it was forced into a corner.
She was about to put her hand on the cube when a blast tore through the nearby wall. Her magical barrier was up in an instant, shielding her from the explosion, but the impact still threw the Hypercube away from her, and sent it tumbling through the rubbles.
Amidst the smoke and debrises, a teenage girl revealed herself. The pair caught a glimpse of the crest on her armband—it was the same symbol on Intellastion's flags and banners.
"Sylvania..." Nakayama glared at her opponent.
"I never thought you would step so low as to attack my civilians, Nakayama. Shame on you!"
"None of your business!" Nakayama retorted, as she flung her cards toward her.
A fight between the CPUs of Planeptune and Intellastion had begun.
- Forest, Lowee
An old, abandoned structure, completely made of bricks, had been standing in the middle of this thick, snowy forest for a long time. Yet, on this day, the giant valve on its rusted door suddenly started spinning and creaking, before the door swung open. Several figures emerged from the dark passage, with a look of relief on their face.
"Phew!" IF smiled. "I'm glad that we've made it out."
"Yeah." Compa nodded, "That passage is like a maze!"
"C-Can you let go of me now?"
"Sure." Vert chuckled, as she released Yokoi from her tight embrace.
Once again, the group found themselves in the middle of nowhere, only that this time, they had a new party member with them. The dense snow in the woods covered up the ground like a giant carpet—Sir-Tech and Origin were leading the way, and Blanc barely managed to hold back a curse as she almost slipped on the icy ground.
"We're back at square one, aren't we...?" She groaned.
"Oh come on, Blanc. It isn't nearly as bad..." Vert gave her an amused look. "This time we are with Iffy, Compa, and three new friends."
"Indeed!" Origin gave them a thumbs-up. "Thy adventure shalt be even more glorious and fascinating, with the aid of thy noble companions!"
"I'm not going to act like being stranded in the wilderness is a normal thing. Also, that knight girl? She's not helping." Blanc facepalmed, hard.
"Oh, she's always been this way." Sir-Tech chimed in.
"How could thee treat a noble knight like a clown?!"
"Guys, knock it off..." IF sighed. "Our priority is to find a way out of Lowee. Any suggestions?"
"Obviously not their docks." Sir-Tech scoffed. "Now that they know of our escape, I'm sure Lady Famika would have increased the patrol around the major roads and ports."
"W-Wait..." Origin stuttered. "If we are on Lowee's wanted list, doesn't that mean we are…criminals?!"
"Uh, obviously?" The whole group had a deadpan expression on their face.
"This is why I don't like your nobility nonsense..." Sir-Tech mumbled, and pinched her companion on the cheeks once again, interrupting her ramble before it could begin.
"Ow, ow, ow! S-Stop it! You treacherous wizard!"
Compa finally interfered and stopped their little scuffle, and the group started wandering through the snowy forest again, unsure about which way they should go—the lush wilderness seemed to stretch out endlessly towards the horizon.
"Are we lost?" Yokoi asked.
"Uhh, of course not! We're just… taking a tour around this serene forest! Enjoying the scenery!" Vert let out a nervous chuckle.
"Yeah sure, I found this forest very interesting..." Blanc's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"This shall be the prologue to a great adventure!" Origin smiled. "Perhaps we would soon encounter some formidable foes, or wretched monsters—a great chance to hone my swordsmanship!"
"Battle is not a game, Origin." Sir-Tech sighed.
"The noble virtues of knighthood, forged through the fire of combat, is far from being child's play!" She retorted. "If adventuring is a childish endeavour, what is serious matter to thee, then?"
"Studying the fine workings of magic and spells. A much more meaningful use of one's time..."
"Sheesh, how do you girls manage to stay as friends?" IF mumbled.
"Don't worry, IF." The wizard assured her. "We can get along, when she's not acting like an overzealous adventurer."
"As if I would abandon my honor and pride for thy pleasure!" The knight huffed, and turned away from her companion.
"Now, now! How about we continue this discussion, after we're out of Lowee?" Compa cut in.
"She has a point." IF said. "For now, let's keep moving, before they find us again."
"Yes." Sir-Tech nodded. "I understand."
"Good! I truly need a break, from the nagging of that petty wizard..."
The group continued wading through the snow, and suddenly, a meek, uneasy voice broke the dead silence.
"I-I don't know if I should go any further..." Yokoi said. "I don't want to leave my big sis alone."
"Turn back, and she'll punish you for freeing us." Blanc sighed.
"B-But-!"
"You are the only person who could have done this, Yokoi," IF warned, "and I'm sure she knows it. She's going to be really angry at you, if you run back."
"M-My big sis' isn't that bad!" He shook his head. "She always takes care of me when I'm alone, and she's always there for me, when I'm feeling sad...even though she has done bad things to you, it-it just doesn't feel right, to leave my sister behind..."
Yokoi was sniffling now, trying his best to hold back a sob, as he hastily wiped the tears away from his face.
"P-Please..." He whimpered. "Don't drag me away from her."
"There, there..." Vert knelt down beside him, and started to gently caress his back. "I know you love your big sister. We are just worried that she might mistreat you, once you get back."
"No need to be woeful, Your Majesty!" Origin smiled. "Even though Lady Famika...probably sees us as a bunch of wretched criminals now, I assure you that nothing bad will happen to your sister!"
"A-Are you sure...?"
"Maybe." Sir-Tech shrugged.
"As long as she doesn't come for us, we won't try to hurt her." IF assured him. "Man, it's not like we can stand a chance against her, much less fighting back..."
"Oh, not hurting that bitch is going to be such a pain..." Blanc growled, "especially after she threw me against a wall, and laid her glaive on Vert!"
"Yeah, I know..." Vert sighed as she patted the little boy's head. "But we can't do anything to her. It's in Yokoi's best interest."
"Y-Yeah." Compa added. "Even if she's out there somewhere, hunting us down.."
"Then we better get out of here, before her army comes for us." Sir Tech said.
"I agree with my fellow companion!" Origin nodded. "Can't wait to see what danger lies in our path!"
"Yeah, sure..."
They continued exploring through the unfamiliar woods. Origin took the lead again, with a renewed enthusiasm, while her wizard companion was silently cringing underneath her hood. Meanwhile, Vert was still holding onto the little boy, and Blanc was struggling to keep up a straight face at the sight.
"U-Uh...Can you let me go?" Yokoi pleaded.
"My, my, you're just too adorable~!" She snuggled up to the boy.
"First, young girls. Now, young boy? I have a feeling that you're more than a lolicon..."
"That's not true!"
"Oh, sure. I'll let Nepgear know that you have a new sibling, once we find her."
Just as they were going to start another round of bickering, the two were hushed by IF.
"Shh! Be quiet!"
"Huh? What's wrong, Iffy?"
"I think I heard something…over there! Quick!"
IF hurried towards the direction where the noise seemed to be coming from, and her friends soon followed. Most of them were having some trouble treading through the thick snow, but the brunette was not slowing down at all.
"Woah, calm down, IF!" Origin said. "Thou hast more energy than a seasoned knight and adventurer!"
"Well, Iffy has joined many expeditions before." Compa commented.
Moving down the slippery slope at the edge of the woods, they found themselves on the shore of a frozen lake, devoid of all signs of life, except for the shadows of fishes underneath the thick ice sheet. The cold wind cut against their bare skins, causing them to shiver as they glanced around the open space.
"So, why did you lead us here?" Blanc turned to IF.
"I'm pretty sure I heard someone's voice, coming from this direction." IF scratched her head.
"Incoming!"
A loud voice shouted, and the next second, an explosion bursted out in the center of the lake, creating huge cracks on the ice sheets. Everyone ducked down and took cover, and Vert was shielding Yokoi beneath her body. As the smoke cleared away, the group emerged from their hiding spots—a shadowy figure could be seen in the distance, standing atop the fragmented ice.
"Ah! Now it should be weak enough!" A feminine voice rang through the air. "Enough for my trusty shovel to finish the job!"
"Hey! The hell have you just done?!" Blanc complained, "You might seriously hurt someone!"
"Huh? Oops! Sorry! I must have gotten carried away. This stupid ice sheet just won't break."
A teenage girl leaped off the ice, and landed on the shore, her hip-long maroon hair swaying in the wind. There were a lot of straps and belts on her outfit, with standard adventuring gears dangling off them. She was wearing a pair of long brown boots and fingerless gloves.
"You know, when you're so dedicated to a simple thing, it'll eventually make you blind to everything else, like an absolute madman—and that's why I didn't see you people back there, busy catching fish and all!" She finished the long sentence in one shot.
"I-I see." IF gave her a blank stare.
"And-Oh! Isn't that the little prince, hiding back there?" She waved at the young boy. "Hello there, Prince Yokoi! How are you?"
Her enthusiasm seemed to spook the little boy, who quickly took cover behind Vert. Scratching her head in confusion, she finally shrugged and decided to let go of the matter.
"I never expected the young prince to be this socially awkward. But oh man! You're pretty lucky that he seems to take a liking to you! Gotta admit, the shy little prince has some oddly cute charm to him—"
"Can you please stop talking for just one second...?" Sir-Tech interrupted her rambling. "You're reminding me of Origin."
"Hey! As a noble knight, I am no chatterbox! Don't compare me to her!"
"So, uh, who are you?" Compa asked.
"Great question!" She gave them thumbs up. "Name's Namco, loves to wander around and take in some new ideas from folks, like, really. Been travelling in Lowee for quite awhile now, I guess? Time sure is ticking fast. So anyway, I'm an adventuring type of person, like a Libble Rabble with my trusty mappy in hand, eh, you know, the usual adventurer stuff?"
"Ah, a fellow adventurer." Origin smiled. "Never met a native adventurer before."
"Oh, hush! You're flattering me! Man, this whole Console War thing is such a bother to my adventure, no matter where I go! They thought I was some kind of spy trying to fly under their radar, just to get them puffed by whatever pump they claimed that I have...You know it's absolutely bull, right?"
"Yeah, sure..." Blanc facepalmed.
"So," IF asked, "are there any towns or villages nearby?"
"Yep." Namco replied, as she brought her shovel down on a large chunk of ice. "Just head north, and you'll see the road up ahead. Then, keep going west, and you'll end up at the docks. Turn east and the road will lead you to the villages, though I don't recommend heading there without permission."
"Yeah.. about that.." Vert looked away from her.
"They aren't going to welcome us with open arms." Blanc added.
"Huh? Why's that so?"
Namco tilted her head, with a puzzled expression on her face, and for a second, there was only the sound of wind blowing through the woods. Then, a realization seemed to dawn on her, and she gasped in shock.
"W-Wait..." She pointed a finger at Yokoi, "Have you kidnapped the little prince?!"
"H-Huh?!" IF shook her head. "No! It is a misunderstanding-!"
"Get away from him, you pathetic shotacons!" Namco whipped a pump-like weapon out of nowhere, and aimed it straight at them. "Release the CPU Candidate, or else! I'm not afraid to fight all six of you with my trusty weapon!"
"Hey! Who are you calling a pathetic shotacon?!" Origin complained.
"You, of course!"
"I'm a noble knight, and I'm no pathetic shotacon! Thou art...the shotacon! Foul slanderer!"
A round of bickering ensued, and the rest of the group just watched on with a deadpan expression, as the two threw more overdramatic accusations at each other. Yokoi seemed especially confused.
"Would you two stop already?" Blanc finally intervened, annoyed by their antics. "We haven't kidnapped the CPU Candidate. He comes with us willingly."
"Then why is that blonde girl trying to smother him with her chest?" Namco pointed at Vert.
"Oh, her. Well, she's pretty much a pathetic shotacon." Blanc averted her gaze.
"Blanc! You know that's not true!" The blonde Goddess complained.
"Then why won't you let go of him? He's been begging you since you got your hands on him..."
"Oh, that's not true." She pouted, before turning to Yokoi. "You like your big sister's hug, right?"
"P-Please..." He whimpered.
"See, I told you!"
"Ugh! Let me go! Just let me go!" Yokoi huffed, before he finally wriggled his way out of Vert's embrace, though he was soon dragged back and subjected to another round of fawning.
"Jeez, she's really getting carried away..." Blanc sighed. "Well, long story short, we did take him away from his big sister, but I'm sure we're protecting him from her."
"Huh? Protecting Yokoi from Lady Famika? What are you talking about...?"
"It's...complicated."
"Sir Yokoi?" Namco asked, as she approached the CPU Candidate. "Is this all true?"
"U-Uhh…" He stuttered. "...Y-Yes."
"Oh..." Namco was clearly not expecting such a response. She scratched at her head, with a concerned look on her face.
"I'm not really sure what's going on here. But man, guess life at home isn't all fine and dandy for our little prince..."
"Y-Yeah.." Yokoi nodded.
"That's why we're keeping him away from her." IF said. "The authorities would probably start looking for him soon."
"Okay then. First thing first, the docks over there are packed with checkpoints and guards. Been there already—took me an hour to get through the line."
"So, definitely not the place to go." Sir-Tech sighed. "We can't leave Lowee if the security is this tight, at every junction."
"Leaving Lowee?" Namco frowned at the mention. "So, let me get this straight. All of you here are on their wanted list, right?"
"Unfortunately, yes." Vert nodded.
"Hmm..." She pondered. "Well, I think me and my pals might be able to help you out."
"Really?" Compa's eyes lit up.
"Yep. Me and my pals, we make a living by distributing our fancy toy products through the entire Gamindustri. You can easily bypass the authorities in our exports."
"So you're going to ship us like animals?" Blanc glared at her.
"Of course not!" Namco shook her head, "A disguise as one of our fellow workers should work just fine! But they would recognize Yokoi, even in disguise, so keep that in mind, alright?"
"No problem." Origin smiled. "A simple disguise shouldn't hurt."
"Yeah…but some guards would still be looking around the crates, just to make sure we are following the proper regulations."
"So there's still a problem?" Vert asked.
"Somewhat. Kinda. But it's not as bad as going through their secured checkpoints."
"Fair enough. I suppose that should be our next destination?"
"We don't have any other options left. So, yes." IF nodded. "Which way is it, Namco?"
"Ah! Just follow me!" Namco responded with a huge grin. "But first, let me reel in all the fishes in this little hole!"
"We don't have time for this..." Blanc groaned.
"What? I've given you a way out of Lowee. At least have some patience."
"Fine!" She snarked, and looked away.
Tugging a small chunk of bait onto the hook, Namco casted the line into the hole on the ice sheet. Before long, fishes were biting the hook, and getting thrown into a nearby basket. The group were pacing back and forth as they watched the fishing frenzy, unsure of how long this would drag on, until she finally rolled up her fishing lines with a huff.
"Phew, I'm done here! let's go." She gestured. "These fishes aren't going to stay fresh for long."
The basket was packed to the brim with fishes, yet Namco did not seem affected by the weight at all, as she jumped off the ice, and started leading them away from the lake. Finally, they could focus back on their escape.
- Balarch
After climbing up a long ladder, Nepgear and friends found themselves on one of the many rooftops in this massive city, surrounded by towering buildings. The twins instinctively backed away from the edge, after a single downward glance—this building was tall. Maybe too tall.
"You sure have a huge base of operation." Uni exclaimed, as she glanced at the city skyline. "But for a rebel group, are you sure a base like this is...safe?"
"Can't say that for sure. But it's the only building big enough for all of our ships." Estella shrugged.
"Balarch's patrols don't roam around this place that much, so we're safe for now." Astro assured them. "I'm sure it wouldn't be much of a problem."
"There's a lot going around here.." Nepgear mumbled, before she turned back to Estella. "Do you know a way back to Planeptune?"
"Planeptune, huh?" Estella said. "It's about two nations away. Would be a pretty long trip, if you are walking or driving. but a flight should be enough."
"No, it's fine." Nepgear shook her head "Like I said, you've already done more than enough for us."
"I see. You're a pretty kind and humble person." The major smiled.
"You think the A-Squad might stir up troubles around here?" Astro asked her senior.
"I don't know. They've been off our radar for quite a while. "
"I think they had made a hassle again, back in Tari." Zappa informed them.
"Which one of them?"
"Duchess, and some new recruits."
"Recruits?" Estella frowned. "How odd. Why would they suddenly hire someone? They should be skilled enough for anything, on their own..."
"No idea." Zappa shrugged. "Heard that on the police radio. To be more specific, there are two new recruits—a teenage girl, and a rat."
"That sounds so familiar." Uni mumbled.
"When did it happen?" Galaxa joined the talk.
"Just several hours ago, right after you left Tari."
"Sheesh..." Galaxa sighed. "I don't want to go back to Tari again...My jet's fuel always gets drained to a tiny sliver on the return trip. The nation's just too far away."
"Well, your ship is a fast one. No wonder it burns through the storage so quickly, hehe." Estelle chuckled.
"So.." Nepgear sweat dropped, "Do you think they'll still be looking for us?"
"Of course." Uni sighed. "That little CPU is really mad at us. She won't just let go of the matter."
"If you're trying to leave the city, you'll need to use the alleyways." Astro told them. "Most of the time, the patrols only cover the main streets. Pretty dangerous to be out there, on one of these roads."
"Here, take this." Galaxa passed a radio to Nepgear, "If there's a patrol nearby, we can see it with our old satellite—used to be Tari's military asset, and warn you girls in time."
"O-Oh! Thank you!" Nepgear responded with a shy smile. "W-We are kinda new around here, though, so we don't really know which way to go..."
"I'll give you directions while you're out there."
"And if things go off the rails, you can always use this!" Astro also handed over something to Uni.
"What's this?" Uni stared at the strange firearm.
"It's a pulse-blaster pistol." Astro answered. "A handheld version of my jet's turret. I don't really use it that much, and just leave it inside my jet. Maybe it could be useful for you in the end."
"Oh, that's great!" Uni smiled. "Thanks. I could use a good sidearm, now that I've lost my guns."
The girls sat down on the rooftop, casually chatting with their newfound allies, while the twins had started a game of tag, and were running around them in circles. Suddenly, Estella caught a glance of something on her HUD, and stood back up.
"Girls, Balarch's patrol is coming. By air." Estella warned. "We better get back inside."
"I thought they don't usually search around this block?" Uni frowned.
"Same." Estella nodded. "Must be a city-wide heavy patrol. Let's go."
"Rom and Ram!" Nepgear called out to the twins. "We need to go back inside!"
"Yes, Nepgear!" They quickly ran back to the group, and together, the girls hurried down the ladder.
Nepgear and her friends reached the bottom, and went back into their hideout first, followed by the Rangers. Estella, as the last person to climb down, shut the metallic trap door before beginning her descent, sealing them from the surface. The whirling of helicopter blades could be heard, coming from above, hovering back and forth.
"Astro, I thought the patrol never comes to this block?" Estella turned to her teammate. "What's going on here?"
"U-Uh, I don't know! Let me check my monitor." She stuttered.
Astro sprinted through the hallway, and stopped in front of her computer, which was sitting beside the ships. The screen came to life with a buzz as she typed on her keyboard, and started scanning the surrounding area.
"Woah! That's a lot of choppers, just zooming around this block!" Astro gasped at the cluster of red dots on the screen. "And look at the other city sectors. Hardly a single person out there, on the streets."
"That's odd..." Galaxa mumbled. "Why would they gather all of their patrols in a single block?"
"Yeah." Zappa agreed.
"Unless..." Nepgear took a deep breath, "they're not simply patrolling around, but trying to track us down..."
"But that's impossible! This base is completely sealed off. How did they even find us?" Astro said.
"We can't confirm if they're just patrolling, or trying to track something to its exact location." Estella turned to the group. "Until the situation is clear, let's not-"
A sudden explosion from above interrupted her command. Debrises rained down from the ceiling, and the girls immediately ducked down for cover.
"Watch out!"
"A-Ah!" The twins screamed, as Nepgear pulled them into her arms.
"Stay with me, girls!" Nepgear told them, before turning to the nearest Ranger. "What's going on?!"
"The base got hit!" Galaxa shouted to Estella. "Attacker remains unidentified!"
The girls slowly stood up and came out of their cover as the dust settled down, their eyes still watering from the smoke. The screeching sound of spinning gears could be heard through the thick fog. Uni drew her new pistol, and aimed it at the hazy greyness beyond. Something was watching them, and soon, it emerged from the wreckage.
"There you are!" C-Grass laughed, standing above her robot companion. "Think you can hide from me?!"
"Not her again..." Nepgear and her friends stammered, and held onto each other.
"Now, after the mess you made at the market, the severity of your crime has risen through the roof! People were panicking like headless chickens, thanks to you idiots!"
"Aren't you the one who technically caused the most damage?" Estella replied in her most dry, tired voice.
"S-Shut up, you stupid cosplayer!" The small CPU retorted, and started stomping on her mecha again. "What do you think I'm gonna do, when they ran away from a CPU like me?! Sit down and have a chit-chat?!"
Barely managing to hold back her anger, she finally took a deep breath, and stopped her little tantrum.
"Ugh!" She growled. "This time, I've fit Abby with a better gun, and it won't be loading as slowly as a stupid sloth!"
"H-How can we run from her now...?" Rom whispered to Nepgear, with a look of sheer terror in her eyes.
"I-I don't know." Nepgear lowered her head.
"As for you!" C-Grass pointed a finger at Uni. "Don't even try to ditch me this time! I built those turrets to make sure you can't react fast enough!"
"Yeah, sure..." Uni gritted her teeth, and tightened her grip on the pistol.
"Now, surrender, or Abby will reduce you to a smear on the floor!" She demanded.
The floor trembled beneath her mecha as it winded up its gatling guns, and the girls dropped to the ground, trying to make themselves into less visible targets. However, Astro, who was taking cover behind the monitor, seemed to have something else in mind.
"Pssh! Hey guys!" She whispered to the girls. "I think there's a way out of this!"
"Huh? How?" They muttered.
"Her big toy over there? It's right in front of my ship." She pointed to the mecha, while typing on her small HUD with her other hand. "Now, if I do this..."
With a single command, her jet's turret came to life, aiming its barrel at the large mecha and firing a string of cyan laser towards it. The huge robot was blasted onto the opposite wall—it slided down onto the floor, still and motionless. C-Grass, who was thrown off her mecha by the impact, quickly dashed towards it in a panic.
"A-Abby!" She yelled. "A-Are you alright?!"
"Now's our chance!"
The girls stood back up, and made a run for their ships. C-Grass did not even react to their escape in her distress, as she knelt besides her mecha, and started examining the damage, worried about her mecha.
Author's Notes:
Would be taking a break from doing weekly chapters. With something going around on the outside, I'll be sure to keep pursuing on this fanfiction as much as possible.
u/Ryin_silverfish — Proofreading & Adjustment with the wordings.