A blizzard was starting to brew, as the group traversed through the deep snow, led by Namco. Fortunately, they soon saw a warehouse in the middle of the forest, through the endless waves of snowflakes that were raining down on them.

"C'mon, fellas!" Namco turned back, and called out to them. "Let's get inside already."

She moved towards the shutter gate of the warehouse, and lifted them up effortlessly, exposing the darkness beyond. Then, she gestured for them to come over.

"This place looks kinda abandoned, isn't it?" IF eyed the opening, with a vaguely unsettled look on her face.

"Eh, don't worry! We just haven't done much renovation during our work time."

After the last person entered the warehouse, Namco let go of the shutter gate, and it fell back onto the floor with a thud. Sir-Tech casted a glowing orb, which barely lit up the interior space, but they could still see numerous crates of various sizes lying around the floor, along with several old machines, covered in cobwebs.

With a click of the switch, a ray of light suddenly shone down from the ceiling, illuminating the entire room. Now they could see the metallic frames above them, corroded by rust and slowly crumbling apart, and the small cracks that were all over the concrete walls. A thin layer of snow could be seen on the floor, right beneath the cracked rooftop.

"Hmm." Sir-Tech pondered. "This place looks more like a hideout than a workshop."

"Hey!" An exasperated voice came from the other end of the room. "Who turned the lights on?! I'm taking a nap!"

A little girl slowly emerged from behind a crate, stretching her arms out in a huge yawn. Her long, gray hair came down to her shoulders, and her ripped jeans and undersized red top was almost a bit too scandalous for her age. Her spiked gloves, however, did give her a comical aura of toughness.

For the next few seconds, the girl just stared blankly at the group, before turning towards Namco, like she was expecting an explanation. Origin, Sir-Tech and Yokoi looked as confused as her, but IF and her friends recognized the girl at first glance.

"I-Is that...?"

"Ah, Tekken!" Namco smiled, reached out to the little girl, and lifted her up. "Sorry for ruining your beauty-sleep, my little karate master! We have a special guest today!"

"Huh? Who?" Tekken tilted her head, as she examined the group of strangers, before her eyes lit up at the sight of a familiar figure. "Ah! Lady Famika's little brother!"

"H-Huh?" the CPU Candidate stuttered, as the little girl ran up to him, and gave him a hug.

"Nice to meet you!" She smiled. "I'm Tekken! I've fought in many tournaments, back in Fusajiro Square! You know me, right?"

"U-Uh, no. I didn't join my big sis' to watch the fight..."

"Aww..." She whined, in a sad tone. "I really hope you could've seen me in action..."

"Wow! Tekken looks so cute!" Compa cooed.

"I can't believe Tekken would be so young in this dimension..." Blanc squinted at the little girl.

"My, what a cutie she is, indeed!" Vert clapped her hands. "Now, which one of them should I choose…?"

"Huh?" Tekken shot her a curious glance.

"Please don't, Thundertits." Blanc groaned. "Neither of them would be your little siblings, and we're not going to kidnap them from this damned dimension, just so you can act out your unhealthy fantasies."

"What dimension?" Namco's question was met with frantic headshakes and awkward laughter from the group.

"O-Oh, nothing!" Blanc chuckled. "It's only an in-joke."

"Ah, I see." Namco looked away, "And, yeah, I never thought that you would know my little girl here. Guess that should be expected, considering the huge crowd that shows up, every time she fights on stage! "

"Wait, your little girl?"

A loud clanking noise rang through the air, and the next moment, the shutter gate was slowly lifted up. Origin quickly drew her sword, while her wizard companion flipped open her tome, and with a small mutter, a fireball popped into existence.

IF unsheathed her katars, while Vert pulled Yokoi into her arms, and Blanc shifted into a combat stance besides them, despite being unarmed. The gate was fully open now, revealing the silhouette of another girl standing against the dim ray of the sun, her face obscured in the shadows.

As she moved a little closer, they could see her bright red twintails, plain white sailor uniform, and long stockings. The gate fell back down behind her, and she looked up—only to see several weapons pointed at her. Caught completely off-guard, she dropped the plastic bags in her hands, and the toys inside fell onto the lumpy snow.

"Stop right there!" Origin warned, her broadsword still out and ready. "What hath brought thee here? Hath thou comest to track us down, on behalf of Lowee's Goddess?!"

"W-Wait!" The girl held her arms up. "W-What's going here?! And why are you threatening me?!"

"No no no, gals!" Namco rushed forth, and gestured for them to lower their weapons. "Now, hold your horses, and calm down. She's my friend, not some sort of undercover samurai!"

She immediately approached the girl, and picked up the fallen toys, before giving her a gentle pat on the back. The rest of the group awkwardly sheathed their weapons and looked away, before Origin stepped forth, and made a deep bow.

"My apology! I am truly sorry for brandishing my sword before thee, in such a haste!"

"It's just a miscommunication, Origin. Calm down." Sir-Tech sighed, and her fireball dissipated away in an instant.

"Sorry for not giving you a head's up first, Bandai." Namco sighed. "Didn't expect them to be this...jittery."

"I-It's okay..." she sighed in relief, "But sheesh, what kind of guests you've brought here today, with their fancy magic and swords?!"

"Bandy!" Tekken gleefully smiled as she ran up to Bandai, and gave her a leaping hug.

"Hey, Tekken!" Bandai laughed, before putting the girl down. "How are you?

"Fine." She nodded. "Namco has brought back food! And friends!"

"Friends...?" Bandai repeated the word, with a skeptical look on her face.

"Don't worry, they aren't that bad. I have something more interesting to show you!"

Waving her arms in the air, Tekken guided her towards the group, and just as Bandai was glancing over the unfamiliar faces, Tekken pointed at a crate, and she saw the little face poking out behind it.

"Hold on. Sir Yokoi?" She frowned. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be together with Lady Famika?"

"Long story short, he did something that would infuriate his sister, once she found out." Blanc replied.

"And who are the rest of you again?"

"That's...also a long story."

"Don't worry, Bandai, I trust them." Namco assured her friend. "Even the young boy himself confirmed it."

"Okay? So, why did you bring them here?"

"They're wanted by the authorities. And I'm hiding them." Namco casually answered, and, seeing her companion's shocked expression, she added, "Uh, you're looking a little pale right now. Want a delicious fish to eat?"

"Namco..." Bandai mumbled quietly, before she dashed up to her friend, dragged her up by the collar, and shrieked into her ears. "Are. You. Crazy?! They are wanted criminals! You need more than a 'long story' to explain that!"

"E-Eh..." Namco nervously chuckled. "It's more—"

"Great! You're going to drag us into their messes, and put all of us in danger! What are you thinking?!"

"It's my fault..." Yokoi stammered, as he stepped forward. "I helped them escape, because I don't want my big sis to hurt them..."

"Wait, what? Why? Lady Famika has always been such a nice lady to everyone. She would never go that far in her punishments. Why do you think your own sister would hurt them?"

"Well..." He pointed to Blanc and Vert, "They are CPUs, and their friends were captured because of that..."

"W-What?!"

Bandai let go of Namco, and took a few steps back, staring at the two CPUs in wordless shock. Then, she turned towards her friend, and glared at her with a searing anger in her eyes.

"Not only did you bring a bunch of wanted criminals into our warehouse, but also foreign CPUs..."

"W-Wait! Hear me out!" Namco panicked, "I-I swear I didn't know some of them were actual Goddesses! I just thought they were some random strangers, trying to help the CPU Candidate!"

"We're not criminals!" IF shouted. "We were dragged into this situation, all because of a misunderstanding, and we're just trying to get out of Lowee right now!"

"Why are you trying to take Yokoi away from his older sister, then? Isn't that straight-up kidnapping?!"

"Like we said..." Blanc sighed. "He freed two CPUs, and we don't want anything bad happening to him, once she finds out."

"Same." Vert nodded. "It wouldn't turn out well for the poor little Candidate, if Famika caught him..."

"But she is his sister!" Bandai threw her hands up in the air. "She wouldn't do that to her own younger sibling! I'm sure she isn't as terrible as you thought."

"Not trying to be biased...but...why do I feel like you're siding with Lady Famika?" Namco muttered.

"I'm telling you the truth!" Bandai retorted.

"Is there something wrong...?" Tekken cut in, with a puzzled look on her face.

The pair stopped their argument and turned towards Tekken. Bandai let out a deep sigh, and put a hand to her forehead, while Namco knelt down besides the little girl, and patted her on the head.

"Just a tiny disagreement between us. I'm sure that we'll solve it in no time."

"Okay! I wanna help, too!" Tekken responded with a huge grin.

"Hehe, it's probably not the right time for you to help." Bandai shook her head. "Let me and Namco handle this mess."

"Awww..." Tekken whined, looking a little sulky. "Fine!"

She ran back to her sleeping corner, earning multiple puzzled looks from the girls as she sprinted past them. Bandai took a few deep breaths, to regain her composure, before she turned towards the group.

"Alright..." She mumbled. "I'll help you, but only for Sir Yokoi's sake."

"Then welcome to the party, my fellow gal!" Namco cheered as she leaped forward, and caught her friend in a crushing hug, before she was hastily shoved away.

"Just cut to the chase!" Bandai groaned. "How are we going to bring them out of Lowee?"

"Well, good question!" Namco gave her a thumbs-up. "Now, let me explain the details of my masterplan."

"So, you want us to use our job to cover their escape?" Bandai raised an eyebrow, after hearing the whole plan.

"Exactly! They can wear our uniforms, and the guards will probably mistake them as random workers working for our frenzy delivery, carrying crates and boxes into the ship."

"What about Yokoi? Wouldn't they be able to recognize the CPU Candidate, even in disguise?"

"That's an easy one." Namco confidently replied. "We'll just put him inside the crate."

Sir-Tech and Origin gave her a funny look at that suggestion, while the others cringed uncomfortably, and Yokoi's expression was one of sheer disbelief and fright.

"W-What?!"

"What are you thinking, Namco?!" Bandai scolded her, as she gave her friend a pinch on the cheek. "You can't treat the CPU Candidate like some rabid animal. That's just disrespectful!"

"E-E-Ey! It's not like a cage or anything! stop that!"

Bandai finally let go of her, after a few more pained yelps, and Namco quickly scurried away from her, still caressing her reddened cheek.

"I never thought you would take Lady Blanc's words so seriously." Sir-Tech commented.

"Hey! What I'm saying is putting him inside, not locking him inside! Besides, that's the only way we are going to sneak him out!"

"Well, if you say so..." Bandai sighed. "I sure hope she'd go easy on you, if you were caught..."

"What a dreadful state my virtues have fallen to..." Origin facepalmed. "Oh, Goddess, forgive me for my unknightly transgressions, in the name of Valor and Sacrifice..."

"It's okay, Miss Origin.." Yokoi gave her a pat on her metal armor. "Even if my big sis' won't forgive you, I'll forgive you instead!"

"Aww..." The knight smiled, as she knelt down before the CPU Candidate. "I shall cherish your Compassion, until the end of time, Sir Yokoi!"

"We're really sorry for dragging you into Lady Famika's affairs." Sir-Tech lowered her head, before letting out a sigh. "Maybe you should have left us in the dungeon, after all."

"Tch, yeah. Right." Blanc scowled, and Vert turned to her, looking a little more serious than usual.

"I understand that you still have a bone to grind with his sister. But please remember that he freed us, at the expense of his sister's trust. Don't be too hard on him."

"Fine, whatever..."

"You'll just be going through the regular work routines, while we carry him, and the crate, into the ship." Namco explained. "That way, it'll be a piece of cake to sneak under their radars!"

"But what about those guards? Won't they open the crate to check?" IF frowned.

"They aren't going to search through a crate full of toy figures." Bandai shrugged, though she did not look nearly as confident as her friend. "They rarely check the content of the imports and exports, once the paperwork is in order."

"I'm glad to hear that..." Vert heaved a sigh of relief. "It doesn't seem that dangerous, after all."

"Yeah, but since Lady Famika is involved, we better be as careful as possible. We don't want to get caught by her and her entire army."

"I agree." Sir-Tech nodded. "There's a possibility that Lady Famika might've told her men to double, or even triple the security, now that her brother is missing."

IF suddenly remembered something, and spoke up. "When are we going to escape?"

"At midnight." Bandai answered, "Not only will there be fewer guards during the night shift, but there are also fewer witnesses around. So hopefully, we won't run into much trouble."

"I kinda planned it to happen earlier, but that could work, too." Namco chuckled. "Oh goodness, I'm actually a little hyped for this..."

"Considering you've brought a bunch of wanted criminals home without a single thought? Geez, I wonder why." Bandai huffed, and looked away from her friend.

"Can we at least move on from that?" Namco pleaded.

"So, what should we do while we wait?" Compa raised her hand.

"Take a walk through our cozy little home, I guess, though there isn't really much to see," Namco said, "while munching on berries and waiting for my good cuisine on-the-making. Oh wait, you can play with those toys, too!"

"As long as you don't break them, of course," Bandai added. "We're distributors, after all, and we don't want to get into trouble with our fellow corporations."

"Okay!"

"I can't just sit around here, doing nothing," Sir-Tech sighed. "I need to go outside."

"Eh? My wise companion, what is so appealing about the freezing cold outside? Thou may get caught by her men, too!"

"I'm not straying that far." Sir-Tech replied. "I have something important to do. It's for my...study."

"Uh..." The whole group gave her a weird look, unsure of what to say.

"Sure...?" IF broke the silence. "Just be careful."

"I will."

The gate opened in front of her, as if lifted by an invisible hand, and the moment she walked out, it fell back down with a loud thud. After exchanging a few confused mutters, the group shrugged, and went back to touring the warehouse—except IF, who was still staring at the gate.

"Come on, Compa," she called out to her friend, after a long silence, "let's go outside."

"Oh, uhh...sure?" The nurse hesitantly nodded, before hurrying to her side.

"What's troubling thee?" The clanking of metal armor came from behind them. "Hast my fellow companion done anything wrong?"

"It's, uh..." The brunette struggled to think of a good response. "I just don't get that mysterious, ominous personality of hers. Especially after she eavesdropped on our conversation, back then."

"Eh, that's how she is," Origin said, as she approached the two. "Much like my ambition of becoming the greatest knight in Gamindustri, she could be quite...obsessive, but over the magical arts instead of swordplay…to think about what transpired, last time..."

"Last time?"

"E-Eh, it is but a trivial incident! If thou wish to venture outside, then I shalt be thy shield!"

"Sure!" Compa nodded. "Even though Iffy can fight, we appreciate your help. Right, Iffy?"

"Uh, the more the merrier, I guess." She shrugged. "Let's go see what she's up to..."

Origin was the last to emerge from the warehouse, and as she shut the gate behind them, they were back in the desolate wilderness, once again. Most of the surrounding was barren earth concealed beneath a thick layer of snow, extending all the way towards the far horizon. After a long, futile search for the mysterious magician, who seemed to vanish in an instant, they finally stopped to rest.

"Damn..." IF groaned. "Where did she go?"

"Ugh! That capricious sorcerer..." Origin complained. "She told us that she wouldn't stray far from the hideout. Sheer dishonesty, that's what it is!"

"Is she always like this, Origin?" Compa shot them a curious glance.

"Oh, my fellow friend, thou hast no idea." Origin shrugged. "Because of her cryptic demeanor, even I don't know what she was up to, half of the time."

"Well, at least you can tell her to be more straightforward…?"

"I've tried my utmost, but she just scoffs and ignores it."

"Hey guys, look." IF called out to them, from behind a cluster of shrubbery, "I've found some footprints."

They hurried over to the spot, and saw a single deep footprint in the mushy snow. There were more of them, forming a trail that disappeared into a snowy forest in the distance, and the footprints looked too fresh and visible to be from anyone else.

"Dang it, Sir-Tech!" The knight put a hand to her forehead.

"Come on girls, we better find her." IF urged them. "Whatever she's up to, we don't want anything bad happening to her..."

"Got it!" Compa cheered, before taking off after her.

"W-Wait for me, my fellow companions!" Origin shouted. "Ah! My boots! Curse the lumpy snow!"

After a long walk, they finally entered the forest. Evergreen floras still stood tall against the sky, despite the heavy snow piled above their branches, and the footprints disappeared amongst a mess of twigs and uneven snow lumps. IF took the lead, and the party moved into the depth of the woods, hoping that they would not venture too far and lose their way.

After a long silence, the knight finally spoke.

"Where are we heading, right now?"

"No idea." IF wiped the sweat from her forehead, "With a forest this large, we might never find her."

"Don't worry, Iffy! I know we can do it." Compa patted her on the shoulder.

"TILTOWAIT!"

A strange chant pierced through the air, followed by a loud explosion in the distance. The ground trembled below them, and the trio almost lost balance and fell on their back, before it stopped abruptly.

"What in the world is that?!" IF yelled, her nurse companion still leaning on her for support.

"That explosion..." Origin frowned, and started sprinting. "Follow me! I know the sound of her sorcery!"

Running towards the direction where the sound had come from, the two girls followed the knight through the woods, haphazardly shoving the leaves and branches aside in their hurry to get to their lost companion—who might be in serious danger.

They stopped dead in their tracks when they suddenly charged into an open space. All vegetation in the blast radius was completely decimated, leaving only burnt stumps behind, and the thick layer of snow was gone, exposing the charred grass and earth beneath.

Several men were lying on the ground, and Lowee's national crest could be seen on the tattered banners they carried. Fortunately, it seemed like they were just knocked unconscious, despite the burnt marks on their armors and exposed skin.

As they glanced around, their sight slowly fixated on the only person standing, in front of an armored man, who was desperately trying to scramble away from her. Sir-Tech did not say anything, as she walked towards the frightened soldier, who soon found himself backed against a tree.

"P-Please.. I beg you! Spare me!" He raised his arms, and covered his face.

"I can't let you go free. You work for Lady Famika, and you'll expose our whereabouts." Sir-Tech gave him a cold glare. "MAHALITO."

The moment she uttered the last syllable, a giant fiery orb of flame appeared above her palm, and she raised her arm, ready to strike.

"Sir-Tech, wait!" IF rushed forth, and stepped between the magician and the soldier, shielding him from her incoming attack. "What are you doing?! You don't need to kill him!"

"Oh, thank Goddess thou art okay, Sir-Tech!" Origin heaved a sigh of relief, as she ran up to her companion, "What ruthless destruction hath thee unleashed on those poor men?"

"It's for my study." Sir-Tech replied flatly, and the fireball dissipated into thin air.

"How's beating these guys into a pulp a 'study'?!" IF jabbed a finger at her, while the nurse knelt down besides the unconscious soldiers, and started checking their conditions.

"Phew. They're okay..." After a minute, Compa looked up, with a weak smile on her face. "They only suffer some burns, and no critical injuries."

"Ugh! This is just like last time, wretched wizard! I told thee not to wreak havoc and endanger the lives of innocents!" The knight scolded, and her companion merely rolled her eyes at the lecture.

"They aren't innocent. They are after us. And what else should I use for my practice? Lady Odyssee taught me that all aspects of powers would only be learned from real experience, and magic is no exception."

"I understand thy words, Sir-Tech..." Origin lowered her head. "But how could thee justify such senseless, callous destruction, enemies or not?!"

"I cannot improve my skills without discovering the full potential of my spells, you wannabe knight." She retorted.

"Wannabe knight?!" Origin jerked back, like she had just been slapped in the face. "How dare thee insult my greatest passion and lifelong pursuit?!"

"You started it first. Milady teaches us that this is the right way to learn, so why are you trying to stop me?"

"Guys, guys, don't fight." IF stepped in, and separated the bickering duo. "Sir-Tech, how in the world did you find them here?"

"Ran into them, travelling on their horses, while I'm searching for a certain plant," she explained, "they attacked me first, though, so I took care of them. Apparently, they recognized me from their wanted list."

"I see..." The brunette frowned, still looking unconvinced.

She walked towards the injured soldier, and dragged him up by the collar. Compa moved closer, with a worried look on her face. She was about to say something, before IF looked at her, and shook her head, with an assuring smile on her face. Then, IF turned back to the soldier.

"Alright, speak up." She glared at him. "What's your purpose for coming here?"

"L-Lady Famika ordered us to find you and the two CPUs!" He stuttered. "The entire nation of Lowee are under alert, and we can't stop our search, until we capture you and bring you back!"

"Sir-Tech, how many men were there, when you ran into them?" IF took a deep breath.

"About seven of them." She glanced around the woods, before a realization dawned on her. "Five of them are lying here. Where are the other two?"

"Accursed cowards..." Origin mumbled. "If not all of them are here, that means...?"

"They must've run away to alert the rest." IF slapped herself on the forehead. "Dang it! We can't stay in the warehouse any longer, if they're going to search around this area."

"It wouldn't have been an issue, if that petty wizard had set aside her 'study'..."

"I did what Lady Odyssee taught us to do. It was mere bad timing." Sir-Tech muttered, at a barely audible volume.

"Wow, you must be really determined to continue your study, Sir-Tech..." Compa let out a nervous chuckle.

"Whatever it is, we better go warn our friends! We need to move out of here, right now, before they come to get us."

"Got it." Sir-Tech nodded.

"How about mister soldier here?" Compa pointed at the man.

"I can take care of that." The wizard said, and with another chant, her orb of fire was up again.

"Nothing deadly, please..." IF shook her head.

"Is casting fireballs thy only trick? Thou hast to be capable of more than that!" Origin facepalmed.

"Hmm..." She pondered. "No. I actually do know a useful spell."

Sir-Tech moved closer to the injured soldier, who was cowering in front of her. He started begging for mercy, again, before she held her tome up, and a blue aura started to glow around her and the book.

"KATINO."

Right after she muttered the strange foreign word, a blue, glowing mist suddenly surged towards the man's face, followed by a thump, as his body went limp and fell on the ground.

"There. happy?" She sighed, and closed her tome. "I made him fall asleep, so he wouldn't run off and snitch on us."

"So we'll just leave them here?" The nurse still looked a bit concerned.

"What else could we do?" Sir-Tech shrugged. "Besides, they won't be stuck here for long. Their fellow soldiers will soon come to pick them up."

"Eh, fair point." IF said, before gesturing them to follow, "C'mon girls. Let's hurry and go back, before they catch up with us!"

After one last look at the charred earth, the girls started running, treading on the trail of footprints they left on their way here as they disappeared into the woods.

- Intellastion

Half of the district around them must be in ruins, at this point, as the three CPUs continued their chaotic battle. Black Heart swiftly dodged the chain of exploding orbs that flew out of Grey Heart's crystals, before Lilac Heart flanked her from the side, and flung her deck of cards towards her. Black Heart knocked them back with her sword, but the sheer force of the explosion still sent her sliding across the street.

"Tch..." Black Heart winced. "Is that all you got?"

"Don't even try acting like a Goddess, little girl!" Grey Heart boasted. "There's more where that came from!"

A blue, pulsating light erupted from the core of her twin crystals, and the next second, an arc of lightning shot towards Black Heart, causing her to scramble out of the way. It hit a concrete wall behind her, zapping it to pieces, and more streaks of lightning soon tore through the air as the crystals continued to fire at her, with the speed of a machine gun.

After barely dodging through an endless wave of assault, Black Heart panted in exhaustion as she landed on the ground, and right at that moment, the last bolt of lightning struck her body, and knocked her back. She fell on her knees, barely able to support herself up with her sword while the two CPUs approached their vulnerable foe, with a victorious grin on their face.

"That Hypercube… is mine!" Grey Heart exclaimed, and charged up her crystals.

A deck of cards came flying at her, right at that moment, causing her to jump back as it exploded in midair. A massive cloud of smoke engulfed the whole area, and, now that she could no longer spot Black Heart's silhouette, Grey Heart turned back to her fellow CPU, with a scowl on her face.

"Why did you do that?!" She snarked. "I could've obliterated her!"

"Hey! She was my enemy, not ours! And that Hypercube would be better off in my hands." Lilac Heart retorted.

"Better off? With you? I was the one who knocked her out in the first place! You know you are standing on Intellastion's territory, right?"

"Oh, don't you start on that." Lilac Heart shot her a vicious glare. "How about we end this with a duel, then? Whoever wins gets the Hypercube."

"Hah! A duel? Well, you're on—"

"Take this!"

Black Heart rushed out of the smoke, and slammed her sword into Grey Heart's side, flinging her into the nearest building with a pained scream. She then smashed the sword towards Lilac Heart, but it was blocked by another invisible barrier.

"Of course..." Lilac Heart groaned. "Of course you won't go down that easily..."

A whirlwind of slashes tore through her barrier, cutting it into a bunch of pixelated particles. Caught by surprise, she leaped back, desperately trying to ready another deck of cards, and the next second, Black Heart's sword slammed into her torso.

"This is for Nep!" Black Heart yelled, as she swung the sword up, sending Lilac Heart flying up into the air, and jumped up after her. "And this is for me!"

The last swing of her sword slammed her opponent into the ground. A ray of light pierced through the cloud of dust and debris, and when the smoke cleared, Nakayama was lying in the middle of the road, unconscious.

Black Heart almost fell on her knees as she landed back on the ground, sighing in relief. Suddenly, another chain of exploding orbs flew at her, and she barely had time to raise her sword. She let out a scream as her wrist made a painful crack sound, and she slid through the street, almost slamming right into a wall. A figure crawled out of the rubbles, from a distance away.

"You little..." Grey Heart stood up, wincing, holding a hand to her injured side. Behind her, the twin crystals slowly hovered off the ground. "You think you can beat the CPU of Intellastion so easily?"

Beads of sweat were rolling down Black Heart's face, as she stared at her opponent, trying her best to keep up her combat stance despite her injuries. Grey Heart slowly approached her, and she briefly halted her steps when she saw Nakayama's unconscious form, lying in the middle of the road.

"Oh, you've beaten her up?" She grinned. "Well, thanks! It would make my job a lot easier."

"Why, thank you too! That little squabble between you two really helps me out."

"Enough!"

Multiple arcs of lightning shot out of the twin crystals, and blasted Black Heart right in the chest. She fell to the ground, jerking and shrieking as more hits connected with her. Just when she was on the verge of fainting, the attack stopped.

"I won't say it again." Grey Heart glared down at her, who was still groaning in pain. "Give me the Hypercube, or I will zap you to death."

"As if I would!" Black Heart sneered weakly.

Through the haze of pain, she could still see Grey Heart's face scrunching up in frustration, as the crystals started to charge up behind her. Before she could send out another attack, someone landed in between them. Black Heart could not recognize her face, but she still heard the shocked whisper from her opponent.

"It's you..."

- A while ago.

Neptune ran through the streets of Intellastion, unsure of her current whereabouts. People were running past her, fleeing from the ongoing battle between the two CPUs, and she chased after them, trying to see if she could get some help.

"Anyone? Can anyone help me?"

No one responded to her plea. They just shoved her aside, and continued their escape. Dejected, Neptune finally halted her steps in the middle of the empty street, and let out a deep sigh.

"Awghh..." She whined. "If I still had my power, I could've helped Noire..."

"Is there a problem?"

A voice came from behind her, and she turned back, only to see the same empty street—before she looked up, and saw the woman hovering above her. Just as she landed on the ground, Neptune caught sight of the floating, brown-ish tesseract in her hands.

"Wait, where did she find little cubey?" She mumbled to herself. "I thought Noire had it? Unless she's..."

"Huh?" The woman gave her a concerned look. "Are you alright?"

"O-Oh! Yeah, yeah! I'm fine, thank you!" Neptune shook her head. "Uh, who are you?"

"Your reaction is quite odd..." The woman eyed the small lilac-haired girl. "Hmm, I assume you're a tourist from the PC Continent, since you do not know me."

"Eh?" Neptune frowned. "Are you that big of a deal?"

"Precisely. I suppose it depends on who you are." She chuckled. "My name is Odyssee, CPU of Magnabox and the dutiful guardian of Gamindustri, safeguarding the rest of the continent from chaos and strife."

"Well, hello there, Lady Odyssee! Hehe..." Neptune scratched her head. "Nice to meet you!"

The Hypercube in her hands started rattling violently, just when she was about to greet Neptune, and the CPU looked at it with a puzzled expression, as it let out multiple shrill chimes.

"Huh? What's wrong?" she asked, in a soft voice. "Is something bothering you?"

The Hypercube responded with another shaky chime as it frantically hovered around Neptune, flying back and forth above her head, while she stared at it in confusion, unsure of the meaning behind its erratic behavior.

"Eh? Why is little cubey spinning around me?"

"Little cubey?"

"O-Oh! That's how I call the Hypercube, hehe..." Neptune chuckled nervously.

"You know my Hypercube, but not me...?"

The woman squinted at her in suspicion, before the sound of another explosion reached their ears. A trail of smoke rose up in the distant sky, and the few remaining stragglers on the street soon disappeared in a mad dash. Neptune gasped at the sight, before she ran up to the CPU, and grabbed her sleeves.

"Please, Lady Odyssee! You gotta help me!" She begged. "My friend is caught in the middle of the Goddesses' fight, and I can't get to her!"

"I understand." The woman nodded. "I've come here to pursue someone, who has disrupted the balance of the world. But if innocent lives are in danger, I can definitely put that goal aside for the time being."

"Thank you..." Neptune sighed in relief, before she realized something. "Wait, who are you chasing after?"

"The anomaly, of course," she answered. "But have no fear. I will not let you get anywhere near the anomaly I'm looking for, since I sense its power may be on my level..."

Her Hypercube kept rattling as it flew behind Neptune, and started pushing her towards the CPU.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Neptune complained.

"Hypercube, no." She calmly chided the Hypercube, before summoning it back with a wave of her hand. "Please don't be so rude to a stranger..."

Her Hypercube did not look convinced, and it continued to shake violently in her palms while letting out loud chiming noises, as if it was throwing a tantrum.

"My apology." She bowed her head slightly, and levitated off the ground again. "Now I must go to stop their ruckus, and save your friend."

"Great! I'll come with you!"

"I understand your concern about your friend, but please don't put yourself into danger." Odyssee turned back to her. "What could you actually do, in a battle between two CPUs?"

"B-But-!"

"Please don't follow me." She shook her head. "I'll handle the situation myself. Your intervention will only distract me."

Neptune tried to protest, but was shushed by the CPU, whose expression looked really serious all of a sudden. She hesitated a little, before lowering her head.

"Fine..." Neptune mumbled.

Another explosion sound came from the distance, and Odyssee quickly took off into the air, moving away from the lilac-haired girl and the dwindling amount of escaping citizens. After a few more glances, Neptune quietly started moving again, in the direction that the CPU was flying towards.

Odyssee landed in the middle of a complete wreckage, amongst the rubbles and burning cars. Ashes were falling down onto the two figures in front of her, like tiny snowflakes, and she grimaced a little at the smell of burnt ashes and charred rubber.

"It's you..." The only girl still standing let out a growl.

"Fascinating, Sylvania. You've brought so much destruction upon your own nation, without even sparing a single thought about the consequences of your battle?"

"Hah! That's all you have to say?" Grey Heart mocked. "Thanks to your clumsiness, I and Intellastion will finally gain the upper-hand in the Console War!"

"...What are you talking about?" Odyssee frowned, before she caught a glimpse of the unfamiliar figure, lying on the ground. "And who is this CPU? She looks new around here..."

"Tch..." Black Heart sneered, still struggling to support herself up.

"Once this random girl gives the Hypercube to me, I'll topple your reign and unify the entire Gamindustri!"

"My Hypercube? It's right here."

Odyssee called the Hypercube forth, and it landed onto her palms. Both CPUs were left speechless, as they stared at the cubic form of the godly weapon.

"Wha-what?!" Grey Heart gasped. "B-But this girl has the-! How?!"

"It can't be..." Black Heart squinted at the cube.

"I am not impressed by your rudeness, Sylvania. I've come here only to find the anomaly who has disturbed the balance of this world, and you are not my target. Do not try to drag me into your ruckus any further."

"Grr..." Grey Heart gritted her teeth, and charged up her crystals. "Still acting so high and mighty, huh?! Take this!"

A blinding aura of light radiated from her twin crystals, before they exploded into a storm of lightning arcs, shooting straight towards Odyssee. They slammed right into a translucent brown magical barrier, and fizzled out instantly.

Odyssee almost looked a little bored, as another wave of lightning storm struck the barrier, and right at that moment, she saw the limp body lying in the middle of the road.

"Huh? Nakayama?" She raised an eyebrow. "What happened to her? Why are you three having a duel inside this city?"

"None of your concern!" Grey Heart screamed, and doubled down on her attacks.

Her twin crystals had become a white hot plasma of glowing light, blasting out bolts after bolts of lightning against the impenetrable barrier created by the Hypercube, despite the complete ineffectiveness of her strikes.

"I have to acknowledge your persistence, despite knowing that you had no chance of winning."

Black Heart could only watch on, as Odyssee walked closer and closer towards Sylvania, effortlessly pushing back her foe's attacks with the magical barrier.

"Ugh! If only you had given me that Hypercube, I could've at least fought back!" Grey Heart briefly turned to yell at Black Heart, after her twin crystals' light finally fizzled out, having exhausted most of their power.

"What are you talking about?" Odyssee frowned. "The Hypercube has never left my side."

Switching back to her exploding orbs, Grey Heart casted a swarm of them, and flung them towards her opponent at a dizzying speed. Odyssee sidestepped away from the projectiles' path at the last second, and most of them struck the road in one gigantic blast.

The Hypercube started to buzz and rotate in her palms, right as Grey Heart sent another barrage of exploding orbs at her. Then, it flew forward at a supersonic speed, creating a blast of intense wind that caused most of the orbs to explode in midair, without touching Odyssee at all.

The next second, Grey Heart's twin crystals were up in front of her, trying to block the powerful weapon. But it was not enough—the Hypercube struck right through them, and connected with her stomach, tossing her all the way across the street like a ragdoll, until she landed on the ground with a thud.

With a flash of light, she was back to her human form, knocked out cold by the immense impact of the attack. Odyssee sighed in relief, before calling the Hypercube back to her.

Hearing a weak groan, she turned back, and saw Black Heart standing up from the ground, shakily leaning on her sword for support. Despite her severe injuries, she was still trying to keep up her stances, while staring at the victorious CPU—who had not shed a single drop of sweat during this one-sided battle.

"So...you are the CPU of Magnabox?"

"Yes indeed." Odyssee nodded, the Hypercube hovering above her palms. "I'm more curious about your identity, however. Considering your...outlandish HDD form, perhaps you do not hail from Gamindustri, but somewhere further away? The Motherland, I presume?"

"I...don't know where that is. But no." She responded with a blank stare. "I'm Black Heart, the CPU of Lastation."

"Lastation? If I recall correctly, there's no such nation on this continent..."

Odyssee's Hypercube suddenly let out a shrill beep, and began to circle around her, making frantic chiming noises in what seemed to be a panicking tone. Black Heart could not make out any coherent words from the cube's noises, but Odyssee nodded at the cube, before turning towards her.

"I see..." She narrowed her eyes, and the emotion drained out of her voice in an instant. "You are the anomaly I've been looking for."

"What? Me, an anomaly? What are you trying to say?"

"Lately, unnatural phenomenons have been occurring all over this land." She explained, while peering at Black Heart with a keen interest.

"No one, not even us CPUs, would be able to see the root of these phenomenons, except for the Hypercube. And what it sensed was a severe tear in the very fabric of reality, one that could plunge not only Gamindustri, but the whole dimension, into chaos and ruins."

"What are you even talking about?!" Black Heart scowled. "Are you saying that you are going to kill me, just because I've accidentally travelled into a different dimension, against my will?"

"No. In fact, you've never travelled to a different dimension."

"W-Wait..." Black Heart stuttered. "So you're saying that this dimension...is still the dimension we come from...?"

"We?" Odyssee noticed her usual wording, and the frown on her face became even deeper. "So, you are also being accompanied by others. That will create a much bigger problem..."

"Yes! We got thrown into this strange world!" She admitted. "But don't drag my friends into your mess! If this is really Hyperdimension, then why does everything look so different?!"

"Because it's not the dimensions that you and your friends have travelled through, but time..."

"T-Time?!" Black Heart gasped.

"You are an anomaly, and every second you spent here..." Odyssee glared at her, as she began to move closer, with the Hypercube in hand. "You risk breaking the timeline of our world, for you belong to the world of your present, and our future."

"W-Wait! I swear that I and my friends haven't done anything bad!" Black Heart shook her head, as she backed away from Odyssee.

"Too late." Odyssee let out a sigh. "If you don't leave this timeline so soon, the world of past, present, and future will soon be disrupted to such an extent, it may even collapse on itself. I'm afraid the only way to fix it is to erase your and your friends' existence."

The Hypercube started to spin and glow again, and Black Heart could barely pick up her sword as she braced herself for the incoming attack. It was probably not enough against the strongest CPU in this timeline, but...

"Wait, stop!"

A petite silhouette in a white parka jacket darted between her and Odyssee, and Black Heart's eyes widened at the sight.

"You...what are you—?" Odyssee looked a little dazzled, before she realized something. "Oh. So she is the friend you wanted to save?"

"Neptune? What are you doing here?!" Black Heart yelled.

"I've heard everything..." Neptune said, before turning back to face Odyssee. "Please spare our lives! We swear that we'll find a way to travel back to our present, as soon as possible! Just give us enough time to find all our friends, before we leave."

"Unfortunately, that's not possible." Odyssee shook her head. "I cannot accept the risk your continued presence will pose to our very existence. Now perish, for this world's safety!"

"H-Huh?"

Odyssee's Hypercube was fully charged now, spinning violently until it was a blur of light. The next second, it was flung towards Neptune, creating another blast of wind around it.

"No you don't!"

Black Heart lunged forth, and went after the Hypercube before it could hit her friend, swinging her sword right at it in a running strike.

The moment the two weapons connected with each other, a tremendous shockwave erupted from the impact point, sweeping the nearby cars and rubbles up and ejecting them out into the surrounding wreckage in a huge vortex of violent wind.

Neptune yelped as she, too, was swept up from the ground, flinging her arms wildly until she grabbed onto a sturdy wire pole nearby. Noticing the unconscious Nakayama tumbling right past her, she reached out and caught the CPU with her other hand.

"Ah! Got'cha!"

The two CPUs at the center of the impact were also thrown back by the impact. Odyssee knelt down, with one palm pressed against the earth, safely protected behind the barrier casted by her Hypercube. Black Heart, however, reverted to her human form as her back hit a wall, and she slid down onto the ground in a heap.

"Impossible..." Odyssee exclaimed. "How could you hold off a strike from my Hypercube?"

Once the dust had settled, and the debris fell back onto the ground, she spotted the identical cube lying next to Noire, and suddenly had an epiphany.

"Now I see why," she mumbled. "Her power was amplified by the other Hypercube in her hands. That's how she was able to fight back. That's how all of you were brought into this timeline."

"Stop it!" Neptune rushed in front of her unconscious friend. "We don't wanna cause any problems, but I won't let you hurt my friends!"

"Hmph." Odyssee scoffed. "You do realize the danger of having two Hypercubes in the same timeline, right? Both of them can alter the very fabric of reality with their power, and their presence alongside each other is already creating a significant imbalance in the space-time continuum."

"So what?"

"You can't save your friends while keeping reality intact. Either surrender them to me, or let the roots of our timeline collapse on itself, and make us all fade to nothing. Which option will you choose?"

"The third option!" Neptune yelled. "Saving my friends and going back, before anything bad could happen!"

"Wrong answer."

Odyssee's Hypercube was out again, flying towards them at a speed so fast that it was igniting the air, leaving a trail of flames in its wake. Neptune and Noire did not even have the time to see the attack, much less react to it—but something else did.

Neptune's Hypercube shot forth with a loud chime, and slammed right into the identical cube before it could strike the pair down. A chain of explosions flared up around them as the two godly weapons collided repeatedly against each other, and everyone in the vicinity were pushed back by the immense force.

The very reality in the surrounding area seemed to ripple and tear, with every collision between the cubes. Solid materials were glitching in and out of existence, as arcs of lightning jumped between the cubes in an erratic pattern, and when Neptune looked down at her hands, she could only see a blur of pixelated colors—just like the glitching effect that sent them back in time.

"Woah." Neptune could only utter a single word, as she held Noire closer to her in a tight hug.

Odyssee, however, looked absolutely appalled by the power that the two Hypercubes unleashed in their ferocious battle. Not even Shares would be enough to protect the CPUs against their raw power. Slowly, she backed away, murmuring to herself.

"Why would she create another godly weapon of destruction...?"

The battle was over, as quickly as it started. The two Hypercubes collided one last time, followed by another violent shockwave that pushed both cubes away from each other, and sent them crashing onto the broken road below. The glitches faded away, and Neptune and Odyssee immediately ran towards their respective tesseracts.

"Little cubey!" Neptune picked the cube up, panting.

"A-Are you alright?!" Odyssee shouted, and hugged the cube in her arms.

Both Hypercubes let out a weak chime. Their light was a lot dimmer than before, drained by the intense battle, and neither of them was able to fly nor hover in this state. None of them had suffered any serious damage, however, to their owners' delight.

"Thank goodness you're okay!" Odyssee cried, as she continued to caress her Hypercube.

"Phew.. I'm glad you're okay! And thanks a lot! You really took a beating out there!" Neptune sighed, which was met with a small chime from the cube.

While Neptune was still patting her Hypercube, Odyssee stood back up with her tesseract in hand, her eyes burning with an intense fury.

"You will not get away with this."

"O-Oh no..." Neptune stuttered, and pointed towards the two unconscious girls lying on the road. "C-Can you get us out here, little cubey?!"

The Hypercube responded with a delighted chime, and the light in its core faded away into shining particles, as it started to vibrate. The particles erupted into a beacon of light, causing Odyssee to cover her eyes with her arms—when the light faded away, the group was gone.

"Don't you think this is over," she spoke, after a long silence. "I'll find you and your friends, and I'll erase your very existence from this timeline!"

"Uhh...W-Wha...?"

Noire slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a campfire, illuminating the small cave with its warmth and light. She lifted up the wooly blanket draped over her, sat up, and glanced towards the cave's exit. Nearby branches were swinging in the violent wind, as rain pounded mercilessly against the soil outside.

"Wakey wakey, Noire! Having a good nap?"

Neptune called out to her in her usual cheerful voice, besides the campfire, the Hypercube sitting on her lap. Noire put a hand to her forehead, with a small groan—her ears were still ringing, her whole body was sore, and the last thing she remembered was facing the CPU of Magnabox.

"Jeez...What happened? And where are we?" She mumbled.

"You got knocked out during the fight, duh." Neptune shrugged, "And little cubey warped us away from that time-and-balance-loving CPU."

"Little cubey can do that? Wow..." Noire stretched her arms out, before she noticed something different about the cube. "Wait, what happened to it? Why is it so...dim?"

"It got weakened, I guess." Neptune shrugged, before giving the Hypercube another pat. "It must be so tired, after fighting its clone. But little cubey is okay! It just needs a good rest."

"I see." Noire sighed.

However, just as she pressed her palms onto the ground, ready to stand up, she felt something warm against her skin, and glanced to her right. To her horror, a familiar girl was sleeping right next to her.

"N-Nakayama?!" Noire barely held back a scream, as she stood up, and backed away from the sleeping CPU. "What the hell, Nep?! Why is she here with us?!"

"W-Well..." Neptune let out a nervous chuckle. "I kinda asked little cubey to take her along, too? We can't just leave her in a nation that isn't her own, so here we are, hehe..."

"She tried to kill us! Twice!"

"Yeah, I know." Neptune sweatdropped. "But what if a random patriot stumbled across her, the Goddess of a hostile nation? Don't you think they'd do...bad things to her?"

Noire gritted her teeth, flabbergasted by her friend's almost idiotic level of compassion towards their enemy.

"Damn it, Nep..." She facepalmed, hard, which was met with a sheepish smile from Neptune. After a long, awkward silence, she finally sat back down, with a sulky look on her face.

"Fine, I'll let that stupid girl stay with us. Just don't expect me to be all buddy-buddy with her, Nep!"

"No problem!" Neptune cheered. "At least we've managed to team up with a CPU!"

"But~" Noire held up a finger, with a smirk on her face. "Only under one condition..."

"Eh?"

"...Uhh?"

Nakayama yawned, and she found herself staring into the low rock ceiling above. Feeling a blanket over her, she tried to raise her arms and pull it aside, only to realize that she could not move.

"Huh?!" Nakayama blurted out. "Why can't I move?!"

As she was shaking and writhing under the blanket in a panic, she caught a glimpse of two girls sitting beside the campfire, and let out a low growl.

"Oh, you two again..."

With one last jerk, she sat up, and the blanket slid off her. She shook her head, looked down, and froze.

"What?! Why am I tied up?!" Nakayama snarked, as she tried to wriggle out of the binds. "Hey! Let me go!"

"No." Both of them replied simultaneously, before Noire added, "I will not let you go, just so you can shoot us in the back while we aren't looking."

"Augh! Fine! Once I break free, I'll blast you to smithereens!

Nakayama continued her attempt to wrench herself free from the tough, tight ropes, until she finally ran out of breath, and fell back down again, panting in exhaustion.

"Giving up already?" Noire smirked. "It can't be that hard, right, Nep?"

"Shut up!"

"At least you should thank her for saving you."

"Saving me? From what? I could save myself just alright, if you had given the Hypercube to me!" Nakayama retorted.

"Hey guys, be quiet, please? Little cubey here is trying to rest." Neptune chimed in. "It's in a pretty bad shape, after fighting the other Hypercube."

"Other Hypercube?" Nakayama frowned. "What in the world are you talking about?"

"It's a long story." Noire gave her a half-hearted wave. "You missed all the fun parts, after your little squabble with Sylvania."

"Yeah, rub it in!" She grumbled. "And I still don't buy it! Two Hypercubes in Gamindustri? It's just absurd!"

"Oh well..." Neptune shrugged. "Guess you'll be tied up for a while."

"Agh! Just let me go already!" Nakayama whined, before she resumed her struggle against the restraints.

"You tried to kill both of us," Noire glared at her, "and you started this mess, when you attacked us in that cafe. Why would we believe in you?"

"And you are just some random weakling CPUs who happen to get lucky, and stumble upon the most powerful weapon in Gamindustri that no CPUs could even stand a chance against! What, you think it's just some magical cube?!" She barked back.

"Nope. We've already heard about its power, from our new friends."

"Oh, and it isn't the actual Hypercube of this timeline." Noire sighed.

"Huh? Timeline?"

"Well, you see..."

"...and that's how we got here." Noire ended her long explanation. "After we fell through that hole, both of us lost our CPU powers, and were separated from our friends."

"Hm..." Nakayama pondered. She still looked a little skeptical, but was able to grasp most of the story. "That is interesting."

"So, because we have this cube with us, now we're being hunted by Odyssee for...disturbing the timeline and something like that."

"Not surprising. The Hypercube is more than a complex magical artifact." Nakayama commented. "It is one of the ancient artifacts created by the precursor Goddess."

"Huh? A precursor Goddess?" Neptune perked up.

"She is CPU Braun, the first Goddess to ever exist in Gamindustri. Her Hypercube is the one that helps to shape this world into its current state. Most of the time, she always kept her creation on her person, because of how incredibly powerful it is."

"Then how does the Hypercube end up in Odyssee's hands?" Noire asked.

"It's a different story." Nakayama paused. "Odyssee used to be her pupil, when she was still a child, born into a family of wizardry. She was a child prodigy, which was why Braun entrusted her to safeguard the cube, before her disappearance. Up to this day, she still holds her promise, and guards the weapon of the precursor Goddess."

"Woah..." Neptune exclaimed in awe. "I never thought the strongest CPU in this timeline has such an unusual backstory!"

"Yeah, that's why we are held back by her." Nakayama sighed. "She keeps Gamindustri in a state of balance, while preventing us from winning the Console War. Technically speaking, Magnabox dominates the whole Gamindustri by stopping the expansion of other nations, and only one CPU could stand up to her..."

"Tari..."

"Yes. Tari's Goddess is the only one who can hold her own against Odyssee. Even so, her nation is too aggressive against other CPUs, and those who do not worship her. She has been trying to take over Gamindustri, since the start of her reign, which is why Odyssee keeps a close watch on them."

"But she lost," Neptune mumbled.

"Huh? What did you say?"

"N-Nothing!" Noire waved frantically at her, before covering up Neptune's mouth with her other hand, "She's just talking to herself again. Would you please give us a minute?"

"Uh, sure."

Noire pulled Neptune away, and they hurried to the very edge of the cave, where rain trickled down from the ceiling, into the huge puddles below.

"N-Nepu-?!" Neptune yelped, after Noire finally let her go, "What's that all about?!"

"Listen, Nep." Noire grabbed her shoulders. "We can't let them know about their future! Like what Odyssee told us, if we continued to mess up our past, what would happen to our present? Our sisters, our friends, our nations? Not only will we break the timeline, we may not even exist at all!"

"Okay, okay, I know! I just got a little forgetful!"

"Ugh! Really, Nep?" Noire groaned. "Don't tell me your amnesia strikes again..."

"Hey! Don't drag the original me into this, Lonely Heart!"

"Fine, fine." Noire sighed. "Just...whatever you do, don't tell them about their future, okay?"

"You can count on me!" Neptune gave her a thumbs-up.

"Yeah, sure."

After their private talk, they soon headed back to the campfire. Nakayama, however, was still sitting at her original sleeping spot, grimacing in discomfort.

"Hey, can you just untie me now? It's starting to hurt..."

"How about no?" Noire smirked. "Now you know how I feel like, being stuck inside your stupid cage."

"W-What?!" She gasped, "Come on! Enough is enough! I've even told you about Odyssee, how about you return the favor?!"

"I might let you go, if you apologize and promise not to turn against us."

"Never!" Nakayama snarked back. "You can tease me as much as you like, but I'll never give in to your stupid deal!"

"Then fine, have it your way." Noire shrugged. "Come on, Nep. How's little cubey?"

"Little cubey is fine, it just needs a little more rest." Neptune smiled. "Also, are you sure you'll leave her all tied up?"

"She asked for it. Can't say I hadn't given her a chance."

Noire leaned back against the cave wall, while Neptune gently caressed the Hypercube, and Nakayama started another round of desperate struggles against the ropes.

"I swear, you two will pay for this!" She cussed. "When I break free from these damn ropes, I'll pound you into the ground, then use the Hypercube to erase all traces of your pathetic existence!"

"C'mon, can you at least keep it down?" Neptune whined. "Little cubey here is very exhausted and needs to rest."

"Blah, blah, blah! Not until you set me free!"

"Nep." Noire facepalmed. "Let's just leave her in this cave. You can't make her your new friend when she's still fuming mad at us."

"I mean, this is your idea, right?" Neptune stared at her. "Tie her up when she's still unconscious."

"At least it's for a good reason, Nep. There's nothing you can do to convince a bad guy."

"Yeah, I know."

"Who are you calling a bad guy?!" Nakayama protested. "Oh, so you are the good guys now? Going around, saving people? No! You're doing the exact opposite!"

"Hey!" Neptune retorted. "I'm the protagonist, and since you attacked my party, it actually makes you the antagonist! So yeah, you are the bad guy!"

"Why, you little—!"

"W-What?!"

Bandai looked like she was about to faint onto the warehouse floor at any second, after the girls gathered around her, and told her about the encounter. IF and Compa were eyeing each other uncomfortably, while Origin continued to scold her companion.

"How could thee catch the authorities' attention so early?! If thou hast not ventured outside for thy study, we could have more time to prepare for the escape!"

"It's just bad timing." Sir Tech mumbled.

"Bad timing?!" Origin threw her hands up in the air. "Curse thy arrogance, wizard! How can thee be so calm about this...?"

"Just forget about it, Origin." Bandai cut in. "What's done is done. For now, we have to put our plan into motion, as quickly as possible."

"How quick, if I may ask?" Vert stopped caressing Yokoi's hair, and looked up.

"Earlier than before—"

"Yeah, we get that." Blanc interrupted her. "What is the exact time?"

"I-I don't know!" She stuttered. "It's so sudden, I don't have the time to sort it out yet!"

"Jeez, this is bad." IF glanced around the room. "Also, where is Namco?"

"Oh, she went out a while ago, just to get the things we need-"

"Hello, everyone! Guess who's back?" A loud creaking sound came from behind them, as Namco lifted up the gate. "Woah, you girls are all gathered up in a circle, huh? I guess this calls for a tea party!"

"It's…not the best time for that..." Compa sweatdropped.

"They've found us." IF stated flatly.

"What?!" Namco gasped. "But we've just come here! How did we suddenly get spotted?"

"My bumbling wizard companion ran into them." The knight let out a dramatic sigh. "To think that a supposedly wise magician like thee could be so ignorant..."

"I've already explained why. Can you stop pestering me?" Sir-Tech groaned. "What's done is done. Don't make me pinch your cheeks again."

"Namco, have you prepared our disguises?" Bandai ran up to her.

"Uh, yes! Of course!" Namco smiled as she tossed the bags full of clothings onto a nearby crate. "It's just what we need for the grand escape!"

"Good, I'll send a letter, telling them we need to ship our products early, because one of our partners is getting impatient, and asked us to deliver the goods as fast as possible."

"Alright, then. Guess we're moving out again..." Blanc muttered. "How's the kid? Don't want to get ourselves into trouble, puting the CPU Candidate of this Lowee in danger."

"Do not worry, Blanc. He's gonna be alright." Vert smiled as she gazed down at Yokoi, who was sleeping soundly on her lap. "The boy will be perfectly fine, as long as he's in my arms."

"You mean our arms? I don't like that bitch, but letting you keep him is too cruel, even as revenge."

"Oh, how rude of you, Blanc." Vert pouted.

"Packages, check! Disguise prepared, check! And the young prince, check!" Namco announced cheerfully, as she scribbled on her checklist, "Alright, it looks like we're ready to get the escape quest going!"

"If everything goes as planned, I'm so going to spend the next week playing with Tekken, just to calm my nerves...Namco, you better not drag us into any more messes after this!"

"Hehe..." She nervously chuckled. "Will do."

"Well, we're really sorry for the troubles we've caused..." Compa gave the pair a small bow. "We promise that we'll never tell anyone about you!"

"Thanks, Compa." Bandai sighed. "Now let's get this over with."

"Alright, girls, come forth! Grab your uniform and suit up for business!" Namco yelled, as she handed out a set of factory uniforms to each girl, along with a white hat.

"This looks a little too big for me." IF said. "Is this the only size you got?"

"That's all I could find from our stockpile." Namco shrugged. "But give it a try, will ya'? At least it's comfy enough."

The girls retreated behind the crates and started to take off their outer clothes, before they started putting on the uniform shirts and pants. The oversized black shirts were sagging a little on most of the girls, except for a single person.

"Oh dear..." Vert let out an awkward chuckle. "It appears that my breasts… don't quite fit into the uniform."

"I can see why." Blanc rolled her eyes, as she briefly glanced at Vert, who was struggling to pull the zipper of her uniform jacket up to her collar, with little success.

"Uhh...Won't that be a bit…lewd?" Namco scratched her head at the sight.

"It's not like having large breasts in Lowee is illegal or anything. Oh, here's your hat." Bandai replied, before tossing a hat over the crate.

"Why, thank you." Vert laughed, as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. "Guess Lowee would always be the land of flat-chested girls, no matter which dimension we are in."

"Watch your mouth, thundertits." Blanc gave her a nasty glare. "This might be a different dimension, but I still won't let you insult my nation like that."

"I'm just joking. You don't have to take it personally."

"Hey, Sir-Tech and Origin!" IF called out to the pair. "Your disguises!"

"I'll get them later." Sir-Tech replied, before she went back to writing indescribable symbols onto her tome.

"I'm coming, my fellow adventurer!" Origin shouted back. "Just give me three minute to remove my armors."

She quickly unbuckled the belts that held up her silver chestplate, gauntlets and leggings, revealing the chainmail armor, white tabard and brown pants beneath. Behind her, IF shot her a curious glance.

"Wow, that's a lot of layers. you must be pretty well-protected, aren't you?"

"Of course!" The knight turned back, with a huge grin on her face. "A noble knight must never let down their guards, even in the time of peace!"

Sir-Tech, finally done with her tome, set it down gently on a nearby crate before taking her blue cloak off. She was surprisingly petite, now that she was in her light, plain underrobe, and she quickly grabbed the uniform when IF handed it to her.

"Thanks." She said, and started to put on the disguises.

After they were all dressed up, the girls gathered in the middle of the warehouse, with Yokoi by their side, who still looked a little drowsy after waking up from his nap. Namco were standing in front of them, tugging at their sleeves and adjusting their hats like a drill instructor.

"Uh, what's going on?" Yokoi rubbed his eyes.

"What's going on? Your grand escape from Lowee, of course! Ready to see the big world out there?" Namco raised her fists into the air.

"B-But my big sis..."

"Don't worry, she'll be alright." IF gave him a pat on the head.

"While you were prepping up your disguises, Bandai received a confirmation letter from the dock that the schedule is now set! I got the package ready. It's right over here."

Namco pointed towards a huge crate, before she removed the lid, revealing the large amount of toys piled inside. It was quite amazing that there was still enough space in the crate to fit a child in, despite the clutter.

"Why are there a lot of figurines of a... magical girl in a sailor outfit?" Compa picked one up, and gave it a small poke.

"Why, this one should've gone to a toyseller, as per usual. But oh well, he changed his mind about the deal." She explained. "We're ready to dump the entire thing, until you girls and Yokoi show up. May as well put 'em to some good use."

"So all we have to do is put Yokoi inside the crate, and carry it to the port?" IF lowered her head. "It sounds so wrong, now that I think about it..."

"Can't do much at this point, really." Namco shrugged. "It's better than keeping Yokoi with us, and risking him being recognized by the guards."

"U-Uh..." Yokoi fidgeted uncomfortably, and looked away from the crate.

"There's a small hole on this panel." Namco put a hand on his shoulder, and guided him towards the crate. "So no worries! You can still breathe and see what's going on outside."

"But I still don't wanna leave my big sis here, all alone..."

"Can't we just let him talk to Lady Famika, for once?" Bandai eyed the boy. "He obviously still misses his sister, and don't you think this may come back to bite us, at the worst moment?"

"But-!" Compa's protest was shushed..

"You don't want her to hurt him? Yes, I get it, but I'm pretty sure that Lady Famika isn't that kind of person..." She glared at her companion. "And you know it, Namco."

"H-Hold it for awhile, Bandai!" Namco stuttered. "We're just getting started with our escape, and we can't turn back now!"

"The girls want to escape from her, and I can understand," she clarified. "But to bring the CPU Candidate away from her...I can't agree with that."

"So you want them to just leave him here?"

"Exactly." Bandai sighed. "But I won't force you to give up your plan. Just keep in mind that I'm not a big fan of this idea, at all."

Bandai stormed off into the depths of the warehouse, leaving the girls staring at the empty space, while Yokoi looked like he was about to burst into tears. Finally, Namco interrupted the awkward silence with a cough.

"So uh, yeah...I'll talk to her later. Don't worry about it." She assured the group. "Alright, prepare yourselves for departure, while I get my truck's engine running!"

"Wait, you have a truck?" Blanc frowned. "I thought there were only horses and wagons around here?"

"Yeah, that's true, but this truck doesn't come from Lowee." Namco chuckled. "It was imported. Getting it through the custom was such a pain! Man, these ridiculous laws of Lowee..."

IF gestured to Vert, who nodded and lifted Yokoi up, before gently setting him down into the crate. His pair of geta clogs sunk into the pile of toys, as he propped himself up, and shifted to a slightly less awkward position.

"It feels so cramped..." Yokoi mumbled.

"Don't worry, little Yokoi." Vert smiled. "I'm sure it won't take long, before you're in the ship!"

"But my big sis-!"

"Don't worry about Lady Famika, Sir Yokoi." Sir-Tech interrupted him. "Just take care of yourself, and we'll take care of the rest."

"Indeed, my fellow companion!" Origin chimed in. "Do not fear, Prince Yokoi! If thy sister would truly wish thee harm, I shalt come to thy side with my sword, in return for thy efforts in setting us free!"

"Augh..." He whimpered, as the lid slowly slid shut.

The fight against the armored dummy was a fierce one, but eventually, with a final strike, it fell to its knees, and stopped moving. Linda wiped the sweat off her forehead, her iron pipe already strapped onto her back, while her rat companion collapsed onto the cold ground, and let out a deep sigh.

"Phew...That was close, chu..."

"You think?" The delinquent snickered. "At least it's a good fight. Too bad it's beaten to a pulp now."

"I don't know." Warechu shrugged. "We should keep moving, chu."

"Well, duh. I swear, they must have modelled this place after some dungeon crawl games..."

They headed back into the maze-like dungeon, and peeked around the corner. Their instructor had long disappeared behind the edge of the high wall, and the scowl on Linda's face got progressively deeper, with each passing second of silence. After opening a few more random doors, another foe popped up in their path.

"Detecting, potential, targets." One of the dummies said, in a robotic monotone voice, "Initiating tar-"

"Shut the hell up, you crappy piece of junk!" Linda swung her pipe towards its head, causing its neck to snap. With a second strike, the head flew off its body like an oversized baseball.

Bullet soon rained down across the room, forcing Warechu to scurry behind the nearest cover, while Linda continued bashing her way through the small hoard of dummies. The numbers did get a little overwhelming, and just as she was bashing down a dummy that suddenly popped up behind her, a bullet grazed past her leg.

"Argh!" She gasped at the burning sensation. "Why, you-!"

Linda charged towards the attacker, holding her pipe sideways, with a murderous glare on her face. The dummy continued firing at her, and after deflecting a few bullets with her weapon, Linda lunged at the dummy, knocked the rifle out of its hands, and trampled it down.

"Knock, it, off! You, annoying, piece of junk!" The delinquent screamed, as she unleashed a torrent of vicious assaults on the dummy, until it was reduced to a heap of scrap metal pieces.

"T-That's enough, chu..." Warechu tugged at her sleeves, trying to calm her down. "I think you've shown that chump who's boss."

After one last bash, just for the sake of it, Linda leaned back against the nearest wall, and slowly rolled up her pant leg with one hand. The bullet had only grazed the skin, but there was still a fair amount of blood oozing out of the wound.

"Tch, that no-good punk..." Linda mumbled. "I swear I'll give her more than just a regular beating, after we're done here."

"You're bleeding out..." Warechu eyed her nervously, before he caught a glimpse of something behind a half-opened door. "Hold on, there are some shelves around here, chu. I'll go look for some bandages."

"Go for it." She gave him a small nod.

Her companion disappeared into the dark room, and Linda, still leaning against the wall, gazed up at the fluorescent light bulbs hanging above the maze, with a deep frown on her face.

"Where the hell is she...?"

Outside of the maze, Duchess was lying on her comfy seat, chugging down a can of soda as she watched over the pair.

"It's taking 'em so long!" She whined. "C'mon, Linda girl. You know that ain't anywhere near your full potential, right?"

"Here's your food, Duchess." Ranger walked in, with a bag of popcorn in hand. "I also grabbed another bundle of soda."

"Ah, that's nice! Give it to me!" She grinned, and impatiently gestured towards her teammate. "Ain't nothing can compare to a sweet, tasty corn that pops like a fizzle!"

"So, uh, how's the new fella doing? Getting a hang of it yet?"

"Nah." Duchess shook her head. "She's a bit of a slow learner. They're doing fine, but it still ain't enough for our heist."

"At least they aren't in serious trouble." Ranger sweatdropped, "Aren't you going to… you know? Train them?"

"What~? Of course I am. Why do ya' think I bring them to this sweet maze here?"

"Uh, no. I mean training them directly. In a one-on-one lesson." Ranger clarified.

"Huh..." Duchess pondered, and took another sip from her soda can. "Nah. Feeling kinda tired today. They can wait till another day."

"But you..."

"Really. I'm not gonna slack off." Duchess grabbed another handful of popcorn, and stuffed them into her mouth. "Feel free to be their coach, if that's what floats your boat."

"Well, whatever you say." Ranger sighed, and walked out of the room.

Duchess moved her sight back onto the pair below. Nothing interesting seemed to be happening down there, and, after finishing her first can of soda, she put down the bag of popcorn, and popped open another can.

"Mmh...This drink ain't so bad after all!"

Linda easily took down the last few dummies on their path with a flurry of strikes, before she looked up, and saw a huge grey door in front of them. Its gigantic proportion and cold metallic glow gave it a faint, ominous aura that sent chills up their spines.

"I-I don't like where this is going, chu..." Warechu cowered a little, as he eyed the door.

"Hey, if this door is bigger than the rest, there must be something good behind it." Linda said, before she kicked the door open.

It took them a few seconds to adjust to the darkness inside the room, which the light from outside could barely penetrate. Frightened, Warechu stayed close to Linda, gripping the corner of her jacket with his paws.

The door suddenly shut behind them when they were halfway across the room, casting the entire space into complete darkness. Warechu tightened his grip on Linda's jacket, before a ray of light shone down from above, and the light panels dangling on the ceiling lit up one by one.

The room was massive, with grey metal spikes decorating its walls. Warechu nearly jumped up as he caught sight of the piles of skeletal remains, scattered all across the floor.

"W-Wah! We need to get out of here, chu!"

"Hey! Will you cut it out!" Linda barked.

"Calm down, those are just props that we forgot to clean up."

A voice called out to them. The pair looked up, and saw Ranger standing above the walls.

"You guys are pretty good, to be honest. I thought we'd have to rescue you from this dungeon for a sec." She applauded.

"Hey!" Linda shouted. "How far are we from the exit?!"

"Actually, it's right here." Ranger pointed at the door on the other side of the room. "But, just so you know, it'll remain locked until after you've faced your final challenge."

"Final challenge?"

"A boss fight." She shrugged, "Honestly, one-on-one duels in a training session are such a cliche, don't ya' think so? So, here's a simple task. Beat it till it's as good as dead."

"Heh, that ain't so bad after all." Linda smirked, and drew her iron pipe.

"I wouldn't be so sure 'bout that. But since you've fought against Duchess, I guess I'll have a little more faith in you."

With a thud, the floor at the center of the room slowly slid apart, revealing a rising platform with a larger dummy on it. Unlike the smaller ones, it wielded a large, spiked steel hammer, and was covered with steel platings from head to toe. The ground below trembled as the dummy took its first few steps, and started moving towards them.

"Boss D-Quake, initiated." The boss announced, grasping its giant hammer tight. "Boss Battle, commenced."

"W-What's that big chump?!" Warechu exclaimed.

"Hah! That's a boss?" Linda boasted. "More like a piece of cake!"

The boss started sprinting towards the pair. Its huge size and weight hampered its speed, however, and the pair hopped away before the hammer could slam them into a pulp. The strike missed, but the resulting shockwave was still enough to push both of them away.

Linda jammed her pipe against the ground and steadied herself, while Warechu was knocked down, and faceplanted on the hard tiles as he tumbled all the way across the room.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" The rat squeaked with each bump against the tiles, until he finally slammed into a wall.

"Hey, tough guy! Is that all you got?" Linda mocked. "Try moving faster than that!"

The boss responded to her taunts by charging straight at her, holding its hammer with both hands, and made multiple overhead slams. They all missed, thanks to Linda's agility and small build, and she maneuvered around the dummy with ease, before slamming her pipe against its back. She winced a little, as the pipe bounced off the tough steel plating.

"Damn, that thing's too strong to beat up..." Linda cussed.

Ranger, who was watching her performance with a keen interest, looked quite awed by Linda's reaction speed. She gave the delinquent a small clap, as she dodged another slow swing from the hammer.

"You're doing great. I'm impressed, really." Ranger smiled, "But, unless you've found a way to get through its armor, you'll be stuck in this fight until you call it quits."

"Call it quits? Nah!" Linda laughed, reached into her jacket pocket, and grabbed the pistol. "I think a run-and-gun should do it!"

She fired a few blasts at the boss' head, and, just when it switched back to one-handing the hammer, shielding its head from the projectiles with its other hand, she circled around it. Then, she began to climb up its legs.

"Linda, what are you doing?!" Warechu picked himself up from the ground, and squealed at her.

"My pipe isn't enough to get through this junk! But a gun should do the trick!" Linda yelled back, and pulled herself up onto its shoulder, while the boss was stumbling around the room, trying to shake her off.

The boss dropped its hammer, attempting to grab the delinquent with its hands and throw her off, but she easily dodged the clumsy grabs. Clinging onto the back of its head, Linda cocked her pistol, and pressed it against the thinnest piece of metal plating.

"Eat lead, you giant bucket-head!"

The bullet pierced through the lightly armored skull, tearing the circuitry apart on its way out, and the dummy fell to its knees, before slamming against the ground with a loud thud. Linda hopped down from its neck, with a victorious grin on her face, and gave a fist bump to the air in celebration of her success.

"Hah! How do you like that?" She snickered.

Right at that moment, the massive door on the other side slid open in a dramatic slow motion, the cranking of gears and pistons echoing through the room for a solid minute before it was fully open. Ranger was standing behind the door, with arms crossed.

"Congratulations." She applauded. "You have succeeded in conquering your first training level—"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Linda cut her off, "now, where the hell is Duchess?"

"Uh, she's up there, still eating her snacks." Ranger gestured at a staircase nearby.

"Tch..." She growled. "That little bitch..."

Still panting heavily, Linda stomped her way up the narrow metal stairs, while Ranger and Warechu stared at her blankly. As the sounds of her rash footsteps finally vanished in the distance, Warechu, still feeling a vague sense of unease, mumbled to himself.

"I have a bad feeling about this, chu..."

The floor was littered with empty soda cans, and Duchess, still slumped in her chair, continued to munch on the popcorn, without a care in the world. After one last sip from the soda can, she let out a satisfied sigh, and tossed it aside.

Right at that moment, she spotted a familiar figure in the distance, holding a pipe over her shoulder, and her eyes lit up at the sight.

"Ay, Linda~!" She called out to the girl, grabbed another can, and held it up high in the air. "Congrats on completing your training! What do ya' think? Is it good? Bad? Easy? Hard? Messy? Oh wait, the maze is always messy, hehe."

"So uh, yeah, your prize! I almost forgot that! Do you want a bag of popcorn? Or a can of soda? Which flavor?" She gestured towards the bundle of drinks, which was met with an eerie silence.

"That's a no, huh? Well, what else do you want? Need a good firearm? Oh wait, you're pretty roughed up, how 'bout I let you—"

"—bash your skull wide open? YES!" Linda let out a furious shriek, and charged towards Duchess, her pipe out in an overhead grip.

Duchess swiftly ducked to the side, and the next second, the swing connected with her chair, which exploded in a burst of splinters and shards.

"Woah there, fella." Duchess leaped back, with a smug grin on her face. "You're fuming! What, still have some rage ya' need to get out of your system, after that whole training mayhem?"

"Well duh, I ain't feeling fine, you punk!" Linda yelled, as she made a couple more swings at her. "I told you I'm gonna beat you to a pulp, after you shoved us into this stupid death simulator! You could've killed us!"

"C'mon, I was just kidding about the killing part!" Duchess giggled. "Hell, Gordea specifically programs them to not kill you, just to knock you down and give you a little scratch."

"Oh, sure. Getting shot in the leg is just a little scratch, huh? Take this! You—stupid—punk!"

Linda kicked Duchess squarely in the chest, and sent her flying into the opposite wall. She propped herself up with a weak cough, holding a hand to her chest, and a small bit of blood could be seen on her lips. Despite the pain, she still kept up her rowdy persona and smile, as she picked up her fallen shades, and put them back on.

"Heh, now, that's a real kick..." She grinned. "You should've hit 'em harder back there, as hard as you kicked me!"

Before Linda could bring her pipe down on her head, Warechu and Ranger rushed up the staircase, grabbed her by the arms, and dragged her back from Duchess.

"Hey!" Linda shrieked, as she struggled against the tight grip. "Let me go, you punks!"

"Linda, just stop it, chu!" Warechu pleaded, and the delinquent hesitantly stopped her attempt to break free, after a few more tries.

"Duchess, are you okay?!" Ranger approached her senior, and helped her to stand back up. "Geez, that's one nasty bruise she gives ya'..."

"Nah, it's no big deal!" Duchess cheered. "It'll take more than a bruise to bring down good ol' me!"

"What ze hell is going on?!"

A loud, belligerent voice rang through the room, before the door opened, and two figures barged through. Erich had her huge machine gun out and ready, while Gordea was still holding a circuit board in her hands, with a bewildered look on her face.

"What's with ze ruckus here? What have you done on mein turf?!" Erich screamed. "And what ze hell happened to you, Duchess?!"

"Hey, calm down. All is well!" Duchess assured her, before she made a funny grimace. "Man, this bruise is really starting to sting..."

"What about zat punk?!" She pointed to Linda, and glared at her, "Did you make this mess?"

"So what? You have a problem with that?" Linda retorted back. "Oh, want me to give you a beating, too?"

Erich's trigger finger twitched, and she looked like she was about to blast Linda in the face, before Duchess hastily staggered up to her and pushed the gun aside, and Warechu pulled his companion back.

"Nein!" Erich roared. "Zat punk wants to pick a fight with me? I'll give it to her!"

"A'ight, Feldmarschall. No biting on my recruits, got it?" Duchess gave her a shaky smile. "Besides, I'll have a talk with 'em later."

"Grr, fine! And teach zat punk some respect towards her seniors, while you are at it!"

Erich stormed out of the room, still muttering a stream of vulgarities under her breath. Duchess let out a deep sigh, and turned to the confused tinkerer.

"Hey, Gordea." She said. "Might wanna tone down the simulation next time. Make it just a tiny…bit...easier…for the pair."

"Uh, sure." Gordea nodded. "Anyway, what just happened? I just heard the shouting, and rushed here."

"It's just good ol' Linda." Duchess chuckled, which earned her a glare from the delinquent. "Ain't nothing but a sweet taste of fizzy drink, a bag of popcorn, and a mild bruise over here."

"Oh, god! What happened?!" Gordea rushed to her side, after she lifted up her top a little, and exposed the bruise beneath. "Does it hurt? How did this happen to you?"

"Ehh, it wasn't that big of a deal. Linda ain't happy being dumped into the maze. After she was done with the thing, she gave me a good kick, just to let out some steam."

"Geez." The tinkerer facepalmed. "Why would you even send them in there..."

Gordea put an arm around her shoulders, and helped Duchess get near the gate, before she turned back, and bowed towards the pair.

"I'm very sorry! I'll make sure to tone the difficulty setting down next time!"

"Calm down, it's not your fault or anything." Linda scoffed.

"Duchess, why did you even...?"

"Just forget about it." Linda snarked. "I'll talk to her later. Just go patch her up."

"B-But!"

"Chill'ax, Gordea." Duchess held up a palm, as she leaned against the wall, with a grin on her face. "Yeah, we'll talk about it later."

"What the hell is with that smug grin?" Linda frowned. "What, have I suddenly become a whole new person, after that little trip to your death maze?"

"Psh, nah. It's more than that, but I'll not gonna spoil it for you." Duchess snickered. "C'mon Gordea, let's go. This bruise really ain't going easy on me."

"Okay then..."

Gordea held her up by the shoulder again, and the pair walked out of the gate, leaving Linda and Warechu alone in the room, together with Ranger.

"You know you shouldn't have kicked her like that." Ranger gave her a dirty look.

"Why the hell not? Who wouldn't have kicked the punk, after she threw you into a giant, stupid maze, full of dummies that can literally kill you?"

"Well, I can't really blame you..." Ranger sighed "But really, Duchess is always this rowdy. It's nothing personal."

"Oh sure! Nothing personal! That rowdy punk just has some terribly off ideas about what 'training' means, huh?!"

"Linda, maybe you should take a break, chu..." Warechu mumbled. "We've been through a lot, chu."

"Yeah, I guess so. Though, where can we go and relax for a bit?"

"We got a lounge in the middle of our hideout." Ranger replied. "Normally, that's where the whole A-Squad gets comfy, and sometimes have a glass of wine after our heist."

"That would be nice, chu." The rat smiled. "What does the room have?"

"Eh, not much. A huge red couch and a bulky TV. We also got a stereo that Gordea built for us, though the audio is really terrible."

"Sure, fine. I'll gladly take it." Linda smirked. "Where is it?"

"This way." Ranger gestured for the pair to follow her.

"What the hell?! 'Not much'? Hello? It's way more than that!"

Linda gasped as the door opened, revealing a multimillionaire-class lounge, more luxurious than anything the pair could have anticipated. It was an elegant white room, full of expensive decorations, and right in the middle of the room lay a soft red couch, about as large as a car. The CRT TV in front of it was ginormous and bulky, even taller than Linda—a stark departure from the thin holographic television screens in their home dimension.

Warechu's eyes lit up in awe as he scurried around the room, examining every little detail on the expensive furnitures and decorative artworks, while Linda was still standing at the gate, with her mouth agape.

"Again, how the hell is this not enough for you?!" She turned to Ranger, after the door shut behind them. "This place is like a mansion!"

"Well..." Ranger scratched her head. "I guess that you've never seen other gangs' lounge. They have bigger rooms and more expensive decors, but eh, they also have a lot more people. Gotta need a huge space, just to stuff everyone inside."

"Eh, we've been living a dirt poor life, selling pirated games. Don't make that much of a difference to me." The delinquent crossed her arms.

"Why would you buy this kind of television, chu?" Warechu asked. "It looks so old-school. You guys should have enough money for a newer one, chu."

"Huh? Old school?" Ranger raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? This is the latest television model on the market."

"What?" The rat exclaimed. "There aren't any TVs with a flat screen, and you can hang on a wall? Without the bulky parts?"

"Huh? That's even more confusing...I've never heard of any televisions like that. It sounds super cool, though. Like it's straight out of a sci-fi movie."

Before they could continue their conversation, the door behind them suddenly slid open, revealing a familiar figure.

"Hey there, fellas!" Duchess cheered, and opened her arms. "Guess who's back?"

"Oh no..." The delinquent and her rat companion murmured in dismay. "Not her again..."

"Hey, already patched up?" Ranger waved at her.

"Kinda, but eh, good enough." Duchess lifted her shirt, revealing the bandages wrapped around her chest, "Gordea said that I need to wrap this thing around my body for a day or so. It's so uncomfortable and annoying, y'know?"

"You're welcome." Linda sneered.

"Haha, real funny, Linda girl."

Duchess casually walked across the lounge, before she hopped onto the luxurious couch, and slumped into its soft surface.

"Uh, Duchess?" Linda waved at her. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah, all good n' well! The bruise ain't going to screw me over this time!"

"Yeah, but there's one more thing..."

"Come to think of it, didn't you wanna tell me something, Linda?" Duchess put a hand to her chin. "Y'know, back in the training room?"

"Yeah, that's right." Linda groaned.

"Oh great! Now that you ain't fuming mad anymore, we could at least have a civil talk. What do ya' want from your good ol' Duchess here?"

"Before we start, I want this to be kept private." Linda pointed at Ranger and Warechu.

"Huh?" Warechu frowned. "Me too, chu?"

"You heard your pal, Warechu." Duchess winked at him. "Now, why don't ya' step outside, and let us have this little secret talk? You can chat with Ranger while we're at it."

"Alright then, Duchess." Ranger shrugged. "Come on, Warechu. Let's get outta' here."

"Uh, sure."

The two departed the room, and the door slammed shut behind them. Duchess lay down on the couch, and stretched her arms out in a huge yawn, before she grabbed a bottle of water on the table and took a sip, oblivious to Linda's blank stares.

"So, what is it?" Duchess smiled. "You asked for a talk, and here I am! What'cha got?"

"I don't buy the whole 'training' bullshit, when you drag us into that game." Linda said. "Still ain't gonna forgive you for that. But really, why? What's the point?"

"Ah, that's what you wanna know, hehe." Duchess chuckled, as she stood back up. "Of course I don't expect you to forgive my slack. But yes, the maze game isn't just plain ol' training. It's more of a… quiz bee."

"You mean a test? The hell are you testing for?"

"Like I said, you really impressed me with your cocky delinquent swagger, back there." She smiled, "But now that I've seen you in some real action, I'm finally sure that you'd fit into the A-Squad on square one."

"What about Warechu?"

"Ehh, he got a bit of a mixed reception." Duchess shrugged. "So far, his wits ain't all that impressive, nor is he the fighting type. He should've been kicked out, but his psychopathic gal pal ain't gonna be happy 'bout that, right?"

"You've been thinking about it?" Linda gave her a nasty look, and she shook her head.

"Of course not! I ain't the cruel type!" Duchess looked almost a little offended. "It was only just a suggestion, and in the end, that idea is rejected."

"It better be..." The delinquent sighed, before she also sat down on the couch, and slouched back. "Again, what the hell are you testing for?"

"Simple, proving yourself strong enough to join this gang of the greatest gun-slingers in town! Even if you ain't a shooter type...guess that's gotta be a diversity bonus on my checklist."

"Wha-?" Linda scowled. "I thought we were already on the team?"

"Yeah, sure. But I need an overview of your skills, even for that temporary employment." She clarified.

"We know the security of Tari's bank is top-notch. I've seen you fight, but I still dunno if your skill against Dogoos and cops is enough against the heaviest security forces in Gamindustri. To use an analogy, you're like a water gal in the football competition, with us leading the team."

"Don't even try to underestimate my skills, Duchess." Linda let out a low growl. "You, of all people, should know that."

"Sure." Duchess nodded. "You've proven it to me, to Ranger, and probably to Gordea, too, if you kicking me in front of her count as one."

"How about that wannabe clone? The girl who's your equal or something?"

"Oh, Erich? Hmm..." She pondered, "Well...you certainly left a bad impression on her, and we had to stop you two from tearing each other's throat out, twice in a row now. Yeah, I don't think she'll accept you, just yet. But hey, at least our group is democratic!"

"Yeah, that's one way to manage this mess of a group..."

"Hehe, that's one way to describe A-Squad." Duchess nudged Linda on the shoulder. "But yeah, we sure are a mess, and wherever we go, we leave a mess of blazing bullets, too!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Wanna know how long it took us to clean up Erich's mess, after she went all out with her MG-42 in the training arena?"

"Nevermind..." The delinquent shook her head. "I don't even wanna know."

"Hehe, you should be."

Duchess walked to a cabinet, grabbed a bottle of wine, and poured it into a glass, before she took a sip and closed her eyes, savoring the rich flavor. After a satisfied sigh, she set the glass back onto the table, moved back to the couch, and sat down.

"Phew! Man, that's really something." She laughed. "Yeah, we had some good times, back then."

"Whatever you say, punk." Linda crossed her arms. "Not like I know much about them personally."

"Linda girl, just shut it, a'right?" Duchess teased. "How about we go take a look at our test results, to see if you're ready to pull off some insane stunts in Gamindustri!"

"Whatever." The delinquent huffed. "Just get it over with, so we can start this stupid mission already."

"No problem! I'll go get the papers."

Duchess stood back up, and stretched her arms out, before she suddenly remembered something, and gave Linda a heavy slap on the back with an "Ah-ha!" sound, to her great confusion.

"The hell's that for?"

"While I'm on my way to fetch the papers, I should bring Erich to see the show, too." She grinned, "Don't make us disappointed in ya'."

"Sis! Wake up!"

"U-Ugh..."

Sylvania found herself staring into a white ceiling, before two faces moved into her field of vision, one of them a young girl with blue hair, and she saw the bag of IV fluids hanging above her.

"Phew..." The little girl sighed. "I'm glad you're okay..."

"Huh, Lessa?" She mumbled. "How did I end up here?"

"You had passed out after the fight, Lady Sylvania." The nurse explained. "When we found you, you were badly injured, so we quickly carried you to a hospital."

"And that's when they called me here!" The girl leaned forward, with a worried look on her face. "I'm really scared when I saw you lying there..."

"Hehe..." She let out a weak chuckle, and grabbed her younger sister's hand. "I'm really sorry about that."

"Auugh..." The girl pouted. "Just don't scare me like that, next time!"

"Don't worry."

"Forgive me, milady, but...I heard there had been a battle in the middle of Intellastion, and some said that they caught sight of the CPUs of Magnabox and Planeptune, and this other CPU that no one can recognize. In fact, her outfit is bizarrely different, compared to the rest. Do you know who she is?"

"Huh, who is this 'other CPU'?" Lessa frowned.

"I understand the citizens' concern about the recent battle. Odyssee's intervention just made it more heated than usual, and of course people would be curious about this new CPU." Sylvania sighed. "However, until I'm well enough to start collecting intels about this CPU, I don't think I can give you a good answer."

"I understand, Lady Sylvania." The nurse responded with a bow.

"Now, there's something else I need to deal with—"

Sylvania sat up, and staggered out of her bed, before a burning pain struck her chest, and she nearly fell on her knees. Her sister and the nurse hurried forth and caught her in their arms, before helping her back onto her bed. She tried to sit up again, but was gently pushed down.

"Lady Sylvania! You haven't fully recovered yet. You must stay in your bed."

"B-But!"

"Sis, don't be stubborn!" Lessa pouted. "Please don't exert yourself too much."

Despite understanding their concerns, Sylvania still could not help but scowl a little, as she let out a deep sigh, and stopped her struggle.

"Fine...I'll stay here for a while."

"Good." The nurse smiled. "If there's something you need, please tell us."

"Okay. Wait, can you bring a glass of water?"

"Sure." She nodded. "I'll bring one, right away."

The nurse disappeared behind the doors, leaving the two alone in the room. After the echoes of her footsteps faded away, there was a moment of silence, before Sylvania called out to her sister.

"Hey, Lessa."

"Huh? What is it, big sis?"

"I've told you about the battle…Now, would you please do something for me?"

"Of course!" She grinned. "Anything for my big sis!"

"Good." Sylvania patted the CPU Candidate on the head. "It's about this 'other CPU' I mentioned. I want you to find her, and her lilac-haired friend in a parka jacket."

"Huh? Why would you want me to find this CPU?" The Candidate looked a little puzzled, before she perked up, with a huge smile on her face. "Oh! Do you want me to fight her for you?"

"O-Of course not! You're not ready to challenge another CPU yet!" Sylvania shook her head frantically. "I just want you to search for them. If you do find them, keep an eye on these two, and let me know where they are. Got it?"

"Got it!" The girl gave her a salute. "I won't let you down, sis!"

Lessa shoved the door open, and sprinted past the nurse, just when she was about to come in, and she nearly dropped the glass of water in surprise. The nurse let out a small sigh, before she carried the tray to Sylvania, and set the glass down on the small table beside her bed.

"Seems like your little sister is in a rush. She's ready to race today, isn't she?"

"Nope, it's something different." Sylvania shook her head. "Something she needs to keep an eye on."

With a roar of the engines, Lessa's exotic convertible race car took a sharp turn through the streets, overtaking the nearby vehicles in a hurry, its black paint shimmering under the sunlight. Despite the speed, the young girl's driving skill could be described as flawless.

Finally, she stepped on the brakes, and the car came to a halt with a screech of its tires, in front of a roadblock, where multiple police officers were putting up tapes around the wreckage. She opened the car door, and quickly approached the scene.

"Ah, Lady Lessa." The captain waved at her. "It was my pleasure to meet the divine figure of this nation."

"T-Thank you, cap..." Lessa replied, looking a little flustered.

"So, what brought you here, milady? Our boys were still working on the investigation, as well as cleaning up the wreckage. A battle in the city center...now the Console War is really getting on the people's nerves."

"True..." She sighed. "Anyway, I came here to ask about the other CPUs involved in this fight. Do you know them?"

"Of course, milady." The captain nodded. "From our questioning of the witnesses, it seemed like the CPUs of Magnabox, Planeptune, and...another CPU were responsible for this destruction."

"And who is she?"

"So far, we are unable to trace her identity. No one has seen her before, either." He shook his head.

'That's odd. Could a new CPU have been born in Gamindustri, without anyone's knowledge?' Lessa thought.

"From what the witnesses closest to the battle scene had told us, she went by the title of Black Heart, and called herself the CPU of Lastation." The captain flipped through the paper in his hands, before he started speaking again.

"The odd thing is, there isn't a nation named Lastation. We thought she was an imposter, but the level of strength she displayed, and the witness accounts...there is no way she could fake that."

"I see..." Lessa narrowed her eyes. "Do you know where this 'Black Heart' is at, right now?"

"Sadly, no. No one has seen their departure, but people did see the CPU of Magnabox flying away in the aftermath. Both Black Heart and Lilac Heart seemed to disappear without a trace, and we cannot track them down."

"Alright, then. I've heard enough..." Lessa sighed, before she started walking back towards her car. "If you've found more information about them, let me know!"

"Yes, milady."

Author's Notes

Nakayama represents the game console as SG-1000 (1983-1985).

Sylvania represents the game console as Intellivision (1979-1990).

Lessa represents the handheld game console as Mattel Auto Race (1976), world's first handheld game console.

Odyssee represents the game console as Magnavox Odyssey (1972-1975)

Braun represents the prototype game console as the Brown Box prototype (1967-1968), world's first game console to be developed.

This is intentionally long, as I've celebrate its 10th chapter and reaching 100,000 words just for the sake of it, that's been a a lot of days spent for this.

Hope this wouldn't be much of a distraction by its length.

u/Ryin_silverfish — Proofreader & Editor