Chapter 7: Unravelling Threads
Ayame invited Neptune, Tekken, and Broccoli back to her shop, where she came out in a frilly, pink apron with a bikini underneath. Neptune's eyes bulged, "Whoa. And I thought Tekken's outfit was lewd. This girl is goin for a full-on kitchen fetish. I bet she's gonna start layin' out the food play. Puchiko, do you see any carrots?"
"Why yes. I saw some headed that way. If you hurry, you might be able to catch them, nyu." Broccoli pointed sarcastically. As Broccoli looked around, Neptune and Tekken continued talking with Ayame, especially the latter, as both girls admired each other's fighting styles. Tekken expressed that she was not used to crowds lining up to congratulate her and it made her nervous.
"Oh, you get used to it. Luckily this is a small town just outside Yokohama, so you don't get too many of them. So, where did you say you guys were from again? Someplace in Europe?"
"What's a Europe?" Neptune asked. "No wait. Don't tell me. It's an exclusive flavor of butterscotch pie made from a mama goat."
Ayame's eyes widened into white circles of shock as she thought Is this one of those people who make it into stupid people vine compilations?
"U-um G-gamindustri! We are from Gamindustri?" Tekken replied.
"Game industry?" Ayame scratched her chin, "Oh! That's so cool! So you make games then. But that's not what I was asking." Ayame rubbed the back of her head.
"Uhm. Well, Planeptune does make games but we make tons more than just that. I can totally bring you along to Gamindustri one day, Ayame cause I'm the godde-… MMPH!" As Ayame wasn't looking, Tekken suddenly grabbed Neptune's mouth.
"Could you excuse us for a minute, Ayame?" Tekken quickly pulled Nep aside. "What are you doing, Neptune? You can't just go telling people these things so openly."
"Um. Well… it didn't seem to matter the time I visited Ultradimension, sooo why would it matter here?" Nep smiled awkwardly.
"The logic of Nep never ceases to amaze me, nyu." Broccoli closed her eyes in a look of disapproval.
"Don't you get it, Neptune? We could attract unwanted attention and possibly trouble if we go openly saying things like that." Tekken protested. Ayame squinted, looking through the shelves behind them to try and hear what they were saying. Her curiosity and suspicion beginning to rise, she knelt down behind a shelf full of souvenirs, making sure there were no customers around as the Gamindustri girls continued.
"But we don't even know that it was portal!" Tekken whined.
"Maybe it's because we didn't look at the operational end of the device?" Nep smiled with a pointed finger out.
"Now's not the time for jokes, nyu! You ought to be more careful from now on. If this gets anymore out of hand, we'll-… What is it, Gema?" Broccoli looked down at her little balloon creature, which was making a worried face. "Gema says we're not alone, nyu."
Ayame ducked her head. W-well of course they aren't! We're in a shop after all right? Just then Ayame yelped as she felt a pair of hands squeezing her jugs. "aAAAAHHH! N-n-n-n-NO TOUCHING!" She looked up to see a short, blue-haired boy dash around and laugh.
"Hahaha! Good thing for that try-before you buy deal. Cause your face was so priceless I couldn't afford it!" the boy began to take off running.
"Get back here, you little perv!" Ayame shouted. The boy looked back with a snicker when suddenly he tripped and fell on his face. Ayame looked up to see that Neptune had stuck her foot out and tripped the kid.
"WASTED!" Neptune shouted. "That's what ya get for bein' pervy."
The boy quickly jumped to his feet "I just wanted to see her reaction is all! And who are you to go tripping people up like that. That's rude."
"And just who are YOU to be openly groping girls like that!? You're too young for that sort of behavior!" Ayame barked.
"E-e-yeah! N-now, apologize you-… you… you little cutie." Tekken began looking at the boy with sparkles in her eyes.
"Suraku!" Komichi had walked up from behind the boy and lightly grabbed him by the back of his black, buttoned-up school jacket. "Is that any way for a brother to be acting?"
"Put me down, Komichi! It was just a joke!" Suraku pouted.
"Yes, a joke that Yamauchi would not be so tolerant about. Now if you apologize to miss Ayame, I will let this go." Komichi replied, putting the boy down.
"Hmph! Fine, I'm sorry…" Suraku pouted shamefully before pointing at Tekken "But let's be clear on one thing. I am NOT CUTE!"
"Aww, that just makes ya even cuter, kiddo." Neptune ruffled Suraku's hair.
The boy yelled in protest. "NO, I'M NOT! I am a warrior just you watch! Why don't we go back to Tokyo and I'll show ya!"
Ayame's face grew serious. "What's happening in Tokyo!?"
"Don't tell me you been livin' under a rock with no electronics cause you wanted to be all 'one with nature' and whatnot." Suraku pulled a sleek looking touchscreen phone from his pocket, before pulling up a video from Nippon News, showing Tokyo in a panic as Yoma attacked the streets. Broccoli then yanked Tekken and Neptune back.
"You saw it too, didn't you, nyu?"
"Yeah, some of those looked kinda like the monsters from our world. We should go help them!" Neptune nodded.
"But… I thought you wanted us to lay low for a while." Tekken replied.
"I know. But if innocent people are being attacked by monsters, no matter where they are, I have to protect them! It's in my heroine description after all." Neptune then proceeded to run out the door, Tekken and Broccoli trailing after her.
"Wait! Neptune! You don't even know where this… Toki-yoyo is!" Tekken cried. Just then, Neptune stopped, looking into the forest that sat behind Yokohama Bay. Local birds flew off and the trees were crashing in the distance.
"Oooh. Birds flying and trees cracking to indicate something bad is coming cliché. Neptune would be great at Fiction Sins, Ding." Nep smiled.
"That's not a thing, nyu." Broccoli frowned.
Neptune reached for her weapon when she came to a dreaded realization. "Huh? Um… where'd my weapon go? Oh crap! Don't tell me I lost my signature Nep sword!"
"You bought it for like 2500 credits at the Lowee shop, nyu." Broccoli remarked, but Neptune ran back into the shop frantically.
"Ayame! Get everyone out of the tent now! Something's coming!" Neptune replied.
"Eh!? So that man screaming outside was…" Ayame got cut off
"And do you sell any weapons in the shop?!" Nep began rushing around her shop frantically.
"U-um. Well, I do have the Tempered Carbon Steel Katana over there but-…"
"Thanks, Ayame! Now quick! It's not safe!" Neptune grabbed the Katana from it's shelf and quickly ran outside.
"H-heeeeyyyyy! Neptune, you can't just take things without paying for them! Ooohhh." Ayame moaned but proceeded to clear everyone out of the shop. By now, the people outside began looking toward the direction of the forest, backing away as each rumbling 'thud' got closer and closer. Suddenly a figure leapt into the air before landing and half smashing Ayame's shop.
The crowds of people fled screaming as the figure revealed itself. Giant, metallic wings protruded from its back, as did two massive gun barrels that went over its smaller robotic head, which sat just above a bear head biting down on a game console-shaped screen. Its hulking legs appeared to have remotes that decorated the sides as the entire machine was coated in a dark red coat of paint. Smashing its fists together while holding a giant sword in one hand, it let out an eerie, mechanized roar.
"A Galakryzer!? They've never made a sound like that before!" Nep performed a spinning leap forward beside Ayame, drawing the Katana.
"You know what these things are?" Komichi asked.
"W-without a doubt." Tekken replied. "Although… there's something different about this one. Like it seems to have a demon on its chest screen."
"I know, right? I hope it doesn't start talking… But if it did, it would probably say something like 'Pathetic! After all that talk, Xord was crushed by worthless maggots like you!?'" Neptune grinned goofily as she scratched her voice.
"Now's not the time for references, nyu." Broccoli said.
"Then it seems we have no choice." Komichi got into a stance.
"No way!? You're gonna let those little girls fight alongside us?" Suraku gasped.
"Excuse me?! Funny calling someone little who's even littler than me! Forget a punch, only thing you're packin' is nerd gear, kiddo." Neptune folded her arms, glaring at Suraku.
"Oh yeah!? I'll show you my gear is pretty deadly, you… girl who doesn't know what a skirt is!" Suraku stuck his tongue out at Neptune.
"How rude. This is a parka dress. Not that little boys would know anything about fashion." Neptune and Suraku glared at each other.
"That's enough, Suraku. Now… Shinobi Transformation!" Komichi placed his hands together, his vacation attire now vanishing to reveal his moderately toned abs and tan lines from his arms and legs, leaving him in little but a thong before he transformed into a black suit, short cape, and unbuttoned white shirt, exposing his chest a little.
"Shinobi Transformation!" Suraku transformed, his small, boyish frame revealed as he soon donned baggy jeans, a loose t-shirt that read 不慮, and a jacket to go over it with a set of goggles over his head. "HA! How's that?"
"Hmm, I dunno, this whole rebel thing the kid's got goin' really gives a delinquent vibe." Neptune slightly giggled.
"OOOH, we'll see how far you can get with that old sword!" He barked at Neptune.
"That's enough, you two. Now, let's finish this thing! Ayame?" Komichi looked her way.
Ayame locked eyes with Komichi for just a second. He's a ninja too!? What clan is he from? Ayame nodded before turning to the Galakryzer. "You RUINED MY SHOP! I won't let you get away with this!" The Galakryzer looked their direction before letting out another mechanized, demonic roar, raising it's sword.
The group scattered as it brought down it's sword. Neptune and Tekken began running around to it's side when it's gun barrel fired an array of red shots, which Neptune thought were missiles at first, when she heard a haunting moan from them. The faces of demonic, red ghosts with piercing teeth were fired at them from both sides. Ayame, Komichi, and Suraku leapt around, dodging the ghost like shots. "Nep-what!? Tekken, Broccoli, do you EVER remember Galakryzers being able to do that?" Nep asked only to have Tekken shake her head.
"Not a bit, nyu. Come to think of it. I don't think I've ever seen ANY monster in Gamindustri do that, Nyu." Broccoli shuddered a bit, concern consuming her face.
"I don't know where you're from, Ninja. But those were definitely Yoma." Ayame said looking at Komichi and Suraku.
"Yes, this thing is definitely a Yoma and yet… not… But the time for talk is not now!" Komichi rushed up, revealing a set of small arm cannons, which attached to a pair of gauntlets/brass knuckles. Firing exploding kunai at the machine's legs, the Galakryzer's vision was obstructed.
"Now it's my turn!" Suraku dashed up to it in a bolt of lightning, moving onto it's back where he revealed his phone to also be a taser, jamming it into the Galakryzer's back. Neptune saw her opportunity.
Neptune rushed up with Tekken and Broccoli following her. The three of them announcing their attacks respectively. "Cross combination!"
"Gema Toss!"
"Raijin Fist!"
Between a spinning Neptune, a hardened balloon, and an electrical uppercut, the Galakryzer sustained heavy damage. Komichi rapidly looked around for what he suspected what might be a weak spot until his eyes fixated on the small screen on the robot's chest.
Ayame, who was frozen in a state of fear, awe, and anticipation, snapped from her daze when Komichi called out to her. Running up towards the paralyzed Galakryzer where the demon face occupied the handheld-shaped screen. Ayame rapidly kicked at the Galaykryzer's screen, disrupting the electronic parts inside before shattering it with one final double-kick as she cried "RrrROCKET GIRL!".
Komichi's glasses blinged "Secret Ninja Art… Ballistic Barrage!" Summoning his arm cannons once more, he fired into the Galakryzer's now broken screen with all manners of different Kunai. The Galakryzer then threw Ayame off as it staggered back in pain.
"YEEEAAAH! Take that Galakreep!" Neptune cheered.
"That was totally awesome!" Suraku cheered as well, but then, as both he and Neptune noticed the other's excitement, they both folded their arms and turned away from each other with a 'hmph'. Despite the broken chest screen, the demon face still appeared and the Galakryzer roared once more. A strange, flesh-like substance growing in place of it's damaged spots.
"Whoa! Hey! Neptune was it? You know about these things, yes? Is this normal for them?!" Ayame asked.
"I have never in all my eternal goddess years seen something so disgusting! Somebody give me a computer monitor to throw! Because this cheater is using HAAAAAACKS!" Neptune pointed.
The Galakryzer unleashed a red aura energy that threw everyone back. Komichi slid in the sand, barely landed on his knees. "If I had to guess. I'd say that thing was possessed by a yoma!"
"W-what's a yoma!?" Tekken forced herself to her feet.
"Demons attracted to bloodshed. Normally I would keep this information secret, but you're no ordinary citizens." The Galakryzer again fired wailing, red ghost shots their direction, now rushing at them with its sword extended. Busy dodging and fending off the demonic ghost attacks, the Galakryzer was almost on top of them, ready to slice Neptune, Tekken, and Ayame up, when a pair of pink laser beams pushed the Galakryzer back.
"MEKARA BEAM!" Broccoli shouted, but not before her eyes sparkled, unleashing a bright and deadly beam of light.
"Incredible. Big things come in small packages indeed." Komichi commented.
"Thanks, Puchiko! But how did you not get hit?" Nep asked.
"I'm small so I have high evasion stats, nyu. And Not Puchiko, It's Br-… why do I even bother?" Broccoli frowned.
Ayame began to run up towards the stunned Galakryzer. But as she did, Neptune saw a brief vision in a blue flash where the Galakryzer sliced Ayame in half, but cut off before the actual slicing part due to rating censorship. "Nooo! Ayame! Get out of there!" Neptune called out in a british accent. She quickly ran up, knocking Ayame out of the way before attempting to counter the Galakryzer's giant strike, which ended in the sword being split in half and Neptune sent flying.
"Miss Neptune!" Ayame cried out. Komichi attempted to catch her, but Nep only landed on his head, knocking them both down.
"A-Ayame! Let us finish this!" Tekken called out. She ran up to the robot, with repeated, energized punches and kicks "Ten Hit Combo!"
"Ultimate Ninja Art: Red Scorpion! Hope you're in for some pain! Cause I have a killer deal going down!" Ayame summoned a shop stall, where she began tossing all sorts of nasty products at the Galakryzer.
"Secret Ninja Art: Thunder Charge!" Suraku pulled out a skateboard, rushing at the robot faster and faster as his little body engulfed in electricity. Smashing through one side of the Galakryzer and out the other, it exploded in a demonic, mechanical wail as it vanished in a combination of bloody mist and purple pixels.
Broccoli shook her head from the recoil of the Mekara Beam and Nep rolled over off of Komichi, whose neck was in pain. "Th-that was… very impressive… Suraku." Tekken replied.
"W-well… I um… Eeeh, thanks… I guess. Oh no, Komichi!" Suraku stuttered at hearing her praise before running over to his friend, who was holding his neck in pain. "What did you do, Neptiny!?"
"First of all, it's Nep-TUNE, kiddo. And… I kinda have this thing for falling out of the sky and landing on people." Nep smiled with a sweatdrop.
"You idiot! Komichi's hurt because of you!" Suraku growled.
"Heeeyyyy, watch the claws, kiddo. Im not exactly feeling 100% charged myself after that attack. If only I had been more of a hoarder with those Nep Bulls." Nep groaned, holding her side. Tekken and Broccoli came over to her, helping her up.
"Suraku. I… I will be fine. Let us head back to Gokudō." Komichi grunted. With a sudden guilty feeling, Neptune apologized, but Komichi only smiled. "You're alright, miss Neptune. It was my fault for not catching you properly. The important thing is, you potentially saved miss Ayame."
"Jeez, you're so formal. Let's just get goin' already!" Suraku grumbled.
"Neptune? C-can you walk?" Tekken asked with an arm under Nep's shoulder. Neptune began to speak but almost slipped out of Tekken's grasp as she let out a multi-yelping 'ow'. "H-hey, Ayame. Does your shop by chance have any medicine or first aid?"
"Oh, I never sold much in the line of either of that stuff, but let's go back and see what we can-… EEH!" Ayame's eyes popped.
"What's wrong? Did you see a bug, nyu?" Broccoli asked.
"M-m-m-m-m-m-my shop is DESTROOOOYYYYEED!" Ayame screamed.
"Oh, well hey. From what I saw, the monster only stepped on half your shop. See, the right half is still standing." Neptune nodded with her chin.
"And you, Neptune!" Ayame turned her angered gaze at a nervous Nep. "That sword you took cost 55000 Yen! Made from real tempered carbon steel from the Sengoku Era! And NOW IT'S SPLIT IN TWO!"
"I'm sorry, Ayame. I had no weapon to fight with. It was an emergency." Neptune's reply made Ayame fold her arms, starting to calm down. "Buuut, since it kinda got slashed right across the middle, I guess you could say it's… half off?"
Ayame screamed, steaming at Neptune's comment. "OOOHH if you weren't so injured, I'd GIVE YOU WHAT FOR, NEPTUUUUNE!"
Broccoli shook her head, her eyes closed flatly, "I feel her pain, nyu."
Tekken grinned a nervous sweatdrop "Do you mean, physically like Neptune's? or e-emotionally like miss Ayame?"
"Who do you think, nyu?" Broccoli replied.
"Miss Miyabi. A coded message from Miss Ryobi." One of the lesser shinobi students informed, Miyabi getting up to follow her to the security room. Inside, a group of specialist shinobi sat a desk full of buttons and levers below a giant wall of screens that showed locations of secret cameras. Across from it, another group of specialized shinobi sat below a locational map of all Hebijo hideouts for patrolling ninjas, with each locational hideout being marked by a set of Blue, Red, and Green lights respectively.
"So she's in Orochi Woods, then." Miyabi then turned to one of the shinobi specialists. "What is Ryobi's message?"
"She says 'I have found an intruder in our midst, and have her in my sight. She's no shinobi, but her outfit is suspicious. I've never seen this type of design anywhere.'"
"Probably some lost tourist. Tell her to pay them no heed unless they venture too close to Hebijo." Miyabi nearly dismissed it.
"Wait, Miss Miyabi. Miss Ryobi has more." The shinobi student responded, before Miyabi gave her a look to say 'continue'. "She reads 'I am getting suspicious vibes from her though. She wields some kind of firearm, but is not dressed like your typical hunter. She's small, but definitely not harmless. Kinda reminds me of Mirai in some ways. Her skull is in my scope. How should I proceed?'"