Uzume looked at the copy. Her shirt was white, and tie is orange. Her hair is carnelian, and bright orange eyes. A determined expression on her face. Suddenly, the dream just stopped. Everyone and everything was frozen in place. Besides the copy of Uzume, the other figures' faces were covered by static.
Uzume clenched and unclenched her fists. Testing to see if she could move. Her eyes scanned the environment around her. "Zero Dimension," Uzume muttered. The name just, came to her. This place felt so close to her, but also meaningless to her. This is place is a place of closeness and hatred. Yet Uzume doesn't understand why.
Despite knowing that she has a connection to this place. She didn't, care for it. Uzume didn't understand it. How can something so close to her mean nothing to her at the same time? "This dream is so weird," the copy suddenly spoke.
Uzume suddenly turned to see the copy observing the world around her. She waved her hand in front of one of the figures, trying to see if they would react. "Tch, why the hell am I here anyway?!" The copy growled. Uzume this strange sense of disgust towards the copy. Yet also a feeling of envy, and longing.
The copy's voice, it was hers, but the mannerisms and way she spoke was different. It was much rougher, and, tomboyish. The copy locked eyes with Uzume. Bright and determined orange met dark and cold purple. Uzume's eyes narrowed and the copy's jaw clenched as they stared eachother down.
"Is that you, 'Me'?" The copy asked in a mocking way. Trying to provoke a reaction out of Uzume. Uzume was stunned, this, wasn't a dream, or was it? This was in her head, that's for sure, but this felt more...real. "Hey! I asked you a question! Is that you Kurome?!" The copy asked, a lot more impatient and hostile. This time calling Uzume a name to get a reaction.
Kurome? No, that's not Uzume's name. That sounds like some stupid nickname a twat came up with. "Call Uzume by her real name you fake meanie!" Uzume said and the copy's eyes widened in suprise. "So, you are alive, I'll stop you again! You won't destroy anything else!" The copy declared and pointed to Uzume.
The copy ran towards Uzume, and Uzume couldn't keep up with her charge. Uzume was socked in the jaw, and everything shattered like glass.
Uzume woke up in a makeshift bed. EXE, whose cloak seemed to look cleaner and less tattered. 'Did he get a new one?' Uzume wondered. "Uzume!" EXE said in concern. He almost hugged, but held himself back. He regained his composure and asked what had happened.
Uzume then began to tell what happened.
Hours ago, at the Neo Arcadia District, Uzume was looking over job requests. She had donated a lot of her money, and a lot less people are hungry and have more resources. Yet Zero District is still a mess. Buildings are derelict and are homes for squatters. Something needs to be done about that.
"Hiii Uuuzume!" A soft and lethargic voice broke Uzume out of her thoughts. Plutia, a new friend that Uzume has made. They have been talking for weeks, and Plutia always asks the weirdest questions. Then seems frustrated and contemplative about them.
"Hi Plutsy!" Uzume waved as Plutia jogged over to Uzume. They left The Guild, and Uzume has a request in her hand. "Caaan you shoow me pictures of Zero District?" Plutia asked and Uzume nodded. "Is there something else you need Plutsy?" Uzume asked as they were near the gates to leave the city.
"I heard that Iris Heart is a baaad CPU. Is that true?" Plutia asked, shuffling her slippered feet. "Yeah! Iris Heart is a meanie pants! Uzume wants to get her to change her ways!" Uzume replied and Plutia had a look of hurt.
"Oh, after you briiing meee the pictuuureess. Caaan we goo on a quuest together?" Plutia asked and Uzume nodded and they split off. Uzume left the city and into the forest.
Uzume checked the request, and there was nothing. Then, men in black suits and sunglasses came out of the shrubbery, surrounding Uzume. She looked at them, feeling their anger and arrogance. Their negative emotions made Uzume feep more limber and sharp.
One of the men grabbed Uzume's shoulder. "You're getting way too popular for your own good kid, accept your spanking like a good brat," the man growled. He readied a punch to Uzume. Yet she redirected his arm, and the punch flew past her.
The man stumbled and was now at a distance from Uzume. A dark aura leaked from Uzume. She quickstepped away from punch. Only for a man behind her to shoot Uzume's shoulder.
HP disrupts the viability of hitting vital parts. However, it doesn't negate pain in the slightest. Uzume whimpered and clutched her shoulder. She bit her lip, and ran at the man who shot her. Another man charged into Uzume's stomach, grappling her.
She tried to get out of the man's grip. Then, she was whapped over the head with a baseball bat. The man let go of Uzume as she fell to her knees. They punched and kicked her. This was like in tbe city, before she ever decided to fight back.
'No! Uzume has to win! For Exsy, Ms. Fami, Clydsy, Inksy, Blinksy, Pinksy, and everyone else in the Zero District!' Uzume's dark purple eyes flared up and a black flame leaked from her pupils. Her dark determination intimidated the men, causing them all to stumble backwards.
Uzume then rolled, and spun on her hands, her feet kicking all the men surrounding her. She then pushed off her hands, and flipped onto her feet. Two men rushed at Uzume. She moved to the side as one man missed his punch. Socking his comrade in the jaw. Uzume was then behind the man who was punched. She kicked at his leg, and forced him to kick his friend in the nuts.
As the man held his nuts, falling to the ground. Uzume went behind the him, and gave him an elbow to the back of his head. They both fell to the ground at the same time, unconscious.
She quickstepped to avoid bullets from a couple of men. Uzume then bent backwards, limbo style. A man was over her with a wooden katana. Like an executioner cutting off a head. He swung downwards at Uzume. Who caught the wooden katana in her teeth.
They struggled for a second, only for Uzume to roll to the side. She was facing the ground and the wooden katana's 'blade' pointed at the previous user. She let the wooden katana fall from her mouth. Then with a palm strike and an "EEEYAAAAH!!" Uzume sent the wooden katana on a course to the previous owner's stomach. The wooden katana crashed onto him, blade first, and shattered into splinters.
'Seven left,' Uzume counted as she rolled back to her feet. Her body is crying out in pain from the gunshot wound and where they whaled on her. Her teeth ached from catching a wooden katana. These experimental moves are putting a toll on her body. Uzume isn't trained, she's improvising using her instincts.
Uzume took another bullet to the ribs, then another on her thigh. She fell to one knee, and swept her legs as three more men approached her. They fell to the ground. Uzume stood up, and backflipped, landing her knee onto a man's stomach, a sadistic grin on her face.
Uzume dove to the ground, and rolled right in front of one of the men with the a pistol. She grabbed him by the face, and brought him to a tree. She held him by the collar and face, as she slammed the back of his head against the tree over and over again. She let him go and he began to slide down the tree. "EEEYAAAH!!" Uzume cried before landing a brutal chop to his head, knocking him out.
Uzume side stepped a man with coming at her with a baseball bat. Because of his swing and miss, Uzume was now behind him. She wrapped one arm around his neck, and the other pressing her knuckles on the top of his head. He flailed his arms and bucked his hips, trying to escape. With a demented grin, Uzume cracked his neck and then put it back in place, before letting him drop to the forest floor.
Uzume picked up the baseball bat. Then she side stepped more shots as the last man with a pistol emptied his magazine. Uzume ran to him, swinging and hitting him with the bat like nunchucks. Then she gave him a kick to the stomach, sending him to the ground.
Uzume ran to a fleeing opponent, then whacked him over the head. He went to his knees, trying to stand back up, big mistake. Uzume balanced on one foot and held the bat like she's about to hit a homerun. With one more swing, the bat broke into pieces, and the man was in dreamland.
One of the last guys, grabbed a discarded pistol. Uzume was already running towards him. He pointed it straight at Uzume's head as she was in point blank range. She grabbed his wrists with both hands, and pointed the gun away from her. Then let one hand off his wrist, she jabbed his ear. Causing him to stumble and let go of the gun. Uzume cocked the gun, as he recovered.
He tried a haymaker, only for Uzume to casually, point the gun at his hand. Uzume pulled the trigger and shot his hand, and he recoiled in pain. He stepped back, clutching his wrist. Then Uzume pistol whipped him.
She threw the gun away. Looking at the last man. She felt exhausted and her body was aching. From the injuries and risky moves. Uzume ran to the last man, grabbed him by the collar. He grabbed Uzume's wrist, and pushed her off him. The momentum caused both of them to spin, and Uzume used that momentum to roundhouse kick him to the ground.
Uzume coughed and fell on her hands and knees. 'Have..to...get back,' Uzume forced herself to move on. The adrenaline leaving her, as she leveled up. Uzume trudged back to Planeptune, and back to Zero District.
"-And that's what happened," Uzume finished her tale of fighting off many men. EXE's eyes glowed red with cold rage. Rockstar had sent assassins after Uzume. Yet, when she mentioned Plutia. EXE didn't know what to think. He kept his mouth shut, by the sound of it. Uzume will find out on her own, what Plutia is tomorrow.
"Uzume, this woman, named Rockstar sent those goons after you. She rules Planeptune's criminal underbelly. She's more of a danger to your dream than Iris Heart. She needs to be taken out," EXE explained. Uzume sucked in her teeth and processed this information.
"Uzume has a plan Exsy! She'll get Iris Heart to change her ways, and then beat up the meanie Rockstar. Uzume'll throw Rockstar in jail and Iris Heart will thank her!" Uzume planned out with a smug smile.
"Uzume!" Clyde burst in, along with his other friends. "Hi Clydsy!" Uzume waved with a smile. "You've done a lot for us. Donated money, food, clothes, but the buildings we live in. They're ass, we need to do something about it," Clyde explained.
"Bro, but, how would we fix up these places?" Ink asked. Blinker slapped him and Inker whined. "We fix it ourselves you f$cking idiot!" Blinker exclaimed. Uzume stroked her chin, like it was a beard. She closed her eyes and locked her fingers under her chin. Uzume began to sparkle, and daydream.
"What if we like, started our own construction business? Then Uzume and her pals will fix Zero District. Everyone will have places to live, we'll have a super catchy song, and like, everyone will be super duper happy!" Uzume chirped.
EXE, and the others were silent. "A construction company?" Clyde asked to make sure. "Yeppies, and with a song!" Uzume replied with a adorably determined look on her face. "Tennouboshi Construction! Exsy, can you write the song?" Uzume asked, with wide, puppy like eyes. Despite her dark color scheme, she's perhaps the brightest thing in the room.
"I'll give it my best Uzume," EXE replied, then he gave Uzume a headpat. Uzume giggled and blushed at the affection. "Pinko! You're an art nerd! Make us some posters or something!" Blinker ordered. Pinko nodded and left. "This is tubular! We're gonna save Zero District!" Ink whooped.
"Exsy? Do you have any cameras?" Uzume asked, remembering her promise to Plutia. "When do you need it?" EXE asked. "Today, pretty please with a cake and a grape on top of the cake?" Uzume begged. EXE left without saying another word. The other hobos following him.
Uzume grabbed her chest. That dream, with that copy. This feeling of utter hatred ran through her body as that fake's image flashed in her head. Uzume finally figured she gets power from emotions and the faith of others.
She is more empowered through negative emotions than faith. The faith, just sits there, she can't do anything with it. Uzume feels like there is something missing. She knows she could do more with it, but what? Her body isn't allowing her to do so. Her body isn't suited for it.
Uzume thought of the foreboding warning of the fake Uzume. She's coming, but when? How? That name, Kurome, it's a name Uzume dislikes. It's not her name, Uzume is her name. Her is Uzume Tennouboshi, and no one will take that from her.
So, with Hobo Kurome's fighting style. It's taken from Goro Majima from the Yakuza series, more specifically Yakuza 0. Look up some showcases for a better visual of what I've been going for.
Hobo Kurome is also a sadist in battle for a reason. While generally she's optimistic, the Whirpool of Delusion has affected her. So, her 'darker impulses' are released in battle.
EXE's hypothetical voice actor would be Casey Mongillo. Because Casey voices Gamecrazed in the webseries TOME(watch it btw). Gamecrazed has this cool, and aloof voice.
Rockstar sounds like a female Tony Montana from the movie Scarface.
Hobo Kurome's regular battle theme is One Eyed Assassin from Yakuza 0
EXE's regular battle theme is Crash Addiction from Yakuza 0