Next chapter, coming up boys and girls

In this Chapter, We will be looking into some upgrades for Compa, upgrades that were both mine and one other. A shout out to King Carlos for suggesting a future power-up for Compa to me. I like it and I can fit it in with my Backstories for Team RAIL.

Also, remember when it was stated how some Spec Ops Agents got their posts through... less honorable means? Well, that'll be shown in this chapter. Originally I was going to pull a reference from Fate/Stay Night, but in the end I decided to switch the character out for another more despicable character. Not because they were written bad or anything, but he was generally an asshole, jerk and overall not someone anyone would want anything to do with. Enjoy that part, everybody!

Plus, we get some Leanbox Abnormal action, or a prequel to it at least. It'll probably be as clear as crystal what franchise those creatures will be from once you get to it, but if not look at the AN at the bottom of the chapter... after reading through it, don't be lazy!

Without further ado, lets' start the chapter!


Chapter 51 - Tekken

After leaving the Basilicom, Neptune and the others travelled to the Guild, their goal to search for any Abnormal-related Quests. With how severe the situation sounded, they wanted to see proof before their very eyes, before choosing how to proceed next. While most of them were apprehensive about it, Neptune was the complete opposite, bounding p and down as she ran ahead, before jogging back to the others.

She repeated this process over and over, until Nico relented and questioned the girl with an irritated sigh. "Okay Neptune, what's got you so hyper. Did you take some sugar while we weren't looking? You look like a hyperactive kid on a sugar rush."

Neptune hopped and landed before him, her face inches away from his on much to Nico's surprise. Startled, he jumped back a bit, as she responded without being aware of what happened. "Hey, I'mma bit excited alright? Who wouldn't, new land, new monsters to beat up, new foods to try, heck the puddings here are gonna be delish!" she cheered, throwing her arms up into the air.

IF scoffed at the preteen, but couldn't help but smirk at her enthusiasm. "Well, while we can do that stuff, its only gonna be AFTER we complete some quests, right Nico?" she asked the male, who nodded his head in agreement. In all honesty, IF wanted to see these Abnormals for herself, and test her BOW powers against them. She had felt the C Virus within her grow in power, forming new mutations based off old ones and store them for use in combat. Thus, she wanted to try them out to see what they could do.

"Yep, right on the money, IF. Plus, I took stock of our supplies." Nico began, lifting his right Bracer. Instead of opening his void storage, Nico had selected an icon that looked like a file, titled 'group inventory'. It opened several more files, each one being titled Inventory with the person's name at the bottom, then a Group inventory on the bottom. He selected that last one and viewed everyone's Items. "Looks like we need to restock our supplies before we go anywhere near the Abnormals, and I do recall a Shop next to the Guild that sells Items and equipment there. Maybe we can get a better Syringe for Compa or something."

Compa tilted her head in confusion as she summoned er Syringe and looked it over. "Um, why would you want to get me a new Syringe? This one works fine, doesn't it?" she questioned in concern, holding it against her chest like a mother would when protecting their child from danger.

Nico looked at her for a moment, mentally choosing his words with extreme caution. He knew that Syringe was a Syringe given to her by the Nursing School, she had been overjoyed when she told him about it over the Phone. Thus, hearing that she would have to use a different weapon permanently wouldn't sit well with her. "Don't worry, you can keep the Syringe Compa. I know how important it is for you." Compa's body noticeably relaxed at that, so he continued with a soft smile. "It's just that Leanbox is known for its weapons. While Planeptune has cutting edge technology, Leanbox excels in weapon crafting, as their society is an older version. I believe it's called the middle ages, huh…" he mused, glancing to the civilians who were wearing older fashioned dresses and suits.

Before he could get off track, he returned to the topic at hand. "When I was here last, I overheard rumours of a new weapon in development for the Medical teams, a weapon that I do believe should be massed produced by now. It's a Multi-Purpose Combat Syringe, one that has multiple cartages filled with different liquids, from elemental liquids to status ailment ones. It honestly reminds me of the Odachi my friend Raven wields, you know how her Odachi can strike with different elements?"

"I do remember that…" IF hummed as she cupped her chin and looked down, thinking bac to when she saw how Raven fought in battle. Her Odachi could use different elements depending on what cartridge she uses, the colour of the blade changing to reflect the element. It was an ingenious weapon, in her eyes, and she could only imagine the use it could have if formed into a Syringe for Compa. Syringes for Nurses don't do much damage on their own, but the liquids stored within were their trump cards. They could be elemental, or could cause status ailments like poison or paralysis.

It appeared that realisation dawned on Compa and Neptune as well, making Nico smirk in satisfaction. "Yep, that's right ladies, such a syringe was developed in Leanbox. The technology was originally Planeptune's, but Scientists from Leanbox managed to replicate the technology after capturing a piece of it during one of the many battles in the Console War. We should be able to get one for Compa, maximising her potential on the battlefield as both a healer and a supporter." Hearing that she could potentially do more on the battlefield made a big smile form on Compa's face. Out of everyone in the group, she was the weakest. IF had her BOW powers, Neptune had her HDD, Nico had his DDD, and all she had was her Armour.

By the time this conversation was over, the party had reached the Guild building. It looked like a medieval castle with white and green colourings. There was a small shop beside it, with a big bold banner that said, 'Children of war', naming the shop. Nico smirked to himself while everyone else commented their confusion about the name choice. 'Leanbox is usually hit the hardest by the Abnormals with the lack of Spec Ops Members, but those few they do have are known to be the toughest, most vicious warriors around. The shop's name reminded him of a few encounters he hadith Leanbox's Spec Ops Agents, none of them being pretty but all of them shared one common interest: they were every bit as deserving of their reputations.

The Party entered the 'Children of War' Guild store, and quickly Neptune began marvelling at the number of weapons stacked on the shelves. "Whoooooaaaaa! So many swords, guns, axes, heck scythes?! How can Scythes be used as weapons?!" she exclaimed seeing the Scythe section.

"With skill, Neptune, with Skill." Nico replied, grinning widely with pride as he looked at the Scythes. He remembered fighting some excellent Scythe wielders back during some missions in Leanbox, and boy were they fun. Scythes were a difficult weapon to master because of both their size, and their design. They were originally made as garden sheers in the past, however someone had the bright idea of weaponizing them. Hell, the reaper's signature weapon was his Scythe.

Compa looked around with awe and amazement shining in her eyes. "So many weapons…" she whispered under her breath. She may not be a weapons nerd, but she could appreciate how useful a weapon could be. After learning of Leanbox's reputation with weapons, she could believe that it deserved it with how polished and refined each weapon looked. "This is my first time being in a Guild Store like this. I usually did volunteer work and brought my own items with me."

IF smirked knowingly as she looked at the Qatars section, seeing various new designs she would have liked to try out if she was still human. "Yeah well, only Guild Agents and those affiliated with them for a number of years have access to this kind of hardware. This is because these Stores sell completed versions of the weapons designed by the WDD." she explained, watching as Neptune swooned over some of the Longswords and Katanas. She then looked up and noticed Nico looking at the Scythes with adoration, and couldn't help but comment on it. "Thinking about buying another weapon, Nico?" she asked, getting his attention. "You got so many others, I don't think you need any more."

"I already have a Scythe, among other weapons I haven't used yet."

His response sent her into stunned silence. Heck, the silence was greater because of how casual he sounded about it, like discussing the weather in contrast to how he sounded so eager and joyful to see them earlier. "EH?! You do?!" she exclaimed with a comically baffled expression on her features.

The male turned to her and nodded, grinning as he opened his Void Storage and showed her an Icon shaped like a Scythe. "Yeppers. She's one of my favorites, more so than Redemption and Alastor. Like lots of my weapons, it is demonic in origin, and can leave deadly scars behind in its wake." He explained.

As her mind registered this little fact about the male, the brunette could only look at him dumbly for a few seconds, before she noticed something she decided to inquire on. "You seem to have a lot of affinity for demonic weapons. Aren't they supposed to bring bad luck or kill the wielder or something?" she questioned him.

"Yes, that's usually the case, but I discovered my affinity for them long ago." He replied while looking back at the weapons. "Also, these weapons are called Devil Arms, weapons that are supposedly manifestations of demonic beings that were slain in the past. I didn't believe this at first, but with what we know now I'm starting to reconsider. There has been a case where a normal human has shown a will powerful enough to use them without these drawbacks, but I don't know much about him."


After this discussion, the Party walked to the clerk Desk, where the shop keeper was busy polishing some weapons behind it. the shopkeeper looked like the stereotypical old man with a beard, wearing a green shirt, leather pants, and a lighter green apron with the word 'Leanbox' in black bolt arched lettering on the front.

Hearing their approach, the man looked up and greeted with a kind smile, one that showed his weariness based off old age. "Why hello, young travellers. How may I help you?" he greeted, placing the weapon he was polishing to one side before grabbing a cloth and cleaning his hand as he walked to the front desk.

"Hello, Sir." Nico started as he stepped forwards. The girls backed off, letting him handle this one. Even IF would readily admit that he was more knowing than them of this situation. "We're looking to buy a specific weapon type." He told him, electing a curious hum from the man.

The said man responded with a knowing gleam in his eye. "Would at weapon be the new multi-purpose Combat Syringe?" he asked him, surprising Nico as well as the other girls. When the male gave him a look as if saying 'explain' the man did so. "Many people have been buying them as of late, they've been a huge hit with the Leanbox Field Medics. They're as useful as they were when designed, exceeding the creator's expectations." The old man's eyes narrowed and a tense aura came from him. It looked like he was troubled by something, something that was confirmed moments later. "Unfortunately, there's a small problem."

The teenage Spec Ops Agent recognised that look, and bit back the urge to sigh in drama, "Let me guess, is it monster related?" he questioned, getting a nod from the old man. Nico bit the inside of his cheek in irritation. "Of course, with the rise in Abnormals the normal monsters may be getting a larger foothold."

"Yes, well, this is an Abnormal-related issue, and considering your posture, gear and tones, I assume you're the Spec Ops Agent DEATHSTROKE?" the man asked, getting a nod again from the teen. "Splendid! Let's just say I'm a fan. If its you, then this problem will be solved. You see, my problem is that I lack the necessary components required to make the Syringes now, the source, MS Mountain, has been overrun with Abnormal Monsters which makes mining the materials there impossible. I filed a Quest only recently, but none have taken it yet."

Nico cupped his chin with his left hand. The fact that a Quest hadn't been accepted, and with the way this man was behaving, it must have been a while since he posted the request. He sounded like he had gotten desperate, so why the hell hadn't anyone taken the job? No, he had a GOOD idea why, and it gave him more reason to hate Yvoire. "I see… any idea as to their nature?" he asked the man, who nodded in response.

"Yes, they're Abnormals called 'Necromorphs'."

The sound of tyres screeching to a halt resonated through the room, cutting any other sound from existence. At the name, Nico tensed, with his eyes widening and skin paling with his jaw hanging open slightly. His arms fell to his sides as he leaned forwards and shouted. "The Necromorphs?! Are you sure?!" he saw the old man nod and pull from his Apron a Smartphone. He then showed it to him, and Nico saw a picture of the Dungeon, MS Mountain he believed it was called, infested with creatures you could only see in a horror movie, creatures that he recognized near instantly. This time, he couldn't help but curse the situation. "Shit!"

With the way he reacted, it was no surprise that a tense atmosphere would overtake the room. Compa then raised her hand, like a student in a classroom. "Um, Professor Ni-Ni, what are these Necro-thingies exactly?" she asked him innocently, tilting her head with an expression that sent the power of cuteness into the two males spines.

"Okay first, Compa you don't have to ask me like I'm your teacher, alright? Second, the Necromorphs are mutated and reanimated corpses, reshaped into horrific new forms by a recombinant infection. The resulting creatures are extremely aggressive, and will attack any uninfected organism on sight. They each answer to a Hivemind, akin to Banshees in Planeptune."

The mention of that Abnormal sent chills down their spines, memories of their first encounters with the beasts returning to their minds, although they didn't want to remember those hellish times. Hearing of a species that had similarities... They could understand a little more why he looked like the life had been sucked out of him. "Uhhhh, hey Nicky, they don't like, you know… breed the same, right?" Neptune asked nervously, shifting on her feet with discomfort. She could barely imagine one race like that, she didn't want to think there was more like them.

Nico sighed, seeing their nervous/ scared expressions. Even IF had one, and she was normally the cool-headed one of the bunch besides him. "Honestly, Neptune? The way they breed can be considered just as grotesque. If not, WORSE. They kill a potential host, then transfer special fluids into the corpse, which is then reanimated into another Necromorph. The resulting creature depends on the dead body, as well as the fluids used to reanimate it. Thing is, the Banshees are lot tamer than the Necromorphs, as while Banshees actively gather things for the sake of reproduction, the Necromorphs only have one purpose: to acquire more bodies to convert and spread the infection."

He then let out a derisive snort, his next words full of irritation and discontent. "They are believed by some to be the heralds of humanity's ascension, but that's a load of religious bullshit to me. Also, unlike Banshees, the Necromorphs target ANYTHING not just hosts big enough to feed their larvae when hatched, but anything that can be turned into a corpse, including monsters as when killed by a Necromorph, they don't immediately vanish into Particles thanks to the Necromorphs having ways around that."

Now the party could understand why Nico was so tense when hearing about the Necromorphs. They sounded like a real piece of work alright, more so than many Abnormals they'd faced in the past. While some stuck to small groups, the rest usually were on their own so it made it easier to deal with them. Now however, there was an Abnormal that stuck as a small army. How abnormal (mind the pun) can these things get?

"Geez, these Abnormals really know how to get under your skin, huh? …Whelp, guess which Quest we're gonna be doing today?!" Neptune finally spoke after a short, but heavy silence. "I mean, isn't it obvious now? The plot demands we do this quest to get Compa her Gear's upgrade! We can't let those meanie Abnormals hurt the folks here, now can we?"

Despite knowing the situation, Neptune remained as bright and cheery as ever. No, it wasn't that, Nico realised after observing her. She did seem affected, but wasn't showing it so the others wouldn't worry. It proved infectious as it inspired the others to feel the same as her. Compa beamed as IF smirked, holding her hand on her hip. "Heh, well Nep, guess you can motivate people with your words when you try. Let's go to the Guild, with Nico with us we should have no problems taking the Quest."

"Yep, now let's get to it, ladies! Those Abnormals won't be lazing about, waiting for us!"


Entering the Guild, the Party observed how different it was compared to Planeptune and Lastation. The color schemes were one thing, plus the Quest Clerks were on the back while Planeptune's was at the center and Lastation's were on the right. On the opposite side were another set of clerks, wearing black and green robes to indicate that they were the Spec Ops Quest Clerks.

"There's the Spec Ops Clerks. Hmm, they seem to be fewer than in Lastation or Planeptune, what's up with that?" IF remarked, narrowing her eyes at how there were a smaller number of Spec Ops Quest Clerks than the normal ones. She caught a quick glance towards Nico's direction, and saw his subtle twitching. He was suppressing something, anger most likely, which made IF even more suspicious before she decided to drop it for now. This wasn't the time for a confrontation, anyways.

They made their way to the Spec Ops Desk, going to the clerk at the bottom left side. The Clerk looked up, sensing someone was coming, and almost jumped in surprise at what she saw. "Oh, hello there. How may I help you today?" she greeted. Nico noticed it though, the way her eyes gazed at them, him specifically. It was well-known that the Spec Ops Program was frowned upon by the higher-ranking members of the Basilicom, who were more fanatic in their beliefs. However, they were still loved by the general populace for their service. For this woman to be happy to see people coming here meant that things were bad, maybe as bad as Helen had told him about.

"We'd like to look at the quests please." IF requested as Nico showed her confirmation of his identity as a Spec Ops Agent via a holographic screen showing his record. The Clerk looked like she was on cloud nine when she saw his track record as she eagerly brought the amount of quests available onto a holographic screen before them.

The Party gaped in unison at the amount of Quests available to them. "Whoa, so many! The literally fill up the entire screen!" Neptune shouted in awe and amazement, eyeing the many quests while choosing in her mind which ones she would like to do.

On the other hand, the Spec Ops Agent couldn't help but feel troubled by so many Quests. There were way more Spec Ops Quests issued than in Planeptue and Lastation combined, which worried him. 'So, it's as Helen said, things in Leanbox are getting dire. What could be done to improve this would be to get more Spec Ops Agents recruited, but as long as Yvoire is in power he will likely oppress that notion even as the nation burns around him.' Nico thought, biting back the urge to scowl at the thought of the man.

Quickly regaining her composure, IF swiftly chose the Quest that involved the MS Mountain Dungeon. She went as far as to check the client to make sure it was the one they wanted, before she told Nico to go and accept it. He did so, while also noting how she gave him a knowing glance, like she had figured something out. He didn't doubt this, as IF can be perceptive.

He'd have to prep himself for a confrontation later.

While he was signing them up, a masculine voice rang out, on that made Nico, as well as the Clerks scowl in irritation. "Hoh, looks like a prissy is trying to play with the big boys." Nico and the girls turned around to find a young man walking towards them, an air of arrogance and mockery about him.

The young man was a tall, imposing figure, like a delinquent. He had slicked back brown hair with black pupils for eyes. There were multiple piercings in his ears, one under his right nostril, and some on his lower lips. He wore a black jacket with green highlights, with a green undershirt beneath it. His hands were covered in black gloved with matching elbow guards, green shoulder pauldrons on his shoulders. He had a pair of green pants with black army boots on his feet. On his back, was a large Trident, its form twisted and intimidating, but ultimately more for show than anything.

"Saizou Komiya…" Nico greeted curtly, his gaze even as he stepped before the girls. They didn't miss this subtle gesture, he was implying that he wanted them to stay back and let him handle this. While he knew they could handle themselves, Nico would rather deal with this troublesome person himself.

This guy, he was one of the Agents Nico despised the most. He was one of those who got in without taking the Spec Ops exam, thanks to the officials being bribed by his parents. Money was a great incentive to keep people quiet, unfortunately. It corrupted, and with the right manipulation money could even tear down a civilisation. Saizou's parents were high ranking political officials in Leanbox Politics, so it was only natural that they use the Program that was frowned upon to try and hog what little glory the Spec Ops Agents were allowed to have. It was also a measure to demean the program, with Saizou's violent, aggressive personality. With someone like him in the Program, people would think all Spec Ops were like that, something that pissed him off more than people would realise.

Assholes like him, didn't know one bit about what it truly meant to be a Spec Ops.

At the mention of his name, Saizou rolled his eyes. His hands were in his pockets as he tried to look as tall as possible. A gesture that didn't make Nico flinch in the slightest. "Good day to you, Nico. Oh, sorry I should call you by your codename since you're so special, but no I don't want to, so sue me." He spoke as he angled himself so the sun's rays, which came through a nearby window, shone on his Trident, making its blade glint menacingly.

It only served to make Nico roll is eyes though, much to Saizou's irritation. A tense atmosphere formed around them, as the other Guild Agents kept a wide berth between them, not wanting to get any closer to the inevitable fallout. Those two never got along, or rather, Saizou was always jealous of Nico's strength and reputation. The fact that Nico apparently was also a ladies man, even if he didn't realize it, was another thing for Saizou to hate his guts over. Thus, he always tried to annoy and demean him whenever they met.

"What do you want, Mr Komiya? As you can see, I'm busy working." Nico asked, doing his best to not show how this man was pissing him off every second he looked at him. Formalities would help, but something told him he'd snap at some point. It didn't help that he could feel his demonic power reacting to his anger within him.

'This person... he reeks of arrogance and weakness.' Biko spoke from within, humming in thought. However, Nico could tell that his demonic personification was not happy to be anywhere near this asshole. 'He is not fit to be among Spec Ops.'

'You and I agree on that, though I figured you'd do so when seeing him...'

Saizou scoffed at him, rolling his head and glancing to the side. "Heh, yeah right, like you would know what hard work even is." He said, before grinning arrogantly and pointing a thumb at himself. "After all, you have someone like me whose stronger than you in every way." He even ended in a 'heroic' pose with his teeth showing. Arrogance dripped off him, and it slowly unravelled Nico's dwindling patience. "Women come to me in droves for my D, like the bitches they are. I have money, power, and prestige. I am clearly superior to you in every way."

The man then dropped his pose and tilted to the side, seeing Neptune and the girls. They all frowned when he did, as he gave them a leer with his eyes shining with lust and want, especially when he noticed Compa's… assets. "Oh? Now what do we have here, a bunch of hot gals at your beck and call? I guess you really are 'working' huh?" he questioned the red-haired male who was now gripping his fists, desperately trying to keep his face neutral and ending up having an intensity burning in his eyes. "Of course, I guess you're into washboards then, sounds a lot like your career, doesn't it Nico."

Anger swelled within Nico's stomach, and a hot red aura was slowly becoming visible around him. Hell, even the girls were glaring at him, covering their chests as they quickly named him a pervert and an asshole in their minds. Even Neptune and Compa wanted to rip out his entrails and use them as hanging rope. Now they could see why Nico hated those who got into the Spec Ops Program without passing the exam. If they were typically like this, then no wonder he did.

Of course, Saizou smirked at this, knowing that he was getting under Nico's skin. At this point, some brave Guild Agents were watching them, anticipating another showdown between these two. It was a common thing to see, whenever Saizou and Nico were close to each other, one of them, usually the former, would do all they could to antagonize the other. "How about this, then in exchange for some of my sacred items, how about you let me have those bitches? I mean you hardy do anything with the opposite sex, you shy little virgin, you."

That was the final straw that broke the camel's back. Nico's aura exploded, and KI enveloped the room. Nico's fury was burning brightly like a crimson inferno, his eyes practically flaming with rage as he gave an open snarl. The level of rage he was seeing made Saizou pale slightly and take a step back. Nico took a step forwards in response to this. "You touch them, and you will die. First by castration, then by spine being ripped out through your mouth." Nico spat with venom dripping from his words. The intensity and firmness of his tone indicated he would do it, without hesitation.

Saizou's face lost more color at the horrific image in his mind, before he gulped and tried to maintain his composure, if he hadn't lost it already. "Heh, and what if I did? You can't hurt me, it'll be grounds for war with Planeptune, and you know we will win. I mean, which one of us has their CPU back from Celestia, hmm?"

Nico had to admit, through his anger, that Saizou had a point Leanbox had its CPU back while Planeptune's didn't. Unfortunately for him, Planeptune's CPU was right here in front of him, so if she wanted to, she could gut him like a fish and he couldn't do anything about it. Even now, Nico could feel his demonic power rising, begging to be brought to the surface so it could transform him into Crimson Soul, whom would then show this mongrel just who was at the top of the pecking order. Hell, even IT wanted in on some of the action, and he was partially willing to just lt IT run wild on this guy's ass. That just went to show just how angry Nico was.

Just before he could retort however…

"Hey, no saying mean-things to Nicky, ya hear?!"

GLOMP

The teen, along with Saizou and everyone watching, gaped when Neptune suddenly jumped onto his back, wrapping her arms around Nico's neck and glaring pointedly at Saizou from behind his shoulder. The blue-haired man stepped back, stunned from what was happening as Nico's anger vanished thanks to her sudden entry. "We're perfectly alright staying with Nicky, buster! I don't know about you, but I'd never even go near you with a 12-foot pole, with your rudeness." She spat with just as much anger as Nico did earlier, before looking down at the male she was on and nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. "Oh, BTW, who's this guy again, some nobody who doesn't know the tip of a sword from its base?"

Neptune's words prompted responses to come from the other girls, Compa going first as she pouted angrily, glaring heatedly at Saizou as she jumped onto Nico's back as well. "Nep-Nep's right, we're perfectly fine with Ni-Ni, thank you. You wouldn't know how to treat a girl right if it slapped you on the face." She belittled a baffled Saizou before doing the same to the other side of his neck's crook as Neptune did. "So, uh, what Nep-Nep, said, Ni-Ni, who's he again?"

Finally, IF leaned on his side, arms crossed and scowling with deadly eyes on the other man. "If the alternative is you, I'd rather stick with the decent one here." She snarled. "Nico's 1000 times better than you, asshole, so scram. You probably have some sort of AIDs if you talking about us 'bitches' was any indication, not really appealing." She then gave him the bird, making several Guild Agents go 'ooooh, roasted!' under their breaths while others snickered, even the Clerks did so despite trying to remain professional.

While baffled, Nico regained his composure as he responded to the girls, questioning in a hushed voice. "Yeah, this guy isn't very important, just someone wo talks big but is all bark. You don't need to remember him." He spoke, before his voice took on a more irritated tone. "Also, why the hell are you acting this way? I thought I clearly made it clear that I'd deal with this."

"Play along, Nicky." Neptune replied in a hushed voice, and while her lips weren't visible, Nico could feel their Cheshire cat grin. "Let's mess this guy up a little, shall we? Plus, pay him back for that washboard comment…" she said that last part under her breath, but thanks to IT, and their proximity, Nico heard it. A grin of epic proportions spread across his lips as he directed his gaze back to Saizou.

Said person's face looked like a cherry from how much anger was showing.

Let's drive the knife home, shall we?

Quickly changing his posture to one of nonchalance, Nico spoke with a fake sad voice. "Oh well what would you know, looks like these ladies are wanting me and not your ugly mug. SO sorry for that." He pretended to be dramatic as he turned his head with a hand on his forehead, as if he was in a woe about something. "Guess the 'great' Saizou Komiya can't even get a girl to like him, let alone a group of them. Looks like he hasn't got any charm at all, oh, how it wounds me so."

Nico then shifted back to a bored persona as he waved an arm dismissively. "It doesn't at all, now shoo the big boys are trying to work here." He spoke, though there was clear amusement hiding behind his irises, the other girls mirroring his expression as they jumped off him.

At this point, Saizou was about to scream with rage and primal bloodlust, his eyes bloodshot from these emotions which made him look more like an animal throwing a tantrum. The girls and Nico grinned mischievously, liking the sight of this arrogant asshole squirm. There were judging gazes being cast at Saizou, and he was aware of this. "Why don't you run along now, Mr Komiya? It mustn't be doing your reputation any favors for you to be here like this."

Saizou's expression settled on murderous anger, with a mix of his childish tantrum earlier still on there, as he glared hatefully towards him. "You fucker… don't get cocky!" he yelled, drawing his spear. As he felt the weapon's shaft in his grip, his face turned to one of madness as a sick grin spread across his face. "I'll make you regret getting in my way of getting laid, you wimp!"

DEATHSTROKE's eyes narrowed darkly as he sensed a fight incoming. The male slowly stepped forwards, his Armour deploying over him, when it was complete, only one of his glaring eyes was visible, but the glare nonetheless retained its sharpness. "Well then, come and get me, scumbag."

A loud war cry escaped Saizou's lips as he charged at him, intent on shoving his spear down Nico's throat. However, before he could make it even half way, a feminine voice cried out. "Um, excuse me, coming throooooooouuuuuuuggggghhhhhh!" everyone turned to the source of the voice as someone literally came flying through the front doors, crashing into Saizou... by ramming her head into his family jewels, and sending him flying into a wall.

"Gah!"

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"

From the impact, a massive indent formed as Saizou gasped, coughing up blood with his eyes white, signifying his lack of consciousness. His form then fell off the wall like a banana peel, falling to the ground to be forgotten by the crowd till someone bothered to remember him.

Meanwhile, everyone was too busy watching this new arrival, who had fallen onto the ground in a heap, to notice. The said person slowly got to her feet, rubbing her head which was forming a lump over it when she had hit the unconscious Saixou. "Owwwwie, that hurt…"

The male could only stare at this peculiar individual before them. The person was a girl with the appearance of someone in her mid to older teens. She has a slender body with modestly sized breasts and a slight tan complexion. She has red eyes and long dark grey hair that reaches half-way down her back.

Her outfit looked fitting for someone who practiced martial arts, which the male believed she did judging by her appearance and her… interesting entrance. It consisted of a red and black strapless sports bra, and torn blue gi pants that has a red flame design on the bottom of the left leg. They were tied to her waist with a red and black martial arts belt. Her pants were ripped to where the right leg was only covered mid-thigh and there were several tears that showed the orange inside with one on her right leg revealing her blue and white striped panties. She didn't wear shoes, but she did have a pair of silver bracelets on her right ankle. She also wore black fingerless gloves with red cestus gloves with six silver spikes on each hand. As an accessory she wears a silver charm, saying 'Tekken' in all-caps attached to two chains as a necklace.

'Okay, first thoughts on this one is that she must fight with CQC. Possibly some related Skills as well…' the male's battle instincts kicked in, telling him that this person was not your ordinary Adventurer. He caught a few stares of lust from both males and females, surprisingly enough, at a certain part of this female's anatomy, and it WASN'T her boobs. Deciding to see what was up and move along, before this got any creepier, Nico walked up to her and kneeled, his armour Vanishing. "Are you alright? Do you want a helping hand?"

The girl looked up at him, mentally registering his presence, before looking away shyly. "N-No, I'm okay! I'm totally fine, really!" she spoke timidly before shooting to her feet faster than a bullet.

Seeing that she was okay, though he debated that in his mind with the lump on her head, Nico stood up and placed a hand on his hip. "You fell through the entrance at a high velocity. Mind explaining why that is?" he questioned.

Neptune nodded her head in agreement, popping up from behind her and startling the girl. "Yep, yep! She came flying all the way in like a human bullet! Kinda weird if you ask good old Neptune over here, the specialist on human projectiles!" she exclaimed, pointing a finger at the top of that noggin of hers.

While IF pulled Neptune back, the shy girl looked up at him finally, having seemingly taken a moment to gather her courage and explained. "Oh that, well, I was training in the forests outside Leanbox when I heard about there being a powerful Spec Ops Agent here, and I wanted to get here quickly, so… I had one of my friends chuck me here."

Now everyone gave her incredulous looks, and wondered if this girl was alright, you know, up there. "You had a friend who chuckled you from the forests, a good 20 miles from Leanbox, and ended up crashing right into the centre of the Guild Building? I'd call that BS, but…" the male used his senses, the senses provided by IT, the only thing he could use of IT without drawing attention to himself and keep IT in check, to listen to her heartbeat. No irregularities to show she was lying. "Anyways, why'd you go through the trouble to come here, then? Surely, you've seen some Spec Ops Agents before, right?"

"Of course!" the girl replied, nodding firmly with her fists clenched at the sides of her head. "I'm a martial artist, and I've been looking for someone strong to fight. The Spec Ops seem like good sparring partners, but all of them have been busy keeping the monsters under control, so I can't spar with them."

His eyes lit up in understanding when she explained her story to him. She did confirm she was a martial artist, too, a pat on the back for him. "So then, you heard of this new Spec Ops arriving from a foreign land and decided to ask him for a Spar, am I right? But you had to get here fast otherwise you'd miss your chance, hence the unique entrance." He deduced, getting a beaming, shameless smile from the girl.

With the girls who were watching this, they all were sweat dropping at the extreme measures that the martial artist girl had gone to get a spar. "Wow, that's kinda rough, there..." Neptune commented dully.

Compa nodded, a frown of concern on her lips. "She should regard her health more carefully than that, it's a big no-no to be chucked so far so fast." She stated in disapproval.

IF crossed her arms under her chest as she regarded the young girl before them. "I'm more curious as to who could throw her so far. They'd have to be pretty ballsy to do something like this." She commented.

"Maybe it's an ogre! They have monstrous strength, much like Iffy and her beliefs!"

"You're walking on thin ice, Neptune…"

While they had their discussion, Nico pondered on what to do next. While he could accept the request to spar, refine his CQC Skills, he did want to get that weapon for Compa. In addition, the Necromorphs were a serious threat, and if nobody responded to them, then they would be in serious trouble. 'Hmmm…. Ah ha! That'll work…!'

An idea popped into his head, one which made Nico grin. "How about this, instead of just a spar, you join me and my Party on hunting some Necromorphs. They're stronger than the average monsters, and have more abilities to boot. Afterwards, we could have a small spar if you aren't tired by the end. Having a Spar in the middle of Leanbox wouldn't go well with the citizens, and the Spec Ops Programme has enough grief from the Basilicom here as it is. At least this way, we both get what we want. You get your spar and I'll do my job."

The girl hummed, pondering the offer. She didn't think that the Spec Ops Agent would be already engaged in business the moment he arrived at the Guild, but what he offered was indeed tempting. She had fought some Abnormals when she had no other options, many of them were quite the scary badasses. That only made her respect and admiration for the Spec Ops Agents increase even more, for being able to fight them on even terms. She didn't know much about them though, since she usually stuck to the wilds to train and hone her skills.

However, one thing she did know for sure, was that Spec Ops were needed very badly, not just in Leanbox, but in other Nations as well. The Abnormal Monsters were growing stronger and deadlier by the day, with so many dangerous ones existing that adventurers and Guild Agents would die left and right when they went to fight them. If even one of them were occupied, then a tragedy could happen, a tragedy that could have been avoided if they weren't doing whatever it was that kept them from their duties. Such was the case here.

Therefore, in the end the girl decided to accept the offer. With a big smile on her face, the girl bobbed her head up and down. "Mmm! Okie dokie then, I'll help! It'll be good experience fighting Abnormals. I'll be under your care, alight boss?" she tilted her head while giving a childish salute, much to the male's amusement. "Oh, the name's Tekken, by the way. It's nice to meet you, mister!"

Nico nodded with acceptance, smiling in acknowledgement. "Nice to make your acquaintance, Tekken. Call me Nico, Codename DEATHSTROKE." He offered a hand, and the two confirmed their new, temporary alliance. They both knew this wouldn't last forever, no, it would only last after they defeated the Necromorphs.

Still though, both had made their impressions on each other. That was an indisputable fact, everyone acknowledged it.

"Great! Looks like we have a new friend! Nice to meetchya, Tekken!" Neptune chirped, bounding over to them and waving over to her. "I don't know if ya heard me earlier, but I'm Neptune! This is Compa, and this is Iffy!" she introduced with the others walking up to them.

Tekken nodded with a giggle at Neptune's entrance. "It's nice to meet you, too!" she exclaimed, while in her head she was thinking. 'Looks like… even in this world, Neptune, IF and Compa are friends… this Spec Ops stuff, the Abnormals and Nico are pretty new, but still, it's much more fun with so many strong baddies to beat!'


Chapter end!

There, another chapter done!

Now, if you read the AN up top, then I'll tell you that I originally had planned to have Shinji from the Fate series be the antagonistic Spec Ops Agent here. However, after some consideration I decided to scrap that idea, mostly because while Shinji does seem like an asshole, he isn't a complete one. Saizou Komiya from the Rosario Vampire Manga and anime however, is an asshole through and through. Deinquent, rapist, sexual deviant, many things could be used to describe him, and he'd probably be proud of them. That kind of asshole fit the role I wanted to use Shinji for much better, so he took his place.

Rosario Vampire's an interesting Manga. It may be unlike the Anime's second season, but its still a worthwhile series. Underrated, too, which is honestly a little disappointing.

The Karma at the end tho, with Saizou's balls being headbutted by Tekken like that... it honesty made me chuckle. Hope it gets similar reactions to you, viewers. Anyways, thanks for reading, review, follow, fav, also check the poll out. Haven't gotten many votes, so please vote! It'll end at the climax to the Leanbox Arc.

Lastly, the Necromorphs from the Dead Space series. I got the idea since their games were played on the Xbox primarily, or the PC. These creatures seemed like great additions to the Abnormal ranks. Don't worry tho, the Demons shall return, and when they do, they'll make the Necromorphs look like cuddly toys in comparison. Anyways, now I gotta go. I got some other work to do.

cheerios!