Alright ladies and gents, here's the thing. In other chapters, I have went and added some Special Event sequences like the games. They'll basically be showing things that the main plot doesn't, like in the games, but I'm not sure I'll be doing too many. Having so many events like that would be quite tiring to create, plus it'll mean the chapters will be longer.
Aside from that, nothing needs to be said save for VISIT THAT POLL!
Let's go, shall we?
Chapter 59 - Yvoire moves
Things had almost taken a turn for the worse… for Saizou, when this guy appeared to stop the battle.
Standing before them all, was one of the most imposing, muscular men the girls had ever seen, a man who looked to be in his mid-20's. He stood at almost 7 feet tall, with a body that was comparable to a bodybuilder with how muscular it was. Though this was hidden mostly by the abyssal black armour that covered him from his neck downwards. He wore a tattered brown cloak, which fluttered in the winds. His hair was unruly black, swaying wildly in the breeze while he had one eye closed, the other being open and a dark brownish colour. But the biggest feature the girls and Saizou noticed was the GIMONGOUS Zweihander Sword he held in one hand over his back, dust falling from its blade. It looked to be over 6 and a half feet long, almost his height, and looked insanely heavy.
Right now, the man was giving Saizou a glare, which thanks to his rather imposing appearance was even more intimidating. "You are an embarrassment, weakling." He snarled, his voice gruff with copious amounts of anger in it as he pointed his massive sword at his face, the Sword's length allowing it to almost reach the bridge of Saizou's nose. "Leave. Leave or I will gut you where you stand."
The girls watched as Saizou practically wet himself in fright, sweat spilling over his features as he hurriedly stood up, grabbed his Trident and ran away screaming like a girl, tears falling down his face as he made multiple exclamations of curse words over and over. "Nepu… who the heck is this guy? He looks way cooler than Maizou ever did." Neptune questioned, tilting her head curiously. She sheathed Murasama, but made sure to keep a hand on the weapon's hilt.
"Pretty sure you mispronounced that guy's name there, but I don't really care at this point…" IF remarked, causing the preteen to laugh awkwardly before she continued. "Though I do agree with your question. Whoever this guy is, he looks quite strong if he can wield that sword with such ease."
Compa finally spoke after trying to regain her composure. She had been intimidated by the man's imposing presence, and the way he acted didn't help matters. "I-Is he going to attack us? He looks scary…" she muttered, quivering slightly which made a few rattling sounds come from her armour. She didn't get how, but just looking at him made her feel like she was alone with a massive Fenrir about to taste her flesh, one false move and she could kiss her life goodbye.
IF shook her head as she regarded him. "I don't think so, he has a different aura compared to Shinji. He feels… oddly like Nico does." She mused thoughtfully. While she did feel slightly intimidated with this man's presence, something about him reminded her of their sole male party member. Their auras, the reflection of their skills, and most of at the gaze that man wore, it oddly resembled what Nico was like whenever he got serious in a fight.
If that truly was the case, then this man was like Nico… a soldier.
When Nico's name was mentioned, the man's ears twitched before he looked at them from the corner of his eye. He stared at them for a short moment, as if sizing them up, before finally he spoke. "You spoke Nico's name just now. what is your connection to DEATHSTROKE?"
Despite his imposing demeanour, it was Neptune who answered, showing no fear before the man as she cheerfully raised an arm to the air. "He's our partner, and my Hubby!" she replied, making the man quirk an eyebrow.
"A… Hubby?"
For a moment, he looked bewildered, like what he had heard was something out of a language that he had never heard of nor had any skill in translating. IF grimaced as she grabbed Neptune by the shoulder, making sure not to let her Claws near her, before pulling her back to them much to her displeasure. "Ignore the idiot here, he's just one of our party members. We're travelling together for the foreseeable future."
"Ah…" the man blinked once more, before understanding graced his features as he nodded, his shoulders slackening for a moment. "I see. That makes more sense, the DEATHSTROKE that I know of wouldn't go near love even with a 10-foot-pole. Working with some strange preteen girls is still surprising, but considerably less so." He stated bluntly, without hints of tact or remorse.
Understandably, the girls frowned with more than a little displeasure. However, they didn't call him out on it in favour of some other information that piqued their interest more. "You know Ni-Ni?" Compa questioned in confusion. She had been texting her childhood friend for the four years they never saw each other, but he didn't mention anything about this man. Did that mean that he didn't know this man, when he seemed to know Nico?
The man shook his head at them before replying. "I know OF him, not know him as a brother-in-arms." He stated, before remembering that he hadn't introduced himself. "I am Guts, the Black Swordsman." He spoke with a bob of his head as if to replace a bow. They could see why, since moving around in that armour must be restrictive. Yet, he looked like he had moved in it since he was born with how it fit snugly on his frame.
His eyes narrowed slightly, his shoulders tensing like a warrior on guard in case of an attack. "Since that weakling couldn't get a job like this done, I must inform you that Yvoire wishes to speak with one IF. Is she a member of your group?"
Now that caught them by surprise. Asking to speak to them at all was something of a surprise, but even more so that he specifically requested only one of their members. Nevermind the fact that it wasn't their excitable leader, Neptune, although it was hard to see that she was the Leader unless she was in HDD form, as in human form she wasn't exactly leadership material. plus, Yvoire might hold a Grudge against her for mocking his name the last time they met. Though, that last one seemed rather unprofessional if that was the case.
"Huh? Why would he want to see Iffy?" this time it was Neptune who asked him, before frowning in contempt as she placed her arms around her friend from behind. "He's not gonna do anything dirty and lewd with poor Iffy here, is he?"
"NEP!"
The man shook his head in denial, not showing any emotional response to the preteens delusions. "That will not be the case. As a Guild Agent, he wishes to discuss some recent events with her that are strictly prohibited to Civilians." He explained vaguely, though he kept his blank expression. He didn't even seem bothered about Neptune's delusional mind, something that both stunned and confused her since she always made people crack with her antics.
"I don't know…"
IF rolled her eyes at the doubtful tone in her leader's voice. While she was impressed that Neptune was acting like a proper leader and caring for her comrades, IF felt that she didn't need to be coddled, especially not with what she was. Also, she was curious on what Yvoire would want to talk to her about.
On her one time, she had done her own research on the man, and aside from a… strong opinion about certain matters. IF had discovered that Yvoire was the head of military affairs, not just Basilicom related work, so everything revolving around Leanbox's military was overseen by him directly. That gave her a good idea as to why she had seen less Spec Ops Agents in Leanbox than in Planeptune or Lastation, due to said strong opinions.
With this information, IF figured that Yvoire would want to know what had happened at MS Mountain, as Necromorphs were classed as Abnormal Monsters, and for good reason, however if that were the case then shouldn't the report they submitted be god enough? Why speak to them personally when they had explained everything that went on there on paper?
Well, that wasn't entirely true. Details about Nico's DPU powers, the Berserker Mode as he called it, and several other details were overlooked, mostly because they didn't want to cause mass panic. In addition, if the governments learned the existence of the Enemy Disks then things would be even more complicated, plus she didn't trust most of the higher-ups of any Nation to use this knowledge for their own gain.
In the end though, IF pried the preteen off her and held her by the hood of her hoodie dress so she dangled just above the ground. "Leave it alone, Nep. He probably just wants to talk about what happened in that last Dungeon." She told the party leader, before dropping her off beside Compa, who looked at her wit concern but didn't say anything. She and IF had trained together multiple times to get a hit on Nico in their spars, so she understood her thinking and nodded to show support for her decision. Didn't mean she didn't have to like it though.
"Oh, okay, fine..." Neptune whined, before she got an idea and she jumped in excitement, the man raising a brow at the mood change. "Oh, I know!" she exclaimed, before going into her Inventory and summoning an item…. Which happened to be a taser. "I got this online one time, so you take it Iffy! One jolt of this and that weird guy will be KO'D for hours!" she proclaimed with a wide grin.
Faster than the eye could see, IF reached out and grasped the Taser, quickly pocketing it in her Inventory while scowling. "How the hell did you get that? Seriously, shops these days have no idea what they're doing…" she hissed, though the last part was muttered under her breath. One time during their stay in Planeptune, she had seen a small child, no older than 12, enter a store and come out with goggles… and a flamethrower. A freaking Flamethrower!
Seriously, she could get how the weapons ban was lifted so weapons could be bought by civilians, but that was just ridiculous!
"This nice geezer gave me it, said it could help me keep some unwanted pests away!"
The brunette and everyone else sweat dropped at the innocent smile on Neptune's face. stars literally danced around her as she talked about something that was the exact opposite of innocent. "Th-that's… you shouldn't be accepting things from strangers, Nep!" IF scowled at her friend who just swayed her torso left and right humming in happiness. "Ugh, whatever." She muttered, realising that the preteen was a lost cause. Plus, since she was a Goddess, technically she was older than any of them put together. 'Wait, if that's true then does that make Neptune a cougar? She's older than any human on Gamindustri by centuries, so… You know what, I'm gonna stop this so I don't suffer an aneurysm.
With her 'protection' in her Inventory, IF stepped towards Guts who watched with apathy, eyeing his massive sword warily. It was just too huge to not be wary of it, and judging from the man's frame, he knew how to use it. She thought Neptune might have made a rude joke about him trying to compensate for something, but she didn't. maybe she was finally starting to learn?
… nah.
"Shall we go then?" the brunette questioned, getting a silent nod as a response from the man. The two walked down the streets and turned a corner, leaving Compa and Neptune alone.
"… You don't think a Taser is enough, do you?"
"Nep-Nep, if Ni-Ni hears this, you know what Ni-Ni will do, right?"
"…"
IF and Guts walked along the streets towards the Basilicom, neither of them exchanging conversation, just from his demeanour she figured he was a Spec Ops Agent, and a good one if the way people looked at him was any indication. He didn't look like a typical adventurer, either, which reinforced her decision about his occupation. IF noticed several groups of women looking at him with lust in their eyes, to her irritation, but the man didn't bat an eyelash in their direction.
She got the feeling he shared Nico's no-nonsense attitude when it came to his job.
"… You're a Candidate, for Spec Ops, aren't you?" IF blinked when she realised that Guts had asked her a question. He man hadn't talked to her until now, which had thrown her off slightly. However, she managed to recover just as quick, a skill she had trained whenever she had to work with silent partners on Quests.
The brunette responded while placing her hands inside her pockets. "Yeah, I am. I'm surprised you know that." She stated, frowning as she glanced towards him. Guts was keeping his gaze forwards, his expressions revealing nothing as to what he was thinking. "Haven't told anyone outside my Party, so what gave it away?" she asked.
The knowledge that she was a Candidate for the Spec Ops Programme was sensitive information, not just with the attitude they had towards those that don't prove themselves and rely on others to get them in, but also thanks to the policies and political issues within Leanbox. Their low numbers but genuinely positive reputation showed that while the people loved them, the higher-ups didn't want them to have too much power for whatever reason.
"You're walking." He replied simply, yet aloofly. His hand flickered towards her feet, making her drop her head to look down at them for a moment. He spoke again which made her look back towards him. "You walk with purpose, like a soldier. Guild Agents, adventurers, they walk differently. One walks casually, another has both casual and caution. Yours is full of caution, trained to react instantly."
'Wow, pretty detailed for just watching my feet.' She remarked mentally with sarcasm. She got the feeling this guy didn't work with others very often. He gave off the impression of a lone wolf, someone who did things on their own, preferring it that way rather than having to deal with others. She had met several people like that, and learned that working solo like that meant one had to be very strong. Especially Spec Ops Agents, if they were to survive. Her guts (no pun intended) told her that Guts was that strong, as well as not very talkative, since he spoke in short, simple sentences.
They stopped talking after that, and before she knew it, they were at the Basilicom entrance. Guts ushered her inside after opening the door for her. When she walked inside, she glanced behind him to see that Guts wasn't following her, making IF quirk a brow. "You not coming?" she asked him.
"No, I have no need to meet with the higher-ups. I only came to fulfil my mission. That is done, thus I will leave you." Guts stated, before walking away and allowing the doors to close behind him, leaving IF alone inside.
The brunette frowned at his words, but didn't say anything. Since there were few Spec Ops Agents here, she figured that they were on a tight schedule, the number of quests they would have to complete every day would be insane.
"Ah, I see you have arrived."
IF broke from her thoughts when she heard a familiar aged voice call out to her. She turned to the altar at the back of the Basilicom main hall, to see Yvoire standing there. He smiled in his signature grandfatherly way as he walked down to greet her. However, IF didn't smile nearly as naturally when she returned it. In fact, compared to before, something about this man had… changed. She had always felt there was something off about him, especially when she realised what he thought of Spec Ops Agents and by extension Nico during her research, but for some reason… things had changed, and not for the better. She had to be on her guard.
Deciding to remain calm and composed, IF leaned on one leg with a hand on her hip, the other hand resting at her side while she mentally willed her powers to enhance her senses, so she could detect any negative signs from Yvoire. "So, what's this you wanted to talk about?"
"Before I go further," Yvoire replied. The way he answered made her suspicions rise, and with what her senses were telling her, the brunette got the feeling that she was being interrogated in an enemy jail cell. "I would like to confirm one thing." At first, his tone was curious and level, but when he spoke next there was this slight suspicion and condescendence in it. "Despite your faith in our lady, you are not from here, are you?"
"What's it to you?"
"In fact, you are not associated with any of the lands, correct?"
'How does he know that?' the brunette shrieked mentally in surprise. That titbit of information hadn't been shared with anyone, not even her fellow Party Members, so how did Yvoire know that? She couldn't ponder that for long as another train of thought crossed her mind. 'Wait, if he knows that, then… well I guess I should have figured as much, this guy has a lot of people working for him. some of them were bound to know about us.' IF thought, her face showing how surprised she was with his question.
She mentally thanked herself that she only looked surprised, and not the dreaded anxiety that was welling inside her chest right now. Her eyes narrowed as comprehension lit up like searchlights in her green orbs. "You checked on me, didn't you…?" while it sounded like a question, it was really a statement, something both sides knew.
The old man nodded his head in confirmation, though in their eyes he didn't have to do this since they both knew it already. It was more formality than anything else, something that was done just because it was the norm. "I am sorry for my conduct, but you are correct."
Now that he said it, IF's mind began to accelerate a million miles an hour as she tried to think of what this signified. How much did Yvoire know about her? And what about her fellow Party Members? If he did research on her then he likely would have done the same for those she associated with. It was only natural, but this lead to the question of how much dirt Yvoire had on them. Also, what would he intend to do with such information, and why would he want to dig up on them in the first place? They didn't do anything wrong, just completed a few Quests. "Now that you mention it, I can recall hearing rumours and researching about how the elder of the Basilicom only accepts local citizens, and hates the Spec Ops Programme with a passion. I supposed that must be you then. What is your plan? Expelling me?"
It didn't matter to her if she was expelled from Leanbox, even if it meant she wouldn't ever meet the CPU she admired the most in person. She still followed her, even with her initiation into the Spec Ops Programme as a Candidate. While they were a faction all of their own, they were still part of the Guild, thus they were required to let their colleagues worship whoever they wanted without discrimination. Nevertheless, most Spec Ops despise those that still believe in the CPUs or any higher entity in general, for originally they were supposed to reject every Goddess out there.
However, much to her surprise the man shook his head in denial. There was a darkness in his eyes, one that she was accustomed to thanks to working in the Guild for so long. To see him resist the temptation both surprised and concerned her, for if he was resisting his natural impulses then he must have had something far worse up his sleeve. "That would be my normal approach, but I would thank fate for our meeting."
Hearing those words sent chills of apprehension down IF's spine. She got the feeling that she wouldn't like where this was going, not one bit. She couldn't tell why this was or what Yvoire was indicating, since his gaze was, while slightly less dark, still unreadable. A damn good poker face that, like fine wine, only seemed to have been polished with age. "…I'm not following you."
"I need you to kill Neptune and Nico."
There, that was it. that was what Yvoire wanted to tell her, and he had dropped all pretence of formality and gentleness that he had before. instead, there was a cold brutality in his voice and eyes, which bore into hers like they were lasers trying to burn through her skull. Nevertheless, it helped deliver the impact his words had on the young brunette.
Said brunette stepped back, raising her hands with an utterly gobsmacked expression on her features, her mouth falling open with the control her mind would have on it slackening temporarily. Yet, that 'temporarily' would be a good five minutes, as her mind became busy trying to process what he had just told her. "Wha-?! Why would Lady Green Heart's Basilicom want Nep and Nico killed?!" she shrieked, her face losing a significant portion of colour.
They hadn't told anyone of Neptune being Planeptune's CPU to anybody, they'd made sure to pay heed to Noire's warning about the other Nations and how they might react if an enemy CPU walked amongst their ranks. Heck, Nico and she had made precautions so that Neptune didn't accidentally release her identity accidentally, whether it be on pudding shopping sprees or on the Internep. There was little reason why the Basilicom of the CPU she followed would want to kill her.
Did Lady Green Heart sense Neptune's presence? There was a theory against that though, as Noire had not attacked them straight away, even though she knew Neptune's identity the moment that she saw her. That meant that CPUs could potentially sense another's presence in their Landmasses, but unlike then it has been much longer since Neptune and tem had arrived on Leanbox, and nobody had acted against them for it. Until now anyways.
Plus, IF wanted to believe that the Lady Green Heart she supported wouldn't want to kill her companion, especially in a manner like this. It just seemed too cowardly and scummy for her. She wanted to believe that her Lady, the CPU whose image she had built and defended against the army of Neptune from shattering, was the correct one.
Then there was the second person Yvoire wanted her to kill. Nico hadn't done anything to warrant the Basilicom's ire. He had done so much for the Nations, all four of them, as a Spec Ops Agent. He was good, he was trained and disciplined. He had not caused anyone harm, without just reason, so why would he want to have Nico killed as well? She was sure nobody knew about her companion's DDD, and even if they saw it they would be in denial about it since they followed the CPUs so religiously.
...
...
...
Ugh, that pun was enough to snap her out of it, though it left a disgusting taste in her mouth.
Seeing that IF had indeed been stunned by his request, no, his order, Yvoire released a burst of air from his nostrils in an extended snort. "Those you call Nep and Nico bring an ill omen to my Lady. Sooner or later, our Lady will take action, but I would prefer not to taint her."
The brunette raised a brow as she crossed her arms under her chest. "So you want me to dirty my hands, then?" she questioned. 'So, this guy isn't aware of Nep being Purple Heart, then? And by the way he said 'taint' her… people like this guy make me sick.' IF scowled mentally, doing her best to keep her rising fury in line. People like this ass hole, who have others do the dirty work while keeping their hands clean, were nothing but scum to her. No way was she going to do what this guy asked, he'd be out of his mind if he thought she would help him!
"Should you succeed, you will be greeted as a citizen of Leanbox."
All thoughts stopped to a halt like a train suddenly grinding to a stop. It took a moment for it to sink in, but when it did, IF's eyes widened once more, and her breath caught itself in her throat. A silent gasp escaped her lips as she trembled at what he was offering her. She hadn't been registered officially with any Nation, like he had said, spending her childhood and current life in a nomadic manner. She had journeyed across Planeptune more times than she'd care to count, all the while wishing she could be closer to the CPU that she admired. Here was that chance being offered her on a silver platter.
To be closer to her CPU, the one she devoted herself to worshipping, was a dream for her. She had longed for it ever since she was young, but her father always told her that she'd never be accepted as a Citizen of Leanbox thanks to both the Console War, and politics in the Nation. She had long since learned why he said that to her, seeing for herself how politics worked, thus had locked that dream deep inside her heart, never to see the light of day in the forefront of her mind again. However, IF now was being offered that chance, an opportunity she had dreamed of since she was a little girl.
As her mind thought it over though, the offer slowly lost its appeal, the silver platter she thought it was had showed previously hidden deadly thorns that would prickle her for the rest of her days should she take this opportunity. Should she take this, she would be no better than Ganache, a shrewd businessman who would manipulate, lie, cheat and steal for his goals.
Then there was the fact that she was a Spec Ops Candidate, while she would love to be a citizen of the CPU she supported, IF held the Spec Ops in equally high regard. They were people she could respect, at least for their skills and achievements on the battlefield. They could potentially go against a CPU and live, the proof was Nico himself. Plus, the other Agents she'd met like Team RAIL, VALKYRIE and possibly Guts could. All these powerful people, how would they feel if she went and betrayed a comrade, someone she had fought and bled with, like that? They'd be disgusted, that was for sure.
Plus, her friends would be betrayed, IF didn't know if it was worth betraying their trust like that. Compa would be devastated, her innocent mind possibly unable to handle the thought of her friends killing each other in front of her. Nico would likely do something like that with how he valued loyalty so much. Plus, with all the time she spent with Neptune, she found that sure, she was annoying and got in her space all the time, but she was decent company at least. There were plenty worse people than her around.
Thus, IF was left at war with herself, and despite her efforts it managed to slightly show on her face. "Sure, I wouldn't mind having a place to settle, but to kill Nep and Nico…?!" she muttered to herself. Even though she had been satisfied with her nomadic lifestyle, part of her did yearn for a true home, a place where she could worship her devoted CPU in peace. She wouldn't have to hide who she believed in any longer since she'd be surrounded by followers of Lady Green Heart. However, like previously stated, she found the offer to have strings attached. She wasn't too sure about that, honestly.
"That is why you will need these."
Yvoire's words drew IF's attention back to him, eyes blinking as she returned to the land of the living. She then focused on the Basilicom elder, who reached into his robes and, after a few moments of rummaging through them, pulled out a pair of vials. He showed them to her by holding the vials by their tops, IF eyeing the liquid inside of them with apprehension. "These poisons will only work on the vile, and the pure will not be affected." He explained with a kindness to his voice. It was obvious he was trying to sweeten the deal, which was pretty messed up if one thought about it: kindly asking someone to poison their friends and kill them for their own gain.
"That sounds too ideal for being a Poison…" IF couldn't help but comment with her snarky tone as she shuddered at the vials appearance. While she was a BOW, her instincts screamed at her to not let them anywhere near her Biomass, lest she suffer something worse than any injury, both to her pride and her body, than she ever felt before.
Seeing the hesitation in her eyes, Yvoire sighed as he slightly bent his arms back, holding the vials to his chest. "If you truly believe your friends to be pure, you can have them drink these without fear."
"And if I refuse?"
IF just had to ask, although she knew well what he would do if she didn't choose to carry it out. Her suspicions were proven right as the man; s form and aura became oppressive, his eyes sporting a sinister glint to them while he answered with his pleasant smile on, only making it look worse in her opinion. "Let's just say we will use our forces to rid us of anything "Suspicious"."
It didn't take them long reach the Basilicom, about 30 minutes at best. Walking with a woman was one thing, something that Nico had done plenty of times in the past, so it wasn't anything new. What was new however, was walking with a woman into the residential quarters. Those were usually reserved for the most important of officials like the CPU, the workers and top-ranking officials within the Nation's Governing body.
Nico himself had never set foot in these parts of the Basilicom due to always being out Questing, or at hotels for the night since he wasn't as important as the higher-ups. He never liked the idea of living in their guest rooms as it made him feel more alike to those cynical old assholes who do nothing but idly threat and argue. He was more of an 'actions speak louder than words' kind of guy, at least when it comes to certain situations. Others like comforting his comrades and cheering them up would be more a battlefield of words.
Back to the point, Nico never stayed in the Basilicom guest rooms before, but it looked like this woman was a resident of them. She didn't look the type, honestly, just a normal, average woman living her life. He didn't expect her to be a part of the Basilicom staff, she moved too differently. One can tell a lot about a person by judging how they move, they can tell if someone was on guard or assured of their safety with how they walk. There were also their hands, certain activities like crafting can make them rugged and rough.
This woman moved with a purpose, a confident, strong stride that only one who had lots of power could give. Her hands, while dainty and womanly, had hints of markings that indicated she knew how to fight. Though it seemed that she didn't fight as often as a soldier did these days, but Nico never was one to underestimate his enemy.
After walking for a good 3 minutes, they found themselves in a corridor, going to a specific door. Unlike the others, which were brown with a wooden texture, this one seemed more refined and smooth, like the top of a table. There was light green colouring on the door, with a white sign saying, 'Vert's room' on top. The woman reached into her skirt's left pocket, pulling out a set of keys before inserting them into the doorknob.
Twisting her hand, she turned the knob and the sound of locks becoming undone resonated through the corridor. She then pushed, allowing the door to open before stepping inside, Nico following soon after.
As she closed the door behind her, Nico looked around the room, his breath catching itself in his throat. Aside from Compa, Nico hadn't ever been in a woman's room before. Compa was the only exception since she and him were childhood friends, so this technically counted as his first time in a woman's room. From what he could see here, the male deduced that the woman was an otaku, a fan of anime and manga.
The room itself was nice, well-decorated and kept to a manageable level of cleanliness. There were shelves upon shelves scattered around at the back of the walls, each filled with various manga and game titles. Where shelves weren't present, posters took their place, posters of men in various outfits doing some… risky poses.
'Looks like someone is into BL Manga…' the Spec Ops Agent thought with a sweat drop, a sudden chill rising through his spine. The teen held no ill will for those that liked BL, it was merely a genre among many in the entertainment industry. It was well-received by is audience, true enough, and there were plenty of other genres out there. Hell, there was one that was the exact opposite of BL, or Yaoi, called GL or Yuri. Thus, both genders cold be satisfied.
As for Nico himself, he would rather read about straight relationships, ones with good character development and interesting characters. There was one franchise he was into right now, one he had only gotten the chance to investigate recently, and it was about a young boy being turned into something he never wanted to be against his will, forced to adapt to his lifestyle with his new condition. He liked that Mange a lot because it reminded him of his own situation.
'It does remind me of you, actually…' Biko commented within his mind, a pensive hum escaping his lips. 'Both of you have been changed against your will, both of you have to learn to adjust to these changes. In the end, you two could not be more similar.'
'Pft, your right about that.' Nico snorted mentally, pocketing his hands within his pants. He idly noted how the room smelled of a woman's perfume, something that he found eerily akin to Compa's room. This familiarity brought him some comfort, but not much. 'Though one difference between us is that he surrounded himself with people who have similar problems to him. I have nobody in that regard.'
Biko wanted to say something about that, to assure him that he wasn't alone in his troubles, but the truth of the matter was that he was right. Biko may be part of him, but he didn't understand what it was like to bear the burden Nico did. It wasn't to do with transforming, it wasn't to do with his skills, but his condition alienated him from practically the entire human species. One could say he was more monster than human. Nico has repeatedly assured him that he was fine with this, that to fight monsters you also need monsters, but Biko was not fooled. Even monsters needed company.
His thoughts were broken when he saw a bright flash behind him from the corner of his eye. Instincts took over as Nico twirled around, ready to summon a weapon from his Void Storage to decapitate the attacker, until he stopped himself when he saw it was the woman that came in with him… in a new getup.
Her new attire looked like an emerald green dress with gold markings. Her hands were covered by big yet loose light green and white gloves. Just under her armpits there were these green band-like accessories that had golden markings, just like her dress. Around her neck, she wore a big white collar with green lining around the bottom, with a very thin white cloth connecting the dress and neck piece together. On top of that, there was a red ribbon with gold outlines and a golden centre, with a blue gem, on top. Along the top part of her white skirt was a big peachy coloured bow, tied behind her. At the centre, was a gold circular piece with a small blue gem in the centre and tiny red ribbon with gold in the centre. The skirt had a slit in the side, exposing one of her legs, which had this white cloth material going down the side, ending at her feet which were covered in green bog, loose socks that flared behind the ankles, and white heels. Her hair was no longer in a ponytail, instead it hung down like a layer of swaying water, and her eyes didn't have any eyeglasses on them.
"Ahhh, this feels much better. I don't feel so restricted, now…" Vert mused, stretching her arms above her shoulders. Her arms had unintentionally stroked her boobs, making them visibly jiggle, but being the perfect gentleman, he was, Nico refused to acknowledge them. Once she finished stretching, Vert gave him a warm smile, and when he did his eyes widened as he thought of something. "Now then, how about I make us some tea? I'd like to learn more about my saviour, if you wouldn't mind…"
'Could it be…? I remember looking at The Goddess Blog a while back, and the image that showed up on the image cover looks like…!' Realising she had asked a question, the teen shook his head vehemently. "No, of course I wouldn't mind, Vert. But may I ask, by chance are you Leanbox's CPU? Lady Green Heart?"
"Hmmm?" Vert looked behind her as she set about making some tea for the two of them. Her face morphed to one of understanding a few moments later as she turned and bowed her head, hands crossed in front of her abdomen as she spoke again. "Yes, that would be me. I am Vert, CPU Green Heart, of Leanbox. Nice to make your acquaintance, DEATHSTROKE."
Chapter end
Alright, another chapter done.
To simplify, we get Yvoire taking action against both Neptune and Nico, under Conversation's advisement. We also get the introduction of Vert, or rather, her proper introduction since they technically met when Nico saved her ass in the previous chapter.
Next chapter will come soon, guys, promise you that
Special Event - Kinnect
With Nico and IF gone, Neptune and Compa had nothing to do. The purplette wanted to go see if they could find something to do before they go to the hotel, and Compa agreed, so they decided to go sightseeing.
The two girls walked through the streets, eyeing the sights that Leanbox's capital MICROSOFT had to offer. "Oooooh, Leanbox as this fancy Schmancy vibe to it, doesn't it?" Neptune hummed in thought, a hand on her chin as she watched several women, dressed in expensive looking dresses, walk by like there was nothing wrong. She swore some of them were sweating when she passed them, but shrugged it off.
"That's because Leanbox is run through a commoner-noble like hierarchy." Compa explained as she noticed several males siting around a barrel, talking while drinking ale out of wooden cups. "The commoners are the ones who do grunt work like physical labour, while the nobles do all the politics. There used to be this strict discrimination against the commoners in the past, but thanks to the Monsters that have been appearing, that discrimination was thrown aside for the sake of survival. I read so in a history book once." she told the purplette, who went 'ooooh!' at the information.
Eventually, they came across a rather large crowd, one that seemed to be rather excited about something. "Huh? Why's there a crowd over there?" Neptune wondered, looking to her friend while pointing to the crowd. "Do you know, Compa?"
"I'm as clueless as you, Nep-Nep, so lets take a look, shall we?"
The two agreed, and thus they managed to push through the crowds (Compa almost getting lost in them several times till Neptune found her) too find themselves at the front. Looking to what was the source of the commotion, the two girls saw a rather... peculiar sight.
"Huh? Two guys are Standing in front of these black weird, rectangular blocky things with lenses across them." Neptune noted, watching as two males, standing within a couple feet of these strange monitors with a screen in front of them each, and doing some weird poses. "What the heck is this?"
Compa shook her head, a thoughtful frown escaping her lips as she eyed their movements. "I dunno..." she muttered under her breath. But then, something hit her when she looked more closely at the monitors, and her eyes widened in recognition. "Oh, wait, I think this is that new device that was released recently for Leanbox's Console, the Leanbox Connect!"
"Eh? What's that, Compa?"
At Neptune's question, the Nurse-In-Training turned to face her while having this intense expression on her face. "They're a line of Motion sensing input devices that was produced by some of Leanbox's best Engineers. Apparently, they work like webcams, and allows users to control and interact with their console/computer without the need for game controllers." Compa explained, leaning forwards slightly while waving an index finger knowingly at her friend.
Said friend, now that she knew what was going on, eyed the piece of hardware with awe. "Whoa, really?! That's like, one step away from VR! I guess it must be doing well then since people seem to know of it." she remarked.
However, Compa shook her head with a sad frown on her lips. "It did get quite the popularity for the Leanbox 360, but it was also criticized for its learning curve, the additional power supply needed for older Leanbox 360 consoles and the space requirements. It was also looked down on for its launch line-up and the slowness of the hand gesture UI."
"Honestly, that sounds like a load of techno-babble to me." Neptune admitted when her friend finished explaining. She was a simple person, but even she could tell that the device had some problems. She guessed what was happening here was a promotion stunt for the device to get extra sales for it. If they had the chance, maybe they could get one themselves. "Anyways, lets get going Compa, this place's getting a bit to Nepping crowded for my tastes. Someone even tried to feel my butt when we got in here!"
"Okie-dokie!"
