Chapter 78 - Come Back Alive
How long had it been?
That was the first question that appeared in Nico's mind as he felt IT once again free itself from its bonds. The chains that had kept it in check for all this time, the chains it had been fighting against this entire story, they were slowly unravelling, this time on his command. He could feel IT shaking in excitement, in anticipation. They say that when you finally unshackle a hungry beast after so many days of not feeding it, it tends to go on a blood rage, devouring everything in sight. That was what he got from this power, this power that he had not shown in front of the girls, and for good reason.
Never had he thought that he'd be doing something like this, releasing IT at a place like this. A demonic nightmare filled with things that wanted a piece of his flesh, as well as girls who'd come to mean a whole hell lot to him. Honestly, if someone told him that this would happen 3 years ago, he would have called them a raving mad lunatic and tried to decapitate them with his Plasma Claws.
This time though, it was different.
Before, like back in Lastation he had fought against it with everything he had, limiting its use to minor physical empowerment. It was all he had been willing to divulge at the time, considering that he had comrades who weren't aware of that power's existence, nor what it had signified about him. Yet, just that had almost been enough to make his fragile control over it slip. It was like having a drug such as heroin injected into you after spending a long while in a withdrawal. The full power of IT was addictive, it was thrilling, it was liberating, and every second felt like he would slip back into something that he had gotten out of long ago.
Yet, right now, after so many years of keeping it locked up, he was finally letting it out. He was finally, FINALLY, unleashing the beast he held deep inside. The feeling of shackles being unbound from him spread through his nerves, and power that he felt all too familiar with, more so than the DPU powers he possessed ever could feel, flowed through his being. In a way, part of him had been waiting for this moment, the moment where he could finally free his inner beast.
Through the years of keeping IT suppressed, Nico had always felt… on edge, like he was one second away from exploding on any poor sod that got on his nerves. It was shown the most when he had lost his Armour, the thing injecting suppressant drugs into his system to seal away his inner beast. His instincts had been wild, nigh uncontrollable as they re-integrated with him. He'd done a good job of hiding it from the girls though, but there had been times where he'd shown more aggressive behaviours. That time when he found out about Avenir, the time with Noire and her disguise problem, when he began fighting more aggressively with those J'avo, there had been a few moments where he'd been… more aggressive than normal.
All those times… were because of th instincts he was unleashing right at this moment in time.
And he knew EXACTLY how to start this off.
SCHULUCK!
"Wha...? HUH?! GROOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The Demon Prince, at first, didn't know what the heck just happened. One moment it's hand was loosening its grip on the (as it had thought) charred male, but the next thing it knew its hand had been sliced into itty bitty pieces, blackened blood spraying across the ground as its prey landed on the ground with an audible THUD. Though, the Bloodletters were too focused on their fighting with Purple Heart and Compa to notice.
Then, the pain registered.
Slowly, Nico stood up from his kneeling position, hanging his head low with his Armour nowhere to be found. The male touched his chest, finding that the Armour Module there was still intact. He knew just from using his sense of touch, and he could still feel the mental link he had with it to deploy his beloved Armour. That was a plus for him. Now, all he had to do was finish this fucking thing before his comrades finished off the Bloodletters. Oh joy.
'YES! YES! KILL THAT THING! FUCK IT UP! RIP IT TO SHREDS! I WANNA SEE MORE BLOOD! GUTS! MURDER! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The mad voice in his head laughed maniacally, more gleeful than he had been in a LONG ass time. It had finally done it! It had convinced the 'king' to use its power, the power he SHOULD be using as the rightful owner of this throne!
Ignoring the mad voice, Nico gave a small smirk beneath the shadows of his hair. Faint wisps of grey could be seen emerging from behind him, before he looked up with his two light blue eyes having an insane, murderous gleam to them. "Whelp, that's a thing…" he mused offhandedly. IT had been released, and it demanded blood. Blood that he was all too willing to offer it, the blood of the enemy before him anyways.
Nobody noticed save for him, how the pieces of the being's hand had 'mysteriously' vanished along with the blood.
Before the Demon Prince could respond, likely with some insults to Nico's character along with some speech about it going to murder his bitch ass, several gasps and grunts were released from its throat when it felt itself get hit in the gut… 6 times. Yet, it saw nothing that could have hit it, especially with the impact that these hits had!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
More hits followed suit, until it was then bombarded with volley after volley of unseen hits.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
At this point, the Demon Prince couldn't maintain its balance as it fell onto its backside, then onto its back when an unseen hit impacted it in the form of an uppercut to its jaw, sending its head straight back as Nico burst forwards into a run. He then jumped and propelled himself towards the creature's chest, slamming his right foot into its chest with the force of a jackhammer.
This succeeded in knocking the creature down onto its back at last, with the male standing atop its chest with a foot on its neck. The male's eyes, through this whole time, remained shadowed by his hair, concealed from view by the darkness his bangs had generated. Not only that, but it had noticed something else from this mortal. This Mortal's aura… it had completely changed from before. Like a twisted 180, it had gone from frantic and fearful, the Demon Prince preferring that from his victims, to something else. Eerie calmness was what it saw, a calmness at such a level that it was almost unbearably unnerving. "You know something…"
The male began to speak, his voice level and calm on a scale that only served to heighten how unnerved the Demon Prince felt. It made to punch him off it but then something stabbed right into the arm it was going to use at its forearm and palm, forcing it to cry out in pain. The Demon Prince tried to turn its head, looked to see what was stabbing its arm in place, only to see… nothing.
Not one thing impaling its limb, but it just KNEW something was there.
The reason?
Cause blood wasn't flowing through the hole. P
Plus, it could feel something there, it just couldn't SEE it.
"I… REALLY… hate that you forced this weapon out of me." Nico finally stated, his hair lifting along with his head. NOW the Demon Prince could see his eyes, and what it saw made its blood run cold. There was no expression behind those light blue irises, nothing but an eerie calmness that matched his aura. But, underneath that, it could see something else… something that chilled it to the bone. A sense of HUNGER, of BLOODLUST and CARNAGE that not many in this wretched world called Gamindustri possessed. This calmness, it was merely a façade, a mask to hide the pure insanity that threatened to break free. "It REALLY grinds my gears that this happened. I spent so long trying to keep it under wraps, trying to contain and control it. But you…"
Another impaling happened, this time on the Demon Prince's other arm, making it cry out even louder while something pinned its legs down. It couldn't even move its wings with the amount of pressure on them, and for the first time in thousands of years, the Demon Prince felt… scared, like a captured animal awaiting its death at the pound.
"You just HAD to go and ruin it, didn't you? You know what? I'll not forgive you for this. I'll go ahead and kill you now."
An invisible weapon… a weapon that couldn't be seen…
Now THAT was a dangerous tool. To use something that can't be seen, meant that the opponent wouldn't be able to fight against it. Their eyes wouldn't see it coming until it had already hit them, and by that time it could be the end of them if the injury is lethal enough. Worse was that during that barrage of hits earlier, it had noticed no sound coming from his unknown assailant, not even a glimpse of sound escaped the unseen weapon. That meant that whatever it was didn't make a sound either, which meant that no eyes nor ears could detect it. Sound and sight, 2 of the five senses, couldn't detect this. Smell? Nothing to be smelled, it didn't have an aroma save for when it was impaling him, not really something that could be used. So smell was out. Touch was definitely out considering how it was being used.
A weapon that was undetectable by the five senses…
Yeah, this was it.
At the moment of that revelation, the Demon Prince realised something else. It was going to be killed. It had already been utterly defeated by the emergence of this new weapon. It didn't feel demonic in origin otherwise It's senses would have picked up on it by now. With its apparent invisibility to the five senses, its Bloodletters and other minions would be slaughtered when coming to contact with this… thing.
But at least, it won't go down permanently, but until the time it would revive back in the Demon Realm, this beast had a few things to say.
"YOU may… KILL ME… But be WARNED… I did NOT come here UNPREPARED…" The Demon Prince spat, coughing up blood thanks to the wounds on his arms. Nico stared down at him, emotionless and cold. Like the freezing tundra that is Lowee. Nevertheless, it continued to speak. "I managed… TO OPEN… a PORTAL to… the MATERIAL WORLD… for my HORDES! They shall DESCEND… onto that PATHETIC… town of YOURS… and WIPE it… off the MAP-!"
SCULUCK
The invisible weapon sliced through the Demon Prince's head before it could finish, Nico not having the stomach to hear any more garbage from its mouth. As it began retracting back into him, the chains he used to bind it restraining IT once more, the male gave a sigh as his instincts settled down. The usage of that beast inside of him hadn't been easy. He had almost lost himself to the urge to just rip his prey apart and have his weapon devour it completely. Raw primal ferocity had been what he had been fighting against every second he used that power.
'So… that was part of that THING'S power…'
'… Yeah. I don't want to talk about it, but let's just say that, when I'm on solo missions, that thing is just way too OP. That wasn't even a BIT of its full power, yet you saw just now how useful it was.'
'I could hardly detect it… the only way I could was by using your senses. In any other situation, it would be completely hidden from the five senses other beings have. That does seem like a dangerous weapon to have… By the way, the amount of demonic energy in this place has allowed you to regain the use of your Demon Skills. So you shouldn't feel the need to draw on IT's power anytime soon.'
'Thanks, Biko. What do you think about that thing's words about its subordinates?'
'I detected no lie in its voice. It would be wise to risk trying to feel out demonic energy to see if there really is a horde of Demons heading towards Leanbox. Also, the Realm should be destabilizing right now, you and the girls will be returned to the Material World momentarily.'
'There's cracks appearing on the ground… light's shining down on this place from the Skies… yep, you're right, we're coming home.'
'Of course.'
FLASH!
By the time Nico could see again, the trio were back in the field they had stopped in before. Everything had been how it had been before, the lush green grass, the healthy brown trees bristling with green leaves, the bright blue cloudless skies and the brilliantly shining golden sun. Honestly, Nico had never felt so glad to see such a sight after being in a Demon Prince's realm. The tee almost felt orgasmic when he felt the wind brush past his face like the gentle caress of a mother loving her child, bringing a small smile to his lips. 'Ahhh… feels good to be back…' the male thought to himself, pleasant sensations coursing through him.
The fact that IT had finally been released, if partially, was probably an indicator.
It honestly reminded him of a claustrophobe who had spent an eternity inside a tight space, then got released into an open field. The beast inside now was calmly slumbering, not agitated in the least unlike in the past. He remembered few instances before he met the girls, where he'd gone on solo missions just so that he could give it the time it needed to let loose.
While the male drunk in their surroundings, one of them seemed… more than a little eager to embrace their surroundings a little more radically than intended. "WHOOO! Air! Skies! Sun!" an untransformed Neptune cheered loudly, throwing her arms up into the air before she dove to the ground, planting multiple kisses on it. "You have no idea how long I've missed you!"
The Nurse-In-Training of the group couldn't agree more with their resident amnesiac Goddess. That realm had been more frightening than any of her nightmares by far. She remembered back in Planeptune when she expressed her worries about whether or not they would come back alive from all this. They would have so many near-death experiences that it wasn't even funny, and now those thoughts seemed on a whole new level of real. Fortunately, they were able to escape death this time, but how long would that luck hold out? She got the feeling that beast wasn't fully focusing on them as much as it was trying to kill Nico. If it had been focusing on them on the other hand…
She shuddered, dreading the thought.
Those feelings vanished when she saw what Neptune had been doing while she was monologuing, however. "Nep-Nep!" Compa, having dismissed her Combat Syringe and Armour, gently scolded the preteen with a look of disgust on her features. "That's unsanitary!" After a moment though, her stern features fell, and her inner softness came back onto its rightful place on her face. (Hey, that rhymed!) "Well, I can't say I don't understand, its good to see we're back…" her eyes then flashed with worry as she turned to their resident Spec Ops Agent. "We ARE back home, right?"
The teen nodded, a relieved smile on his lips as he turned to them, hands in his Pockets. "Yeah, we're home. Apparently, that thing's death caused us to return here. Looks like it was using its power to keep us there." He explained, before a frown crossed onto his features as he remembered the Demon Prince's last words. "Though, it did say something kind of worrisome."
"Huh?" Neptune blinked as she stood tall, taking a breath mint from her inventory and eating it. Didn't want to ruin any potential moments with her hubby in the near future, and by the time this was over she was going to have one, gosh Neppit! "What was that, Nicky? Could ya at least let us bask in the moment of freedom for a bit longer?" she asked, pouting in dismay. "We just got back from having quite nearly a death match. I'mma need some tome to recharge if ya know what I mean. Preferably with a mountain of Pudding."
Seriously, couldn't the seriousness give them a break? It had only been a single chapter and already they had come just within an inch away from death itself! More so than in the Lastation Arc, and they were plenty of near-death experiences there! Neptune wanted some downtime, already!
In response to her question, Nico looked at the two girls dead in the eyes, his own reflecting nothing but seriousness. "Well, we may not even HAVE a Nation to go back to, cause apparently before its death, that thing, I think it called itself a Demon Prince, told me it sent a force of Demons towards Leanbox, intent on razing it to the ground."
…
…
…
"…EEEEEEHHHHHHH?!"
Both girls took a moment to process what he had said, before reacting the only way they knew how to this information. Shock, and horror. Demons attacking Leanbox? While the Capital itself was large and had fended off plenty of Monster attacks over the years, Demonic beings would be another story altogether. There were many differences in strength between these types of foes, differences the Leanbox Military wouldn't be aware of… that would be a bloodbath.
The girls trembled at the thought.
Images assaulted their minds, images of the demons ransacking the Capital, killing and slaughtering soldiers and civilians left and right. Men, women and children alike would not be spared, they would just be shredded beneath those sinister Hellblades. Considering that the CPU hadn't been seen leaving her room, it would be best to assume that she couldn't help either, which only made their chances all the worse. Even if she did show up to help, the casualties would likely be in the hundreds, maybe more depending on how many demons there were.
"Did…" All eyes went to Compa, who shuffled nervously under their gazes. The fear rolling around in her gut didn't help either, but she pushed past it to get her question out. "Did the meanie monster say how many?"
Nico shook his head, arms crossed under his chest. "No, unfortunately. I killed it right after it told me. Probably should have done that, but I wanted to get us out of that hellhole as quickly as possible." This was just perfect. IF had been captured and was likely being held in Hellverse, and now they had a demon problem on their hands. Things just never seemed to be calm and collected when looking at their adventures. 'Hey, Biko? Does the hatred trail still lead to the Hellverse?' he asked his Demon Persona.
'I checked while you three were talking. It does seem that it is leading to the Hellverse Dungeon, but I am sensing a considerable amount of demonic energies in the area. Odds are we will be encountering heavy resistance.' Biko replied, much to Nico's frustration. Things just kept getting better and better, didn't they? He didn't miss the notion that they were encountering more and more demons as time went on. Nope, he didn't miss that fact AT ALL.
His adoptive mother's various warnings rung through his mind.
She really had no idea how right she'd been, did she?
'Alright, Nico calm down.' The male chided himself, taking deep breaths and pinching the bridge of his nose. He closed his eyes and repeatedly counted from 1000 by sevens, his breaths slowly calming to a steady rhythm as he continued thinking. 'You just have to remember the things you did with the CMA back when the Coalition was a threat. Visualise the situation in your mind, make sure you know the variables, then make the call. Alright, so we have two routes we can travel down, we can go defeat the demon hordes that are advancing towards Leanbox, which will cut into our time rescuing IF. I don't know what they plan to do with her, but I don't want to wait and find out the hard way. On the other hand, we can just go to the Dungeon but risk leaving Leanbox to a fate that nobody deserves to go through… fuck, I think this is what Theta used to feel like in-between battles.'
In the end, the male decided on a course of action, opening his eyes and lowering his arms to his sides. "Alright, here's what we're going to do." He began, getting their utmost attention. He had the tone of a military commander, the strong, dominating yet respectfulness that only a leader could have. Just like he had back in Lastation when they combated those Zombie hordes. "Neptune, you and Compa go see the Demon horde, gauge its numbers and effectiveness. I'll see if I can get you some assistance from any nearby Agents."
"You think we can do it? Take on a whole horde of Demons, Nicky?" Neptune quipped, curious. It seemed like a tall order with just the two of them, and she wasn't stupid…. Enough, to think that help was guaranteed to come for them. Then again, they had fought against a group of 30 Bloodletters back in that Demon Prince's realm, so maybe they had a shot?
The male nodded his head in response to her question his eyes shining with respect and pride in droves. "Yeah, I have faith. You two more than proved it to me through our training, and you both just made it out of a death match against Demons before. Neptune, you managed to keep them focused on you while Compa used her Syringe's specialized ammo to help better her chances. The two of you worked together as a team, and THAT is something that helps many get out of the toughest of situations." Nico explained to them. Teamwork may sound horribly like the 'power of friendship' cliché, and honestly Nico hated that with every fibre of his being. But, even he had to admit that with trustworthy comrades by one's side, bleak situations seem just a little bit brighter.
However, that wasn't to say that they weren't going without a little something from him.
'Nico… are you sure that course of action is wise?' Biko questioned within his mind. He had a full front row seat to what Nico had been thinking, so he found out what he planned beforehand. The demonic persona of his power didn't like the notions running though his head, and had to ask if it was truly the best idea that they could go with. 'It seems unnecessarily risky to use such an item, an item that we are not even sure the identity of.'
The male knew what he was talking about, and if this were any other situation then he wouldn't be considering this idea either. It wasn't something he liked, and Biko could feel that. Still though, Nico had a response ready for his demon persona. 'Yeah, I don't like it either. In any other circumstance I wouldn't even acknowledge the thought of using that item. However, through this entire time its been showing unusual readings towards Compa. Most prominently the time we spent in that demonic realm. My instincts tell me that it wants to be near her for some reason, and if my hunch is right then any help at all will be a blessing to them.' Nico reasoned. It wasn't like he was doing these things without thinking he always thought about his actions… though, he thought a little less when killing.
'True…'
Reaching for his Bracer, Nico opened the Void Storage before looking for the item he wanted. "Its not like I won't be giving you nothing for help, here Compa, you take this." Finally, he found the item that he wanted: the strange crystal that he and Team RAIL had found before. Like He had said, its energy readings had been abnormally high whenever he was around Compa, almost as if it were trying to get out of his Void Storage and into Compa's embrace. The light that it emitted, also… it just screamed with purity, almost like that of a Maiden's. Something told him that it and Compa were… honestly, they were meant to be somehow.
And any help at all, like he told Biko, would be a godsend in this situation.
Pulling it out of his Void Storage, Nico held the crystal in his hand, reaching out to hand it over. Both girls leaned towards it and went 'ooooh' when they looked at it, drawn in by the light that it was radiating. The light seemed to almost draw the in, similarly to how everyone in Team RAIL save for Raven and Lucy, had been drawn in by it into an illusion. Only, there was no illusion here. The Crystal seemed to radiate a warmth that seeped into their beings… more towards Compa and Nico though than Neptune. Compa was a given thanks to its abnormal energy readings, but for Nico? Well, he figured it would be thankful for bringing it to her in the first place.
Neptune became the first to speak after a moment of ogling the crystal. "Shhhhiiiiiiiinnnnnnnyyyyyyy…!" she moaned, eyes wide with wonder. Also, was it just him or were their stars in her eyes? Well, this was Neptune, the protag of protags. Randomness seemed to follow her everywhere. Looking up from the crystal, though it took every ounce of her willpower to do so, she aimed a pouting face towards him, her eyes pleading. "Come on, Nicky, don't you have something for little ol' me? I am your wifey ya know." She questioned.
The teen sweat dropped at that while the Nurse-in-Training pocketed the Crystal into her purse. Honestly, he didn't know what to give the preteen that she would find useful. Compa would have that crystal since it was calling to her, but he didn't know what he could give to Neptune that would placate her for the time being. Her couldn't give her nothing though, that would be just unfair and rude to her. That was something he had to avoid at all costs, as he didn't want to give her the impression that he didn't care about her.
But… what could he get her?
His Void Storage had a multitude of things that he'd collected over the years as a Spec Ops Agent. Thanks to him taking loads of missions each day, he'd also been to a varied number of places in the four nations. He'd seen a lot, and collected a lot of souvenirs from his travels. There should be something he could give her from his travels, something that could be of great use to her in battling demonic forces.
'Hmmm… hold on, I think I might have something.'
Biko's interjection nearly made Nico jump in surprise, but he managed to catch himself before he could. Once he was sure he had his calm back to 100%, the teen thought back to his demonic persona. 'Oh? What you got then?'
In response to his question, an image of Soul Edge appeared in his mind, the demonic sword shaking as its crimson aura covered its form. Its eyes glowed in then darkness, reflecting how eager it was to be used once more. 'We can detach a fragment of Soul Edge's power and give it to Neptune. That fragment will be bonded to her soul, and that will soon give rise to a new weapon for her HDD self. The Fragment shouldn't have much energy compared to her Divine Energy reserves, so they should be able to purify it to create a new weapon for her.'
'Should? I don't like the sound of that, dude…'
'I say should because this has not happened before. Demonic weapons usually don't share fragments of themselves with beings of the opposite nature. It's like a rattlesnake falling in love with a rat of all things, it just doesn't happen. However, since we have little other options, and whatever is in that Void Storage will likely waste precious time, this is the only plausible option we have. Unless you want to seem like a massive jackass towards Neptune.'
Urk!
He hit right in the private zone!
Mentally giving in, Nico told his demon persona to do what he had to. The next thing he knew was that he could feel something forming in his gut. A portion of his demonic energy, combined with something he could only assume was a fragment of Soul Edge's power, fused together before travelling up to his shoulder. There, it would go down his arm and towards his hand. The entire process made Nico shudder in discomfort, and the male had to use every ounce of his willpower to keep his composure. Though, if one looked closely they would see how his right arm was trembling slightly.
It felt very weird, like he was giving birth or something…
That better not become a running gag for him or an author will be getting a claw to the face.
Finally, the result came out his palm, forming a cut through the skin and muscle to allow it to escape. Nico flinched slightly at this, but his healing factor closed the wound right afterwards, so it was all good. "Hm, there…" the male muttered, much to the girls' confusion as he held the object towards Neptune. The object itself looked like a small, pebble sized orb, coloured crimson and radiating a crimson aura. "Here, Neptune, this is a fraction of my power. It'll be of help to you when you turn HDD." He told her, the preteen taking it into her hand.
Once it touched her flesh, Neptune saw how it seemingly sunk into her hand, and in the next moment she felt as if something had latched onto her. She figured that was what had meant to happen but didn't pay too much attention, in favour of glomping the boy she crushed on with a massive hug. "Thank you, Nicky! Thanks a bunch, you know you love me!" she proclaimed, much to Compa's irritation.
Before the Nurse-In-Training could do anything to counter that statement though, Nico quickly pushed the preteen off him and brought their attention back to the situation at hand. "Girls, you can thank me later. Right now, the Demons may be closing in on Leanbox, so its best that you get a move on."
"What about you?" Compa questioned nervously. "We can't just leave you here, Ni-Ni."
Neptune nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, Nicky! What'll you be doing on your lonesome? Not masturbating, cause that's kinda your wifeys job."
"NEP-NEP!"
'Ugh, this girl's giving me another migraine… wonder if Theta's found someone who can reel in his assholisms, maybe that person can give me some tips on how to deal with her…' the teenage Spec Ops Agent thought with an irritated groan. "No, don't worry girls, I'll find my way to the Hellverse Dungeon. I can track it from here, if we didn't have a captive teammate then I'd have gladly joined you. However, I fear IF's on borrowed time at the moment, so I don't want to waste any more of it."
Now that made sense to the girls, as they remembered that one of their own was still captured and likely being held in that Dungeon. They both felt a flash of guilt spark inside their guts for forgetting that important detail, if their resident brunette had been here she'd be scolding them for days for forgetting her. "Riiiight, Iffy… I completely forgot about her." Neptune admitted, chuckling nervously.
The Nurse-In-Training didn't say a thing, but her body language spoke volumes.
Nico's eyes narrowed at the two with a look of disappointment. While he could understand why, given what they had just been through, it was still the principle of the matter here. "I'll be telling IF that when I find her." Two paling girls were his reward for that comment.
"In any case, we ought to get going, the longer we dillydally, the more likely we could have a ton of victims to the Demonic species." Nico stated, about to turn around. However, he froze mid turn, something else coming to his mind as he turned back to them. "Oh yeah, one last thing."
"?"
Both girls gave him questioning looks…
Those looks morphed into looks of shock when the teenage Spec Ops Agent swiftly appeared before them and pulled them into an embrace, his arms wrapping around their backs and pulling them into his chest. His head was buried into their shoulders, leaving his facial expression unseen to them.
"E-Eh?!"
"Wha-wha-wha-wha?!"
Both Neptune and Compa blushed crimson at the sudden gesture of affection, Compa more so considering her nature. That didn't mean that Neptune was out of the embarrassment pool though, her blush was a considerate one as she felt the muscular physique her hubby possessed, pressing against her thanks to his arms. 'Wh-Whoa… since when the hell did this guy get so lean built…' She wondered. Neptune had seen how built Nico had been sporting several times now, but even so it seemed that as time went on, his build seemed to become… well, more masculine. If a Goddess was the epitome of female beauty, then Nico had the demonic beauty of a male God.
"You two… you better make it back out of there alive… I'm ordering that as DEATHSTROKE… and as Nico."
The male finally spoke after a few seconds of silence, although to them it seemed much longer. To them, there had been nothing but worry, softness and concern for their wellbeings in that tone, showcasing just what he felt deep inside. To them, it was a milestone jumped, as it showed them that their efforts at getting into his heart had not been fruitless, had not been a waste. It was a… heart-warming thought.
"Nicky..."
"Ni-Ni..."
Breaking away, the teen pushed them so that he could see their faces, and that was when they saw something that tore away at their heart strings: A smile. A warm, heartfelt smile that just seemed so... sad. Lonely. Resigned. He was both reassuring them to make it out of this alive, and himself in that they wouldn't die. A smile like that could only come from someone who'd seen plenty of death on the battlefield, and it had changed them for the worse. Both girls looked at each other, and instead of their usual rivalry, only one thought dominated their minds.
Don't let Nico be alone ever again.
"We'll come back, Ni-Ni." Compa responded, briefly hugging him this time as she planted a kiss on his cheek. It made his eyes widen and a blush form on his cheeks, something that flattered her as she stepped back. "So don't worry about us. You were the one who trained us, remember?"
Neptune 'hmmed' in agreement. "Yep, you got that right Compa. Listen up, buster, you and I still have some sexy time to do, so I can't go quitting the bucket yet. You're my hubby. so you do your best out there, got it?! You'll make me look bad otherwise!"
Afterwards, Nico, Compa and Neptune bid their farewells, before separating. The male ran off towards where Biko had said the hatred trail lead to the Hellverse, while Neptune transformed into Purple Heart, grabbed Compa and took off to where she could sense the demonic energy belonging to the Demon horde.
Chapter end
Another chapter done!
Now, the party has split apart to deal with multiple threats on different fronts! Ad just when they got out of the Demon Prince's realm, too. Damn, these guys don't get a break, do they? Nico's gone off to save IF from those that kidnapped her, while Neptune and Compa are off to take down the demonic forces that the Demon Prince told them had been summoned into Leanbox to wreck havoc. Looks like things will be getting heated in the near future, huh?
Also, you all should make sure you're all up to date on what's been happening. Re-read chapters to familiarize yourselves with the lore, what's been going on, etc. My story has a high word count, one that'll only get longer with time. Thus, you all should keep the facts from the other chapters fresh in your minds. Otherwise, you'll just get lost. That's the thing with long stories, they tend to make people lost and force them to reread chapters to figure stuff out. Just warning you all now.
