Chapter 112 - An Old Friend returns

Okay, this has GOT to be a dream.

Those were Nico's first few thoughts as he woke up inside a familiar black void. The teen mentally rolled his eyes as he sat up from his prone position, looking about the void to see if there was anything he could use to indicate where he was. Looked like he wasn't in one of his nightmares, though he would freely admit that he had not been having them very often now, so they were out. He also couldn't sense the presence of his other selves, something that was quite the common thing when he dreamed.

Though, as time passed, he found himself remembering past events where he had been in a similar situation, prompting him to face palm to himself while muttering incoherent derisive comments. Remembering those times made Nico feel like an idiot for even forgetting about her, but in his defense, it had been a while since she last contacted him or the Party. Why she hadn't contacted Neptune was anyone's guess at this point. Those events allowed him to conclude that there was only one person who could have brought him here, and that person was whom he would have to talk to right now. "Hey, been a while, Histoire." He called out, sliding his gloved hand down his face.

Soon, he smiled when he got an answer.

'Indeed, it has indeed been a while, Nico. It is nice to finally be able to talk to you again. Apologies for the long silence, there were matters I had to attend to.'

The familiar soft, feminine tone of the [World Tome] Histoire echoed throughout the void, filling Nico with a warmth that he hadn't expected to feel. Though, that didn't mean he disliked it, it was only now that he realized that this was something that he had been worrying about for a while. The last time he had heard from Histoire was back in Lastation, and that was when she had helped him save IF from becoming a 'mindless' BOW. Though then again, with he powers she now had, Nico had to admit that he would rather go through that shit again if it meant that she would be able to fight alongside them against these Demons. "Nah, don't worry about it. I'm just glad t hear your voice again." He admitted, scratching the lower side of his jaw. "So, uh, why'd you call me now? Why not Neptune since she's the Party Leader even though I take charge more often than not."

'Forgive me, I did try to contact Neptune, however her dreams were too strong for me to connect to her subconscious. Also, she seemed to have filled herself with dreams of a… questionable sort. A mix of pudding, and… you.'

If he could see her, then Nico wouldn't doubt that Histoire would be blushing right now due to the tones he was getting from her. Nico himself gained a flat expression, already imagining things that Neptune might be dreaming about concerning him and Pudding… none of them that the author wanted to write about. The mind of a female, especially someone like Neptune's, was not something a young man like the author wanted to go into, thank you very much. "I can imagine that, and I don't know whether to feel dismayed or annoyed about that. Anyways, you said you tried to contact Neptune, so what did you wanna talk to her about? I'll relay it to her when I wake up."

'Thank you, Nico. However, now that I think about it, perhaps it would be better if you heard this yourself. With the matters you have gone through already, I assume you have knowledge on the DPUs as a species?'

Nico rolled his shoulders backwards when she said that, remembering the Tomes he got from Skies End. The male hadn't read all of them yet, but if what he had read so far was any indication, he needed to do some form of reading marathon. "A but, yeah. Though the Tomes I draw info from are enchanted so that only those with Demonic Powers can read them." he explained, earning a sigh from the [World Tome].

'I feared as much, those DPUs were not the kind of species who would allow information about their race fall into anyone's hands. They may have been a barbaric species, but they were not stupid. One has to have certain requirements passed before they can acquire such information.'

At this, Nico raised a brow, a curiosity being born within him from her words. "You talk like you know them, Histoire."

'At first, I knew little about them, but from what I knew back then I realized that they weren't the kind of species that should have returned to Gamindustri. Yet, I never saw the signs of their return until your journey began, when I saw the Abnormals gaining strength, and the beginnings of Demonic Powers returning to Gamindustri through the Seal. However, that has changed, thanks to some hard work on my part, I have found out some more information about them.'

That got Nico's attention, and if he were here, Biko would have been intrigued as well. Histoire had found more information on their Species, information that they didn't have yet. With the kind of being she was, that kind of revelation presented a mybrid of opportunities for them, opportunities that they wouldn't have found otherwise. "Oh? What did you find out, Histoire?"

'That the DPUs are far worse than I could ever have anticipated. Originally, I only knew about the original DPU Sparda himself. His power, exploits and reputation as the leader of the DPUs was something to be greatly feared, for his power had the potential to destroy anything he touched. However, I have recently learned more about the DPUs in general, and it frightens me to think that there had once been many of these people.'

Taking a breath, Histoire paused slightly before she continued her explanation.

'To start, the DPUs had a very specific Culture when they once ruled Gamindustri, referring to the Dimension that Gamindustri resided in as the 'Devildimension'. The DPU Culture can be summed up in several words: might makes right. They were warriors, and as warriors born from the chaos of the universe, they sought to fight to their hearts content. To them, strength was everything for strength was what brought them into being, and strength was what empowered them. They believed down to their cores that only those who know strength can truly survive in the universe, a way of life that is integrated into every DPU that formed from the Universe's Chaos afterwards.'

Nico furrowed his brows at those words, processing them in his mind. That didn't sound wrong to him, in fact something deep within him just knew that Histoire was right. Maybe it was his DPU side agreeing with her about what the culture his race once had. Even so, this warrior culture sounded quite interesting, especially since the world right now was filled with a false sense of security especially in Leanbox with how those shitty Nobles think that they were untouchable. Both for the people below them and the monsters that were quite literally knocking on their door.

Still, Nico remained silent as the [World Tome] explained things to him.

'To that end, DPUs developed many customs and cultural traits for their kind on their core Planet of Gamindustri. They created a society based off of warrior norms, ideals and designs, such as the Death Parade Duels or, mas you have recently discovered, the Satanic Treasures. They would build massive coliseums and Crucibles all over their planets to house special fighting tournaments for each other, promoting the idea of chaos and conflict within their species. It worked as well, as DPUs reveled in carnage and fighting, their society developing across their era as a warrior society where only those who were truly powerful got the respect they deserved. It would not be uncommon to see fights breaking out across the lands, resulting in lands being destroyed or laid bare from the excessive use of Demonic Power.'

As Histoire explained that part, Nico's gut began churning as he processed this information. His eyes darkened with a troubled expression forming on his lips. With just that bit of info, the red-haired teen could see both the good and the bad side of such a culture. In order for one to gain respect in such a culture they had o showcase that they were strong, that they could fight and win on the battlefield. There would have been many who would have wanted that respect, thus they would have fought each other all over the place. Unfortunately, there would have been a minority who lacked that strength, or had talents in areas other than fighting, but for them they would never gain the respect they deserved due to the mostly warrior-based culture that the DPUs thrived under. There wouldn't be any way to change it either, as after all DPUs were born from chaos and warfare. It was their essence, their nature, and nothing they could have done would have changed that.

'Yet, like I said before, these beings may be barbaric, but they are not stupid. There were those among them who knew that too much destruction would end up backfiring on them by destroying the planet they called home. To combat the threat off accidentally destroying their own planet, DPUs developed the ability to travel through space itself to other Worlds throughout the entire Devildimension, due to being born from the carnage throughout said Dimension, where they could fight and conquer any world they chose to their fancy. These worlds were filled with countless Demons, races and other beings that these DPUs could fight, and those that fell to them were replaced with words that were filled to the brim with Demonic Forces. These Chaos Gods whom are worshipped by the Momus faction have followers across these worlds, followers who fight and fight in their name. DPUs met and destroyed many species during their era, earning their rights as the strongest warrior gods in existence.'

Now THAT made Nico take a double take. His eyes flew open wide with the implications that Histoire had just revealed to him. Countless Demons? Other worlds where DPUs overran and replaced with Demonic Forces? Well, guessed that answered a question he'd been wondering about. Back before this adventure began, he had wondered if there were other world and races besides Gamindustri. Worlds and races with varying cultures, technologies and ideals to their own. It looked like he had his answer in the form of a rather dark and gritty reality that Histoire had revealed to him.

Still, the more he learned about the DPUs, the more he began to despise the way they acted.

Yet, Nico couldn't help but the hypocrisy in that statement, since he himself had a love for battle within him. He was a warrior himself, so what made him any different from the DPUs of old? What separated them from him, the fact that they existed in different time periods? Don't make him laugh, no matter the period there would always be conflict. It was a fact, conflict was the greatest way to inspire progress, it was what drove Gamindustri forwards. Yet, it also has the cons of taking many innocent lives throughout the world, separating them from their loved ones forever. He himself had killed horrible criminals in his lifetime, but odds were that eve they had to have had SOME family. Be it a brother, sister, son or daughter, maybe even parents. To them, if they learned of the DPUs and him, they'd likely not even see a difference between them.

'Now stop yourself right there, young man.'

Once again, Nico jumped at the sound of a sharp, stern voice breaking him from his thoughts. That was Histoire's voice, but there was an edge to it that reminded him of that time when he saw a vision of her confronting Arfoire before they headed to Lastation. It cut off any and all forms of response from him, allowing Histoire to continue since she saw she had his attention.

'Do not think for a SECOND you are like those DPUs of old, young man. There are so many differences between you two that I cannot say them all. But I will name some: they have done horrendous things for their own pleasure, they only cared about their own desires. You didn't, you facing all those criminals saved lives, and even if you became more brutal as time passed nobody has the right to blame you. Anyone would have lost it like that if they saw what you did, in this case you should have been commended for your exploits not had them covered up like those cowards did. You may have a warrior's heart, but you also have a strong honorable code you follow. You keep your word when you make promises, you know the value of promises thus don't make them recklessly. You may be a DPU, but you are SIGNIFICANTLY better than they were. Never think you are anything less than good, you hear me?'

For a moment, Nico remained speechless, his eyes wide and shaking while his form quivered. The amount of passion, emotion raw and primal, in her tone completely blew him away, leaving no chance for him to quickly recover. There weren't many who considered him so highly, most people considered him the scum of the earth for what he did on a daily basis. Yet, Histoire just shot all of them out of the water. Then, he finally found enough of his voice to respond, though it came out as barely above a whisper. "… I guess, but I…"

'You think you are a monster yes? What's wrong with that? If anything, why should you be sorry for being what you are, when nobody apologises for making you into what you are?'

"?!"

'You may not believe it, but you have way more strength than most people would have. Most in your situation would have given up at this point, yet you are still here kicking. Your mother taught you well, the power of resolve is one of the greatest powers of all. You may think that you are a monster, Nico, but the real monsters are those who made you become this way. They are the ones who forced you to keep on fighting like this, they forced you to keep looking into that dark corrupt world, never letting you leave it. They are the ones who used you as a scape goat for their own cowardly actions. If anything, be glad of what you are, because you are a hell of a lot better than most of the, mind my language, utter fucktards that dare demean you when they do nothing themselves but sit in their cosy chairs and watch the world burn.'

'Whoa, there! Holy shit…!' Nico couldn't help but think to himself, completely taken aback. He had pegged Histoire as the kind of character who would remain profanity free the entire story here, but NOPE, this Histoire just swore for the first time ever. Yet, he couldn't even blame her either since she had likely learned of all the horrible things those people have done. Everyone had a limit, and it looked like Histoire had reached hers. Hell, he didn't even realize just how much his situation and condition affected the [World Tome], he had just thought she saw him as a means of helping Neptune free her with the Key Fragments.

He probably should have expected this from someone who had the world's history installed within her, though.

Yet, Nico couldn't deny how those words she spouted to him, out of frustration, sadness and anger, had a major impact on him. An impact greater than when a gong was being rung. Normally people would try to say that he wasn't a monster, that he was just like them a person who had their own problems to deal with. While that was sort of true, Histoire just added on that it was okay to be a Monster, because being a Monster seemed a hell of a lot better than being like those corrupt fuckers in power right now. She had told him that he wasn't the one at fault, that everything he'd done could be laid out over the feet of those who forced him to keep looking at that dark world.

Back before he met Compa again, Nico did remember a few times where he just had had enough, how he wanted to look away from that world for once, to stop acknowledging the darkness that he so plainly saw every day. To at least fool himself for a little bit in that there was still some light left in the world. One could say that he had been in a dark place those times, a place where few came out of. To that end, sometimes he would try to request some time off, however he was always denied with one reason or another. Reasons like the monster threat was too great or that the Agents would not be able to handle the workload he had. Yet, most of the time the male saw his colleagues, they didn't seem to be working much at all, just basking in the fame and glory of being a Spec Ops.

It was those times that he would be reminded of his place in this world, his place as a Watchdog for the Guild and the Basilicoms.

There was a reason why so many eyes were on him, why his exploits would be covered up after all.

Hell, Nico sometimes felt like some of his superiors were aware of his mental state, of how he had nightmares and hallucinations both visual and auditory. Of how he sometimes went to the more… extreme measures to cope with what he had to do. Yet, they didn't do a thing to help, not even allow him to have a doctor or get any psychiatric help. One time he had overheard several said officials talking to each other, and when the subject of his mind came up, they said the following words: An animal like him doesn't get to have any human help. If he goes insane, all the better they can just send him into a suicide mission where he would most likely die.

Showed how little they gave a fuck about him, huh?

Nico hadn't done much to change that because it all helped to keep his secret under wraps. Though he never blinded himself into thinking they cared about him. No, the shitty guys in power had their own reasons for keeping him around. They saw someone who could take out the scumbags of society in a manner that would keep the public from following the same footsteps, and they took it, using missions to mould him into the perfect hound for them, and he had no choice but to comply. A life as a dog was better than the other choice that had been offered him after all…

Returning to the present, Nico looked back into the void where he could sense Histoire's presence. Now that he thought about it, the more times that they talked, the more… well 'solid' the connection became. He would have asked about that, but enough pointless stuff had been asked already. "I… I guess. Anyways, I found out that apparently there are these things called Satanic Treasures, I think they are connected to the DPUs."

'You would be correct, Nico. The Satanic Treasures are indeed items that were forged by the DPUs as a means of diversifying their skills. They were highly sought after items, used often as prizes in their conflicts and tournaments in their Crucibles. Each Satanic Treasure is unique in its abilities, and they take on a variety of forms, such as firearms CQC weapons, armors, even accessories like that Red Ring of Rage you have. In a way, they function similar to Devil Arms as once they finds a wielder, they see if they are worthy before binding themselves to that wielder's being. There's only a few differences between them, one of them being that they would only be trinkets to those that are not worthy of their power, and another being that they are not sentient, thus they can be wielded by anyone with little side effects involved. Human, goddess, demon it does not matter. These items aren't picky about their wielders and do not discriminate. Thirdly, if one were to try and obtain another person's Satanic Treasure, then they would have to kill that wielder first.'

'Killing the wielder, huh…?' Nico thought, frowning while he took in what was being told, again. He was doing that a lot in this dream, but hey not like he was complaining. It felt nice to get information so readily like this, this way Nico could plan around them whenever he would encounter them. Heck, he could even possibly outfit his comrades with different Satanic Treasures if he found any, since they could add to their skill-sets depending on what they could do. Though, something about these made him think of the Bone that was attached to his leg. "These remind me of that Bone actually, the bone that's attached to my leg that lets me absorb enemy attacks and steal Skills."

'Ah, I see you are referring to Spirit Bones. Those are similar to Satanic Treasures, however they come from beasts and other beings that have existed for a fair amount of years, particularly over 100,000. These beings used to roam the Devildimension a lot during the Era of DPUs and were a great source of combat for those Warrior Gods. Whenever such a beast was found, it would be hunted by extremely eager DPUs wanting to prove themselves, and once they were killed a Bone would be left behind with specific Skills. Either one powerful Skill or several weaker Skills. The one that you have gained, according to its shape, likely came from a Boar Specter. What that creature's specifics are eluding me for now, but it is safe to say that the Bone has inherited its abilities. The chances of a Beast dropping a Spirit Bone is extremely rare back then. But the possibility of dropping a Spirit Bone does increase if the Spirit Beast feels huge amount of resentment before getting killed, dies willingly or if the Spirit Beast are grateful for their death. A person can use 6 Spirit Bones on 6 parts of the body, which cannot be overlapped. According to their importance they are: Chest Bone, Skull Bone, Left Arm Bone, Right Arm Bone, Left Leg Bone, and Right Leg Bone. A Spirit Bone cannot be removed from a person unless they are killed or amputated, much like Satanic Treasures.'

So THAT's what they are, then. Huh, those Spirit Bones definitely seemed like items worth picking up if he came across them. They had similar advantages to the Satanic Treasures, only it seemed that acquiring them isn't as easy as obtaining a Satanic Treasure. Hell, he got the image of Neptune carrying piles and piles of these items in her arms with wildly shaking legs, electing an amused chuckle from him. A bit of laughter felt quite good right now, took his thoughts away from his depressing situation with the Guild and Basilicoms.

Just then, the male began seeing white cracks slowly open up throughout the void, white rays of light starting to seep in. Nico knew what that meant, his subconscious was waking up from his dream, so with that in mind he hurriedly stood up and opened his mouth. "Thanks for the talk, Histoire, and for talking to us again. Its good to actually hear you're alright." He thanked her, smiling with gratitude even if he doubted she could see him right now. As the saying went, good help was hard to find, and he knew that all too well.

'You are very welcome. I will try to find out more on my end about the DPUs, but for now trust your Demon Personality as well as those fragmented memories it looks over.'

"?!"


Before Nico could ask Histoire what the heck she meant by those last few words, his eyes opened in the real world, the sight of the Hotel room's ceiling saying hello to his light blue orbs. A low groan escaped his lips as he, clad in his PJ's, sat up within the blankets of his bed, rolling his shoulders when the memories of what just happened returned to him. 'That Histoire… well, I guess she's the [World Tome] for a reason, if she knows that. I've only told MAGES. about the Devil Arms, and also if she knows about them then she likely knows everything I've learned thus far about the DPUs.' The redhead thought to himself, slowly calming his racing mind with a few deep breaths.

'It seems this Histoire is more perceptive than previously assumed, Nico. If she indeed knows stuff that we do not, then it would be wise to consult her more in the future.'

Biko's voice echoed throughout the depths of his mind, filling his brain with their presence and re-establishing their regular link. Nico meanwhile, nodded his head in agreement, his thoughts mirroring that of his Demon Persona. 'Yeah, you said it. Almost lost it there, I have to admit. But still, Histoire did give us some pretty useful information about the DPU era. Makes me want to get some more reading done, honestly. Speaking of reading, its still a surprise that Noire did what she did for the reasons she told us, isn't it. Didn't expect her to regard Neptune so highly after everything.'

What Nico had referred to was him texting Noire not long after he had returned to the Hotel (and having just missed one of Compa's mealtimes to both his disappointment and relief). Apparently, she had decided that Lastation's forces alone were no longer enough to hold back the rowing threat of the Abnormals, that they were getting too wild to be contained in their territories any longer. The Military kept taking needless casualties while Lastation's Spec Ops Agents were getting more and more work poured onto them than necessary. She didn't want to lose any of them as their numbers weren't as numerous as the common military, though that wasn't to say she wanted the military to lose members either. She didn't want to lose either of them, but so far that was what had been happening. Not to mention there were strange rumours about cloaked men patrolling the streets of Lastation's settlements, making Nico frown when he had heard it. It seemed that the Overlord Momus faction was spreading its influence to the other Nations, not a good sign.

It honestly filled his being with pride for Lastation's CPU, as it showed that she was willing to throw aside her pride (though it had to hurt her more than she let on, due to how prideful she was), and request aid from Planeptune of all Nations. Though, he guessed Planeptune would have been the best choice technology and military wise, as it was the only other Nation with a similar level of both to her own Nation. Not trying to demean the other Nations though, they specialized in their own fields. However, at this point those Nations would have to step up their game if they wanted to keep what territory they have left.

'You do recall that she referred to you as well, Nico, not just Neptune.'

'Meh, by this point my involvement will have been suppressed by the higher ups. I doubt Noire would have went against them, even if I was her friend. She has her own Nation to regain the trust of, after all.'

With that in mind, Nico flung the covers off his bed and swung his legs over to the side, making to stand up when he looked down at his right hand. When he did that, flashes of memory went by his mind like a quickly flashing camera show, memories of the times where he had, like he had stated in that dream chat with Histoire, tried more… extreme measures to cope with what he had done, with what he had to do. His eyes darkened with nostalgia, those memories coming back clearer and clearer until he could see them as clear as crystal.

He could see a blade, either Rebellion or a specialized knife meant just for him…

There was blood…

Pain, pain he focused on for only that was real, the only thing his life was full of…

The words monster, demon, freak, abomination appeared in his mind, carved in blood and torn flesh…

'No, stop it Nico…!' the teen quickly scolded himself, pushing back those dark thoughts along with the shadowy mist that threatened to consume his mind from within the deepest depths. He refused to fall tat low ever again, he couldn't not with the fact that he was in a Party. If he were alone, then it was a different story, however. 'This isn't like back then… this is NOT like back then…'

Within his mind, Biko could only frown in concern. His lack of emotions failed to suppress the concern he felt for the main aspect, especially with what he had learned about him from his childish self. The male's mind was much more broken, broken, unstable and chaotic than he could have ever anticipated. What he had gone through, both through his lost memories and those four years, did way more damage than Biko had expected, and it worried him greatly/. Nico may have incredibly strong willpower, but everyone had to have a limit somewhere. He severely hoped that Nico would not reach his, especially with the amount of power within him.

He could only hope that those girls could help Nico, that they could save him from the darkness that tears away at him every day.

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyy, Niiiiiiiiiiiiiickyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!"

"H-Huh?!" Nico just had enough time to ask that while looking upwards… enough time to see the skin coloured blur with a side of lilac slam into him and knock him down onto the bed backfirst. He literally felt the air get knocked out of him from the collision, his mind whirling so fast that he feared he might have gotten more than a dozen dizzy spells from it. It was like getting hit dead on with a truck going at full speed in order to make a delivery on time, only it had arrived at its target destination far too fast and caused a traffic collision.

Casualty: one Spec Ops Agent.

"Oof!"

A loud grunt escaped the teen's lips when he fell, his arms reflexively wrapping round the human missile that rammed into Silo Nico. Once he had stopped bouncing on the bed (as well as stopped seeing many stars everywhere) the teen looked down at his chest while acknowledging the sensation of arms wrapped around him. "Ugh… N-Neptune?"

"Yeppers! Nicky gets a prize for guessing this lovable main character's name! Mwah!" Neptune exclaimed, beaming happily as she planted a kiss on his cheek. It was nothing much, just a quick peck, yet it turned Nico's cheeks a healthy shade of pink. She then resumed burying her head into his chest, rubbing it in while making some incoherent babbling sounds.

For a moment, Nico just remained there in a state of shock, bewilderment and confusion. That is, until his brain performed the necessary updates and restarted itself. Thus, he looked back down at her and simply asked her the most obvious question on his mind right now. "Ok what the hell, Neptune? What are you doing in here?"

Looking up at him, Neptune gave a pout, her cheeks puffy as her lips pursed. Made her look oh so freaking adorable. "Aw, I was just giving my hubby his good morning hug, ya know. Couples do this all the time." She told him, her eyes never leaving his and if he stared at them for too long he feared he might get diabetes from the cuteness.

He swore he heard of a few cases when that kind of thing ACTUALLY happened.

Pushing those thoughts aside for the time being, Nico slowly made to sit up, putting his arms beside him on the bed for support. "Yeah well, you nearly knocked the soul out of me, Neptune, so could ya be a little more-" he began, before he noticed something… off about her. Something that nearly sent him reeling once again. "Uhhhh, Neptune, what are you wearing?"

"Ufufufufu, took ya long enough to notice, MASTER…" A cheeky giggle escaped Neptune's lips as she hopped off him (part of him swearing that there had been a cartoonish hopping sound accompanying her) and landed before him. She had her hands behind her back while leaning forwards slightly, showing Nico that… she was wearing a uniform.

That she was wearing a MAID uniform.

'What… the…?'

Shock didn't even begin to describe the emotions running rampant through him at this moment, as his eyes gazed upon her form with unsealed awe. Neptune's maid outfit looked incredibly well-tailored, and it fit her form quite well, showing off her curves in all the right places. The outfit reached down to her thighs in length, where he could see black stockings running up her legs to just beneath the skirt. On her feet, she wore stiletto heels, adding to her overall height. Around her neck was a black bow tie while the apron reached the same length as the dress. The frills looked incredibly well done, only adding to the maid look that Neptune apparently seemed to be going for. Lastly, she wore the headwear that every maid wore as a standard apparel. The end result was an outfit that didn't reveal much and instead left much to the imagination. Yet, it gave off a sense of professionalism and cuteness that could only be accomplished by someone like Neptune who had the body type for it.

All in all, she had him wrapped around her finger, and she knew it.

"Looks like you like what you see, Master…" Neptune cooed happily, doing a playful twirl so the male could see everything, and quitter literally, he aw EVERYTHING. Including the brief glimpse of her blue and white striped underwear, though he quickly averted his eyes afterwards. However, something in his gut told him that she had done that intentionally, and the way she smirked at him was all the proof he needed. Nico could only stare dully as he saw Neptune give a smug grin. Even in human form, that girl liked to tease the hell out of him… something that he knew for a while now.

Quickly and awkwardly trying to regain some face by clearing his throat, Nico decided to respond in the appropriate manner. "Wh-While I'll say that you look good in it…" he admitted and to his misfortune there was more than a little fluster on his face. He realized this the moment he began speaking, and judging by the smugness radiating from Neptune, he knew she saw it too. Neptune's smugness level has reached a level up! "My mind can't wrap around the 'how' in this situation."

"Well, we can answer that, Nico."

"Yup! Me and Iffy can tell you, Ni-Ni."

The sound of Compa and IF's voices made him look past the amnesiac Goddess to the door tot heir Hotel Room. Whatever composure he had regained though., quickly decided to 'fuck this shit' and quickly vacate the Nico corporate building with packed bags. His eyes almost exploded from the sight that was laid out before him, a sight that he probably would be the only person to see out of every guy in existence.

The entire female side of their Party… wearing maid uniforms.

Compa's outfit looked like a standard Maids with the skirt reaching her knees in length, a set of bare legs being seen within some low heels. She also had her outfit match her colours, as in instead of black it was the same colour as her sweater would have been. The C logo was still in her hair, right in front of her headwear while the headwear itself had a similar colour scheme. She had a circular tray in hand, holding it to her stomach with an expression that was a mix of both embarrassment and happiness. It definitely fit her form, and every combat instinct rushed to the forefront of Nico's control centre to stop the awakening hormonal side of him from gaining control. He was a fighter, a killer with piles upon piles of bodies under him, no some stupid teenager!

Meanwhile IF on the other hand… who boy, if there was some abnormality in the heating around here, Nico would definitely want to know about it as he struggled so desperately to stop his hands from tugging at his PJ top's collar. Sweat mildly rolled down his head as he did his best to keep himself from blushing up a storm. IF, in comparison to her two beaming friends, had her arms crossed and was looking to the side without even glancing at him. The woman had her outfit as black as it could be, followed by the whiteness of the apron and frills. However, she had changed the skirt slightly, as while I reached the same length as Compa's, hers seemed to have been outfitted with a frilly slit that went up the left side, showing off her leg and exposing the black boots that reached her knees. It projected an aura of maturity and sensuality that the other two girls didn't (they had the hole cute, innocent factor down pat though), and it definitely had an effect on the teenage male.

"IF… and Compa?!" Nico exclaimed, his composure now completely gone as he nearly fell off his bed in shock at the sight before him. Luckily, before he fell off the edge the teen had thrusted his arm out and made a makeshift flip. He'd also gone about kicking the covers away from him pre-motion and entered a back flip which ended with him landing on his own two feet. Once he was standing upright, the teen regarded them with an expression that clearly spoke 'what the heck am I looking at here?'

The brunette gave a sigh as she finally turned so her body completely faced him. "…I'm so done…" she whispered under her breath in resignation, before she opened her eyes and regarded Nico with exasperation. "You can blame Nep for this. Because you changed your look, she wanted to do something similar. She pestered me and Compa like an old nanny until we finally caved in… well, I caved in, Compa was all for it."

In the meantime, Compa did a similar twirl to Neptune just a few seconds ago, showing of the entirety of her maid outfit with a smile that could rival the sun with the amount of radiance it had. "Yessie, It sounded fun, and Nep-Nep has good taste! What do you think, Ni-Ni?" she asked him, before her timidness shone through as she looked down at the ground before her, moving so she had her index fingers free while holding the tray, and set about poking said fingers together. "Do we… do you like them…?"

For a moment, Nico remained silent as he stared at the three girls, his eyes screaming just how embarrassed, awestruck and in disbelief the male found himself in. His jaw opened and closed repeatedly, like a broken record, while his face had turned into a cherry in terms of redness. Not to mention how Compa gave him a hard stare as she leaned forwards, awaiting his response with baited breath and a determined expression on her face. Though, unintentionally this made her boobies jiggle slightly, which served to be the las straw from the teen.

… FAINT.

"Eh?!" Compa eeped when she saw Nico faint, IF rushing forwards to catch him by wrapping her arms around him. Quickly, she ran up to him kneeling beside him while IF placed his head in her lap, kneeling on the ground as well. "MN-Ni-Ni?! Are you alight? Please come back, do you need some bandages?" She exclaimed in a flustered manner, sweat flying off her as she tried her best to remain calm in this situation. It didn't help.

IF shook her head at her friend, sighing as she put her left hand on her temple. "Don't worry, Compa, he just fainted. The sight of us must have been too much for his brain to handle."

"Awww, Nicky's way ore innocent than he lets on, isn't he?" A sheepish Neptune giggled, the three girls now having kneeled around the unconscious male who had swirl marks for eyes. They swore they could see little chibi heads shaped like each of them circling over him, too. "Looks like he couldn't take all three of his cute little maids willing to extend 'any' service for him."

At the implications, Compa blushed in embarrassment (though she herself admitted to having such thoughts in her head) while IF rolled her eyes. "N-Nep-Nep, we can't do 'those' yet! There's a system we have to go through before that hot stuff happens!"

"Oh, don't you tell me you don't imagine it inside that soapy clean head of yours, my little Compa-poo. I see te way you looked at his chest just now."

"E-Eep! I-I don't know what you're saying, silly Nep-Nep!"

IF groaned at the two, though they didn't notice as Neptune set about teasing the flustered Nurse-In-Training to no end. Though in the end, she couldn't help but be relieved that Nico reacted that way. 'He doesn't have to hear about that bar fight…' she thought to herself, remembering how, while coming back from training Neptune had the random idea to go into a bar in the red-light district and start a bar fight there. Something about copying a film about a bouncer at a newly refurbished roadside bar who protects a small town in MICROSOFT from a corrupt businessman.

How Neptune's brain worked, she would never know.


The morning afterwards, Nico finally managed to recover from the... unexpected wake-up surprise for him, and their days went on as normal. Neptune went with IF to train (although she did try in vain to get Nico to join them, but after that maid outfit incident IF wasn't having it) while Compa went for her own training. She did say that she would be checking around for any bargains at the markets today though, and since Nico knew the number of markets in the area tracking her down to spend the rest of the day with his childhood friend after training wasn't impossible.

Most of the morning for the male Spec Ops Agent had been spent training and honing his various powers. His Spirit Bone and his Satanic Treasure were also added to the mix, but more on them later. What Nico focused on primarily, other than his hidden side since that side had already been retrained so that it had its past self's power again, was his Devil Arms. His weapons of which he fought with the most throughout this Journey with Neptune and the girls. Now, These weapons remained integral pieces of his being, they were practically irreplaceable both figuratively and literally. But, There had always been something bugging Nico about them ever since the end of the Hellverse incident.

He hadn't noticed it before, but there was always this tension within him, this tension that wasn't his own but that of his Devil Arms. It was like watching a group of cats hissing in warning to each other while having furious stare downs with each other, just seconds away from going berserk on each other's asses. It wasn't something Nico had noticed right away, but it had begun to be more prominent after the Hellverse incident, hell after the outing with Vert he could feel the tension between them even more now. It kind of worried him, as anything involving his Devil Arms was not something that he would take too lightly. They were his comrades on the battlefield, after all.

Fortunately, Biko had been able to take a look while Nico himself focused on training his other powers. In the end, he had identified the cause to be the Satanic Treasure inside of him, known as the Red Ring of rage. Nico mentally decided to refer to it as the Red Rage Ring from now on though. Apparently, its passive rage that it constantly radiated influenced his Devil Arms unintentionally, due to its rage being absorbed by the sentient weapons and promoting aggressive behavior. This aggression had always been present though, it had been there since the beginning.

According to Biko, a situation like Nico's where a wielder had more than a couple Devil Arms latched onto his soul was almost unheard of, both in current times and int he DPU era. The Devil Arms were powerful yet demanding tools of destruction, and thus they didn't like sharing hosts. There had been reported cases in the DPU era, according to Biko's research, where humans have been infused with Devil Arms made from willing Demons, only for them to implode in a nasty manner just seconds after their infusion. They were picky, very picky with their hosts and once they found worthy wielders they would usually try to hog them all to themselves. Selfish, but hey Demons were inherently selfish beings in the first place.

For Nico however, there was one thing that was different from them all, something that kept the Devil Arms within him in check, something that stopped them from running rampant and destroying him from the inside out. That something, according to his Demon Persona, was his WILLPOWER. Nico had obtained a lot of his Devil Arms through subjugation, aside from Absolution and Soul Edge (whom we'll get into later) which had been obtained either through the DPU transformation or defeating a Demon. Hell, he had found Harvester in a similar way to Rebellion and his first few Devil Arms, and it too had tried to kill him only to be subjugated by his will. His will, therefore, had been abnormally strong, stronger than what most people would have possessed. To control as many Devil Arms with as much ease as he did required extraordinary amounts of will, and to give a proper estimate think about having to move under several Gamindustri's worth of gravitational fields. The fields that keep people anchored to the planet. Each Devil Arm has hat kind of weight on the soul.

However, it is said that hardships make people stronger, and that is especially true for someone like Nico, as Biko theorized that the hardships that he had underwent in the past sharpened and strengthened his will to being what it was today. The last four to five years, and possibly those years that he couldn't remember, those hardships, ironically, were what empowered Nico to wield the power his sentient weapons provided.

Yeah... now its a bit clearer why Nico is able to use more than a few Devil Arms.

Thus, this resulted in this 'relationship' between the Devil Arms within Nico's soul. Biko had noted that they seemed to try and 'prove their worth' one could say tot their wielder. Like those harem anime where the girls fight each other for the MC's attention. However, this 'relationship' between the Devil Arms had gotten a bit more wacky thanks to the Red Rage Ring, as they kept absorbing its passive anger while it remained as part of Nico's form. Its was only thanks to Nico's willpower that the effects weren't as major as they could have been if the otherwise situation would have been the case where his will wasn't strong enough to keep them in line.

This had resulted in Nico hoping that other Satanic Treasures wouldn't be too much for him or his Devil Arms.

As for his Spirit Bone and Red Rage Ring, Nico's training with them improved his ability to use the former in active Combat, quickly activating the Bone to use one of its varied abilities. He could only do this with one of its Skills though, using all of them at once seemed to be beyond him for the time being. Not to be discouraged however, Nico took to this like a blacksmith reforging a rusted blade into a Katana with a fine edge, refining his Skill with using the Spirit Bone. Not to mention how he gained an appreciation for this item with how there was no risk of it taking over his being like other Demonic Weapons.

Then, there was the Red Rage Ring, and oh boy was that thing a beast. So far, he hadn't gotten the full grasp of using it in combat yet, this being due the amounts of raw, primal RAGE that would be released whenever he activated it. It was almost like him going into Berseker Mode all over again, only this time it felt much worse, like a thousand times worse. He wished he were indeed exaggerating about that, but NOPE, he wasn't. It almost felt like he was dealing with the combine rage of a thousand Khornate Demons at the same time, all in one severe explosion of untapped anger. Aside from its active trait, its passive traits weren't that much of an issue aside from the Devil Arms stuff (though Alastor seemed to genuinely like this rage now that he thought about it). The best he could do so far with it was restore his reserves, enhance certain Hellfire attacks with it, and use it to replace the feeling of pain whenever Biko cut him, outside of active combat. There were many uses for the feeling of rage, too many to create proper Skills or techniques for it, but be it known that Nico wasn't going to let that keep him from trying.


In current times, Nico held his hands in his pants pockets while walking over to a cafe he had seen. It was around midday, and he had some 'business' there that he had to attend to while Neptune and the others were training. His eyes shined with a predatory look to them, causing several passer-byes to glance his way with looks of uncertainty (men) and looks of interest (women). The way he moved stated a lot to the skilled observer, how his boots stomped on the ground with a slight edge to them, the way he looked so alert and on guard, the way he moved so slickly. It all indicated that he was moving with a purpose, an intention in mind instead of aimlessly.

Once he arrived at the Cafe, Nico looked it over to see if there were any signs of adversity about it. His eyes erratically glanced about, taking in how the Cafe had an outdoor area and an indoor one. It didn't look very packed, probably due to it being midday and people were either working in their jobs. There were few males compared to females though, and that possibly contributed to this information. There were places that were known for where men gather to socialize, and there were places where women gathered. This resulted in a gender-based divide between the Leanbox population, though if the Nobility-based culture of the Nation was anything to be believed then it wasn't really that surprising.

That was why when he entered the outside area of the cafe to make his way inside, women looked at him and began whispering amongst themselves.

"Look, a guy just entered."

"He doesn't look like he's from Leanbox, does he? From the looks of it, i'd say he's more of a soldier or a warrior from another Nation."

"Hey, he looks familiar... oh, right, I remember! Ladies, that's the guy from that incident at Lastation, and the one who got Stefan Von Kessal back to us."

"Eh? Interesting, I wonder what he's like..."

"Now that I look at him, he's actually pretty cute..."

"Agreed, he has this strong, reliable impression, and combined with his bad boy appearance..."

"Fufufufu, I wonder what he's like under the sheets."

Nico made it a point to ignore these comments, though the ones about him being cute nearly made him blush had he not come here for a specific purpose. Instead, Nico took in the interior as he made his way inside. The interior looked slightly more packed than the outside, but not by much, though he liked how 'homey' the place felt to him. There was this sense of closeness that many other establishments like this lacked.

Ashe made his way to the counter, a maid walked up to him, nearly breaking Nico's composure since the sight of a Maid made him think back to that incident with the girls. Not to mention that the uniforms here seemed to be the standard maid attire that populated Leanbox. The Maid herself looked to be in her later 20's, and she had blonde hair styled in twin-tails with green eyes. She carried a tray in her hands not so unlike how Compa had done, and judging by her walking style Nico assumed that she was both nervous to see to him, as well as slightly excited. "Welcome, master. Howe may we be of service to you?" she asked politely.

He could appreciate the professionalism, it helped keep him calm in light of what happened this morning. Not to mention that she wasn't one of the people gossiping about him right this moment either, so that helped a ton. Though, that did NOT mean that he didn't notice how she seemed to be hiding the fact that she was undressing him with her eyes, making a sense of discomfort rise within his chest. What the heck was up with these people, had they never seen a guy before? That was what he had wondered.

'I get the impression that they are acting like horny humans due to your appearance and demeanor. Apparently, females are drawn to those who are confident yet reliable. The fact that you have a punkish soldier feel to you is icing on the cake.'

'That... makes more sense than it should. I guess guys aren't the only perverts in Gamindustri.'

Mentally, Nico sweat dropped at what he was noticing, yet didn't do much about it. For one, as long as they 'looked but don't touched' then he had no reason to retaliate, even if it didn't sit very well with him. Plus, maybe his preference to female company against males had something to do with it. Though he better answer the Maid's question before he looked even more like an idiot.

Just when he made to open his mouth to answer her...

"He's with me."

"?!"

Nico's eyes sharply widened when he heard a soft, yet firm, feminine voice not too far from him. He could NOT mistake that voice, with how dramatic and low the tones were, the way that it spoke, it could only be one person. Slightly angling his head to the side, Nico looked to see who had spoken along with the Maid, to see that a certain blue-haired, hat-wearing Mad Magician walk up to them.

'Holy, I did NOT expect to see HER again...!'

'Indeed...'

"Oh! Very well, please enjoy your stay master." The Maid courteously replied, nodding to the male before walking off to serve other customers. She did eye him slightly longer than necessary though, and there was a slight sway to her hips too, though Nico tried and succeeded to not stare. Instead, he looked to the woman who had came to them with an eyebrow arched and a slight relief in his eyes. "Come, let us have a seat. I booked us one in advance."


The two did just that, walking over to a spot which was just beside a window which showed the outdoor part of the cafe. They took the two seats that were stationed there, sitting opposite of each other while the sounds of chatter rang abuzz around them. Nico didn't bother with it as much as he did before though, he found the person in front of him sitting with one leg crossed over the other, a staff leaning against the chair behind her, to be of far more interest than those gossipers. The way she was looking at him with that ever-intense stare in those blue eyes indicated she wasn't as bothered by the gossipers as he was, either.

This was the reason why Nico was here. While he had been training, he had received a message from an anonymous sender, telling him to meet them at the Co-ordinates that were specified beneath the message. Nico had tried to get in contact with them, hopefully to find out how they even GOT his number when he didn't even know them, but his attempts had been met with failure. None of this made Nico completely flip out, though he did vow to get the answers out of whoever messaged him by force or otherwise. Still, it alarmed him a little that someone even got his information without him knowing, hence why he vowed the way he had done. He'd looked up the co-ordinates after having his Hellfire heat himself up, burning away his sweat and any bacteria on his form, and found that they lead to this Cafe, which was why he headed here in the first place.

But, to think it was THIS person who did so...

"Its been a while, MAGES.. Good to see you again." Nico started, smirking slightly. That;s right, it was the Mad Magician herself who sat opposite him right now, the same girl he had repeatedly noted to get in contact with when he could to see if he could repay her in some way for helping him. Either through lunch or something else she wanted to do. Nico didn't like owing people, it made him feel like an inadequate person who couldn't pay his debts. Not someone he wanted to be, to set an example of in front of his comrades. But, to think that she would contact him while obtaining his information without his knowledge...

Before, he had been enraged though not to the point of flipping out. Now he was just curious as to how she did it. All the while, he had taken off his Trench Coat to put it over the chair, exposing the body Nico had underneath through his black shirt. It wasn't exactly intentional, but this allowed the onlookers to see what lay beneath his Coat, and believe you me they LIKED what they saw. The only reason why they did't gossip even more was the fact that the Trench Coat no longer hid the sight of Ebony and Ivory no more. Someone with two sexy ass guns like those would definitely not be someone worth antagonizing.

Apparently, there were some gun nuts in the Cafe, who knew?

Nodding to him, MAGES. leaned back against her Chair while responding to his words. "Indeed it has, old friend." she said with a slight upturning of her lips. "It is fortunate that the ladies of fate have seen fit to allow us another chance to cross paths. It appears destiny is at work here, for what purpose I do not yet understand."

Nico mentally rolled his eyes at the chuni side of the blunette coming out so early, but didn't comment. He honestly didn't find that side of her that unappealing, he actually liked it, found it quite humorous. Though he made sure to keep that to himself lest he make himself look like an idiot. "I can agree to that..." he began, trailing of as his eyes landed upon her Staff. "Looks like you switched out your Staff since I last saw you." He remarked, gesturing to the weapon leaning behind her with a nonchalance about him.

True to his word, MAGES. didn't possess the Staff she originally possessed. Instead of that Staff, she possessed what looked like a more... darker version, if that was possible. This new Staff had what looked like some form of head for a top with an unnaturally wide open mouth that showed a hole leading through it. Thing was, there was something about that Staff that just... called to him, or something. Like, this Staff was familiar to him yet not at the same time. Not the familiarity of an old friend returning, but rather he should recognize it from somewhere but for the life of him, he couldn't.

'Hey, Biko. You sense anything from that Staff?'

'... Unknown. I do not sense anything from it on the surface, but I am sensing that this Staff is not an ordinary one. Not one tat a mortal should be able to use, yet it appears that it is 'attached' to MAGES. here in a similar way that Soul Edge is to yourself.'

Glancing over to the weapon, a look of melancholy flashed through MAGES.' eyes as she looked back to him, nodding in response. "You would be correct. This Staff, while I cannot say much due to... reasons." At this, she subtly gestured to their surroundings, and the male DPU nodded in understanding when his mind instantly figured it out. There were things about that Staff MAGES. refused to say because they weren't alone. Things that were best discussed in private. "I can say that this Staff is far superior to my old one... by a particularly overwhelming margin."

If he was any saner Nico would have sworn he felt a spike of energy, very FAMILIAR energy, erupt from the Staff. Though since it vanished before he could get a proper bead on it, he ignored it for the time being.

When MAGES. made to say more, the Maid from before came back to request their orders. Nico simply ordered some water with ice in it, while MAGES. ordered some Tea. Once that was done, the Maid left again, aiming a slightly less subtle look in Nico's direction.

"It appears things have not changed much for you also, young DEATHSTROKE." the Mad Magician remarked, having noticed this action out the corner of her eye. It seemed to her that Nico still had his luck (?) with the ladies. It was a wonder how he had managed to maintain his 'innocence' around so many females, a mystery she would like to solve as the Mad Magician. Such a task would be fitting and challenging as all hell for her. "You appear to still draw attention to yourself as much as before... though I believe that your new look is to blame for this." she stated, her lips upturning as she looked him over quick as hell so he wouldn't notice. The blunette had to admit that he rocked the bad boy look, and combined with his personality when on the battlefield like his sense for showing off at times (she once saw him thrust Rebellion into a Skeleton's chest while pulling its staff under his arm to stab several enemies behind him, then use the Staff as a helicopter blade) made for a complete package.

Oh she could imagine the internet memes posted by the fangirls already.

In response, Nico made an awkward expression, scratching the side of his jaw while glancing to the outside. In an effort to bring the conversation away from his 'apparent' girl problems, the teen decided to ask something that had been on his mind ever since the Hellverse incident. This, he considered more important than the whole contact details fiasco. His eyes flashed with concern, his earlier awkwardness vanishing as he put his arms on the table. "Say, I've been meaning to ask you, how is Tekken doing? I would have called sooner, but things have been hectic for me."

The moment that those words left his lips, MAGES. also became downcast, her eyes darkening as their gaze fell towards the ground. Even so, the amount of worry and angst he could see within those orbs of hers nearly made Nico break his composure to give her a well-deserved hug. "She's... doing alright for the most part..." she began, putting her hands together like a villainous mastermind on the table. Though, if one looked closer they would be able to see the way her hands clutched themselves like they were trying to crush each other. "I brought her to the Spec Ops in Planeptune. Leanbox has little in the ways of medical technology in comparison, and it isn't like Lastation or Lowee were viable options. One wasn't accessible, and the other was still undergoing repairs at their capital. She's currently under the care of one Helena Dawson, receiving treatment." she explained to him, doing her best to remain as calm and composed as she possibly could considering how much her friend must be suffering.

In a moment, Nico remained silent as he digested this information. This was news to him, and it did not bode well for when hey eventually would have to move continents for their main quest to find the Key Fragments. The fact that Lastation was still in repairing stages showed him just how bad it had been damaged by Avenir's actions, while he wondered why Lowee wasn't available for travel. Nonetheless, even if she could travel there it wouldn't have done Tekken any good since their tech level was similar to Leanbox's. Still, the thought that Tekken was with his mother of all people filled Nico with more relief than he could ever express alone, for even if she has her... quirks, once Helen set out to do something she did it no matter what it took.

Also, considering Tekken's possible 'helper'...

"Hey..." He began, reaching forth and placing a hand over his own. His hand, entrapped in the leather of his glove, smoothly wrapped itself around hers while rubbing circles over the back of her hands, providing a feeling of comfort to the distraught woman. He gave them a soft, comforting squeeze, making her look up to him to show her his sincere gaze. "The fact that you got her to help is more than enough, MAGES.. You don't need to think about what would have happened if you didn't, or what could happen in the future. Just know that you did what you could and take solace in that. I know its hard, worrying about your comrades is something that is natural for anyone to do no matter who they are or how long they've known each other for."

His words, conveyed with utter seriousness, broke through MAGES.' temporary depressed state of mind, allowing her eyes to slightly widen in surprise, before she eventually gave a slow nod. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down, shaking her head with one hand on the side of it. Nico pulled his own hand back, wary of keeping it where it was in case MAGES. viewed it as inappropriate (or anyone else, really), while he mentally smiled at how strong the blunette was trying to be. No, not trying, MAGES. definitely WAS strong, she hadn;t broken down and was still kicking ass to this day. Now THAT was something to be respected.

Once she looked adequately calm again, MAGES. looked over to the male and offered a small smile, gratitude shining from her being. "I must express gratitude once again, DEATHSTROKE. You seem to know what to say to make girls feel better." she remarked, chuckling afterwards with a hand closed into a fist over her bottom lip. Her next line held a slight bigger amount of mirth than her earlier words, as her eyes looked upon him like he was an interesting specimen for research. "I can see why so many girls are interested in you, as well as why Helen would give me your contact details, though I believe that the hands of lust may try to add myself to that collection."

Nico could only sweat drop at that, both at the fact that his adoptive mother was responsible for his near freak out (something that honestly didn't surprise him anymore at this point) and the running gag with his relations with the members of the opposite sex. 'Why do people always think that there are girls that like me? I'm not the only good looking guy around here, there's bound to be guys much more worthwhile than me...' he whined mentally. It really bugged him whenever people said that he was anything associated with a ladies man or something, no way was she like that. Nope, not him. He was a killer, and that was all he'dd ever be. 'Still, at least MAGES. is happy and smiling again... she looks way more beautiful when she smiles...' he thought to himself.

Then, he noticed her looking to the side, and with a slight tinge of red on her cheeks.

"... I said that last bit out loud, didn't I?"

"Indeed you did. You say you are not good with the ladies, yet your commentary indicates otherwise. Such an interesting specimen... I may have to conduct a thorough investigation on you and why you seem to do the opposite of what you say. Why that Helen woman tries to set you up with someone is beyond my comprehension."

This lead to him face faulting, both at his slip up and MAGES.' response. He would pointedly ignore the looks of 'aww' that were on the faces of the other customers, even some of the Maids looked like they were suffering from a mild eat stroke at the affectionate comment he had unintentionally gave to the Mad Magician. Though, that last bit caused him to quirk a brow in interest. "Then, what do you think of my mom, anyways?"

MAGES. hummed in thought, intrigue shining in her eyes as she recounted her experience with the WDD head. "She is your mother, then? I assume you mean adoptive, as you two look and act too different for a true family relation. In any case, she is a rather... eccentric woman, someone whom would take a while for most to get used to. Though I do hold her in extremely high regard, for she came to my aid when I asked a member of staff for assistance with my friend. Said staff member had been about to dismiss me to a local Planeptune hospital when she intervened, and brought me into the Spec Ops Section. Scared the hell out of that staff member, too."

That elected a chuckle as he could easily imagine a Basilicom Staff Member (even more so if it was the one from when they were getting permission to go to Lastation) wetting their pants under one of his mother's glares. "Ufufufu, I can imagine that. Funny thong though, the outright glares are actually her secondary tools. When she's smiling at you yet you feel like the grim reaper is upon you, THEN you're all kinds of screwed." Nico commented, chuckling as he remembered a few people who garnered Helen's wrath that much. Usually they were immature brats who thought that they could score a quickie with her even though she was married.

Idiots, they just don't learn.

DO. NOT. MESS. WITH. HELEN. Simple thing, right? Well, apparently not to the majority of the male population.

Before their conversation could continue, Nico and MAGES. looked sideways to see the Maid who took their order before, come back to their table and deposit their orders respectively. After a quick and polite thank you, she left and gave Nico more of a seductive smile, like a cat who had caught a canary. The redhead shuddered at that, and pointedly tried to push it to the back of his mind under the 'do not think about' section. All the while MAGES. watched on with amusement, nearly bursting into laughter at the awkward expressions that raced across Nico's face like Olympic athletes in the 100 meter dash.

Once she was gone again, the two resumed their conversation, well, MAGES. did when she said something that nearly made Nico do a spit take if it weren't for is willpower. "She also told me something else that occupies my thoughts to this day It appears that you and I were correct back in Hellverse, for Tekken does indeed possess a Devil Arm."

'Looks like we were correct then, Nico. It is not that surprising that this is indeed the case, but I am impressed that your mother seems to have identified this as a Devil Arm.'

Mentally nodding at Biko's words, Nico spoke after a few seconds. Though this was directed to both the Mad Magician as well as his Demon Persona. "Not surprising, aside from yourself and me, mom is the only other person who knows about the existence of Devil Arms. Well, she knows what they are but not to the extent that I know of them. She was the one who brought me in after I returned with Rebellion and my other Devil Arms shortly after I became their wielder. She didn't let anyone near me and conducted tests herself. I was like a patient in a hospital, with mom as my nurse. She helped me identify what their natures were somewhat, though her knowledge pales in comparison to my own at this present time. She even helped me learn how to use them for long time periods without falling unconscious due to their strain."

"That sounds a lot like the woman I met that day." MAGES stated with a nod while taking in this information. She crossed her arms under her chest and leaned back on her seat, cupping her chin with an index finger and thumb. "She seemed to show awareness of the extent of Tekken's injuries significantly, more so than any normal person. It only makes sense now, if she has seen prior instances of Devil Arms at work." For any who are wondering, they had this discussion with lower than normal vocal tones, due to the nature of their conversation. They were in public after all, and if the wrong people heard what they were talking about, all sorts of trouble could potentially follow.

Then, she looked up at the time on a clock hanging up on the opposite wall. Her eyes widened when she saw the time, too. "Oh no, this cannot be!" she exclaimed, much to Nico's surprise.

"What is it?"

"I did not expect this talk to be so long or to be as engaging as it was. As it stands, I do not have much time." The Mad Magician muttered in a hushed voice, biting her thumb's nail while grasping her new Staff and putting it on her back. Even with the state they were in, Nico did still notice how the weapon seemed to attach itself to her a lot like his own Devil Arms.

In order to calm her down, Nico asked once more what was going on. "Is something wrong, MAGES.? Do you need to be somewhere?" he asked with concern flashing through his eyes.

Turning back to him, MAGES finally responded after calming her racing heart. She had temporarily forgotten that he was there for a moment, thanks to her sudden bout of panic. "Apologies for worrying you, DEATHSTROKE. There is a quest on the Guild I have had my eye on for a while, it is to wipe out a pack of bandits that have been causing trouble" She told him. "More importantly the reward is a full box set of high quality limited deluxe edition Doc P! Doc P that is ultra rare in this dimension!"

'Ah, so THAT's what this is about? Doc P?' Nico thought, sweat dropping as his earlier alertness vanished without a trace. Leave it to MAGES. to be worried about something like that. 'Well, she DOES have a fixation for that stuff, so I guess I can see why this Quest might be important to her. If something is rare then it ha more value, plus someone else might have taken the quest by the time she arrives to the Guild.'

'I do believe that she would appreciate it if you accompanied her, Nico. This can be good training for yourself in how to use the Red Rage Ring as well as the Spirit Bone.'

'Agreed, and honestly I feel a little bad keeping her here. I'll limit myself to the Red Rage Ring, Spirit Bone and Harvester. How's that?'

'That is acceptable.'

Before MAGES. could leave, she spotted the teenage male having put on his coat and started trailing behind her, his drink finished while the Credits were placed on the table. "I assume that, judging from your motions, you wish to accompany me?" she asked him, arching a brow. She didn't mind his company, to be honest. Nico had already more than proven to her his competence back at the Hellverse.

In response, the teen nodded with resolution. "Yeah, if that's alright with you. I'd rather like to repay you for helping me, and if this is somehow the way to do so, i'll do it." he replied firmly. He would do all he could to repay MAGES. for what she did for him, that he swore to himself many times before, and he swore it again right now.

MAGES. turned back to the cafe entrance, speaking calmly though thanks to her motions he couldn't see the slight tinge of pink on her cheeks. While she managed to keep her emotions mostly under control, this was the first time a guy actually volunteered to help her along with her search for her beloved drink. Her sensei, the one who taught her much about magic in the first place, had taught her to be wary of most guys save for the few that genuinely wanted to help her. She liked to think she had good instincts, and right now Nico was unknowingly passing her tests. "You do not need to worry about payment, however if it puts you at ease, then I will allow you to accompany me. Now, let us be off, for the limited deluxe edition of Doc P awaits us!"

Nodding at that, both MAGES. and Nico left the Cafe on their perilous quest for Doc P!

... Oh, who am I kidding?


Later at the beginning of the evening, Nico and MAGES. returned to Leanbox, having completed the Quest and thus received the reward the latter wanted. Nico had almost shuddered at how much MAGES. loved that drink, as she held the box of Doc P to her face, rubbing her cheek against it while whispering sweet things to it like it was alive. Nico started to see why she had the moniker 'The Mad Magician' at that moment, and strange enough a lot of people made it a point to ignore the possibly insane woman's ramblings as if it were the norm.

Once again, however, fighting alongside a Mage proved to be an... interesting experience. Especially with the power of that Staff at their side. MAGES. had called it 'Wabbajack' and told him that it was a rather unpredictable weapon with different effects every time she used it. When he had questioned her what it was exactly, she told him that she had little clue, that she only got it before she arrived in Leanbox after bringing the injured Tekken to the Hospital. She didn't exactly say what the actual circumstances were for her gaining the Staff, but Nico didn't press. It would remind her too much of how dire her friend's state was, and he didn't want that.

Though, none of this distracted them from the sheer absurdity of the Staff's powers. Apparently, Wabbajack had a wide set of abilities, abilities that proved superior to MAGES.' original spells. These abilities existed in several different categories:

Illusion - Manipulating the minds and state of the enemy.

Alteration - Magic that manipulates the fundamentals of physics and biology. Alteration is different to Illusion in that it alters the rules of nature, creating a reality that is recognized by everyone, rather than in the mind of the caster and the target.

Conjuration - The usage of Mana to create astral creatures that fought alongside her, as well as other objects like weapons and Armour.

Destruction - The mastery of spells that "harm living and nonliving things, and include elemental damage, draining, damaging, vulnerability, and disintegration magical effects.

Restoration - Abilities dedicated to healing injuries, diseases and other forms of blight.

Transformation - Wabbajack's true power, able to manipulate the enemy and transform them into anything the user desires. The crazier the better.

Overall, a rather deadly set of abilities, though MAGES told him (while she blew a huge stream of fire that didn't seem as hot as his Hellfire, but still hot, over the entire Bandit group to isolate them) that she could only use two of these categories: Destruction and Restoration. She only knew of the others because the weapon told her of them, making him attribute it to be akin to a Devil Arm, yet not at the same time.

When they had proceeded to make their return journey to MICROSOFT once more, both Nico and MAGES. got to know each other better by asking each other questions, nothing too personal just the basics. Like their likes, dislikes, dreams, hobbies etc. Nico learned a lot about the Mad Magician, even though she was stuck in an alternate dimension, she had no desire to return to her own. As far as she was concerned, that dimension didn't exist to her because there was no more Doc P. If Tekken had remained there, then she would likely have tried to find a way back, as to her: friends were just as important as the drink of the chosen. MAGES. apparently liked inventing things like a microwave emitter, a radio-controlled mortar bomber, deadly floating chips that were controlled via headset, the works. As expected however, she did dislike the way things were in this Dimension, but as long as they didn't bother her, she wouldn't bother with them. Though that didn't mean that she wouldn't step in when injustice was being carried out in front of her, either.

He could get behind that.

Chatter would fill their atmosphere until they would reach MICROSOFT.


Right now, the two were walking back to the blunette's apartment that she had rented for the duration of her stay in Leanbox. The evening showed itself in the form of the night sky covered with a cloak of twinkling stars. No matter how many times he saw it, Nico always felt mesmerized by them. It was like they would try to suck him up to their level, bring him into the fold and make him one of them. Lulling him into their ever expanding mystery.

Looking over to MAGES., Nico became a witness to how joyful the Mad Magician looked when drinking a can of Doc P. Seriously,s he had '' like eyes while love hearts constantly popped in and out of existence over her head. She looked like she was lost in lala land too, making him wonder about how her love of Doc P came to be. It culminated within him up to a point where, eventually, he couldn't withhold his curiosity and had to ask her himself. "Say, MAGES..." he began to say, but she didn't respond. "Uhhhh, MAGES...?"

His second question was accompanied by a tapping on her shoulder with his index finger. This snapped her out of her trance to look at him, her eyes showing mild irritation for ruining her happiness, but she held back from scolding him. "What is it that you wish to inquire of me so much that you disturb my happy time?" she asked lowly, making Nico shudder slightly. Women were scary when mad, it must be a universal thing. He mentally shuddered when he got the mental image of every girl he knew giving him those glares of theirs at once.

That... sounded worse than anything he fought so far.

While making sure he kept his composure (Biko and IT helped him, showing a rare case of empathy or the main aspect), Nico responded. "Um, I-I was just wondering... what exactly made you like Doc P so much? I mean, there has to be some reason why you like it to the point of going across dimensions for it." The amount of affection MAGES. had for that particular drink sparked questions in his mind. There were dozens of different brands throughout Gamindustri, but MAGES. here apparently had a large fixation for ONE brand in particular. It was a quality contender along with Neptune and Pudding for the 'craziest addiction of the year' award.

During his question, MAGES. once again raised her drink to her lips, intending to suckle on its goodness some more. However, she stopped just seconds before she could do so when she heard his question fully, processing it in her mind. She lowered her drink again and looked at him in shock and surprise, like she didn't expect him to ask such a thing. Her expression actually reminded him of a deer being caught in the headlights for some reason, and it made him feel a pang of guilt spike inside of him.

"Uh, if its a personal thing I'll not pry any more, apologies for-"

"No, it is alright. You are not to be blamed for asking what many would call an efficient question." She interjected before he could finish. Lowering her drink and putting it back into her inventory, something that set off alarms in Nico's head as her entire demeanor took a nosedive into a pool of depression, MAGES. continued while looking like a kicked bunny rabbit. "Not... not many souls dare venture into that territory."

... Okay, seeing this right now made him more and more worried for her by the second. Whatever her love for Doc P was, it seemed to have a high amount of ties to her backstory, something in her past. Whatever that was, it must have been significant for her, and he may have just dug up some past traumas if what he was reading from her was any accurate. Great, he just HAD to open his damned gob, didn't he? Nice job, Nico! You are a freaking idiot! Those were the thoughts that the redhead carried within his mind right now.

Eventually, MAGES. looked up at him, and the amount of sadness he could see in her eyes nearly made him want to break character and give this woman a hug. Even if she was strong willed and an independent soul, the look she showed him right now just made him want to hug her, to apologize for bringing up bad memories and to tell her that she didn't need to tell him. Before he could do anything though, the blunette spoke. "When I was a little girl, my mother used to take me out a lot on shopping trips. She was a woman who liked to look at things and find out how they worked. She worked as a businesswoman, but she had the heart of a scientist. She always took me along for the ride when she had the chance, as my dad walked out on us when I was born."

'Great, another grade A asshole in the world, no wait, this happened in her dimension so that means assholes are well and truly EVERYWHERE!' Nico thought, doing his best to remain neutral-faced and not scowl like the Abnormals as well as the Demons that he fought on a daily basis. Seriously, assholes were everywhere he looked, couldn't they have more good people in the world?

Unaware of his thoughts, MAGES. continued her story. "One of mom's favorite drinks was Doc P, and she'd buy me one to sit down and drink with me. Mom always told me funny stories of her past life as a rebellious teenager to me, of how she would prank the hell out of people who do wrong by others. Of how she had been a little gremlin to those that knew her. Even when she had me, little about her really changed on that front, its where I get my mischievous nature from." she explained, chuckling bitterly. "Same with my love for magi and technology. My mom always told me to be proud of myself, to not let anything like rules or regulations get me down. To live life the way I wanted to live. For to live under someone else's thumb isn't to live at all. She followed that philosophy herself, it was why her parents tried to marry her off to my father, to try and rein her in and make her obedient."

"Well, that obviously backfired." Nico remarked, slightly smirking though his eyes didn't match his smile.

MAGES. didn't care though, as she actually agreed with him if the smile on her lips was anything to go by. "You'd be correct, so much so that her parents disowned her, not wanting to have anything to do with the 'wildcard' as they called her. Mom didn't show it, but she definitely felt the 'loss' of her family every day, though it got better once she had me. She and I were an ordinary, loving family. She'd take care of me like I was the last person on earth, she'd spend entire nights watching cartoons with me, cartoons about magical girls or anything I wanted. She made sure I was well looked after, well cared for and well loved. Many men vied for her attention, but she never let them anywhere near her in favor of looking after me."

The look on her face right now, it was one of a mix between melancholy and nostalgia, yet the smile on her lips was the most genuine smile he had ever seen from her. Nico doubted she had ever showed this smile to many people, if at all. The only person he could think of that would have seen this smile would have been Tekken herself, though he wasn't certain on that one. Yet that smile... it was also one of the saddest smiles Nico had ever seen, way up there with the self-deprecating bullshit that IF spouted to him after the Hellverse incident.

That sadness soon quickly took over her though, as her lips twisted into an ugly frown, mixed with an angry fire in her blue orbs. "But then, when I was 10, my'father'..." she spat the name 'father' with so much hate that if it were a poison Nico doubted that many would have survived it. "Decided to walk back into our lives when mom and I were enjoying some savory treats from a bakery. He tried to get mom to take him back, that he wanted to be with her and me, but mom saw through that lie. She was one of the wisest souls this Magician ever knew, after all, well experienced in reading people. And she saw nothing but fake kindness in my father the moment she laid eyes on him after 10 years. Thus she refused, saying that she wouldn't go near him even with a 20 foot pole."

'Guess he didn't take that very well...' Nico thought to himself, feeling Biko agree with him. His white self had vanished into the back of his mind again, not bothering with this conversation. If he were to guess, this 'mushy bullshit' was too much for him to take. His white self was a jerk that way, but n another way he only cared about the three of them. They were one being after all, and if one of them went then they would all go. That was why he wanted to be in the main seat of power instead of Nico, but he would never allow that to happen not in a million years.

"As you might assume, he didn't take that too well. A week later when me and mom were walking home from a trip to one of the Parks, we crossed a road when the traffic lights showed themselves as red, indicating it was safe to cross. But, one driver obviously didn't get the memo, because he rammed right into us. He was a drunk driver, reportedly, and died upon impact. He wasn't alone though, because mom had pulled me within her embrace and used her body to shield me from the impact. She probably could have gotten us both out of there, but she had panicked and did what any mom should do. But, in the end, it costed her, her life and left me as the only survivor."

Now Nico got the picture His hands clenched into fists, almost whitening under his leather gloves. His teeth gnashed together as he almost felt his Hellfire erupt beneath his skin. It was only through sheer willpower that he was able to hold his powers back from burning this entire street to ashes. "Let me guess, that drunk driver was someone hired by your father to 'dispose' of your mother as a means of revenge against her for her rejection."

MAGES. nodded, this time laughing out loud. "Once again, your deduction is dead on the money, DEATHSTROKE. My so called 'father' was actually one of my mother's business rivals, and their marriage would have resulted in their corporations becoming one. The marriage deal however, stated that his company would absorb hers so that his staff would have control over the rest, that his company would be the dominant section of the fused business. Obviously, he didn't realize just how stubborn my mom was, and thus staged her death to make it look like an accident. He didn't bother adopting me, he just declared me as a bastard child that she had with some random person on the street, and you know what? the authorities believed him."

"You don't need to say any more, MAGES." Nico sharply interjected, causing her to look towards him. It was a good thing they were alone, because she looked like she was about to fall apart. He didn't like this, not one bit. While he did not know this girl as well as he did the others, at this point he didn't care. She just told him something that was considered quite personal about her, opening up to him when she didn't even know much about him. "I get the picture. I can see why you live the way you do, now. You live by your own rules, your own choices and your own wants. You don't let others tie you down, and you follow in your mother's footsteps. No matter how much your so called 'father'" he spat that last bit with just as much hate as MAGES. did earlier. "Tried to mess you up, you kept going. You clawed your way out of that depressing time, refusing to let that scumbag have the satisfaction of breaking you, which in turn resulted in the you of today."

Looking at him now in nothing bu shock, MAGES. couldn't help but stare in awe at how Nico had guessed what happened afterwards right. His deduction skills seemed to be much scarier than she had originally anticipated if he was able to guess all that from what she had told him. His eyes, nearly blazing by pure rage, seemed to illuminate the darkness around them like a bonfire, just nigh of erupting into that Hellfire that he commanded. Part of her wondered why she had told someone who was practically a stranger to her all this. It wasn't like they knew each other very long, or as well as the other girls. But then again, maybe that was why,that because he was a stranger it somehow made it easier to talk to him about these things.

It also helped that he was a good listener.

Eventually, the Mad Magician gave a small nod, indicating how correct he was. Though, if she thought Nico had exhausted all is surprises for her, then she got a rude awakening when he placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a comforting gaze. "I can;t say I completely understand what you feel, but I can say I can somewhat relate. I don't know what happened to my parents, go partial amnesia over here. There's a part o my memories I can;t recall, but in that gap they must have done something because my next point of remembrance doesn't show them anywhere in my life. Whether they died or abandoned me, I don't know, but in the end I'e lost them either way, so I can somewhat relate to your circumstances, MAGES."

Said blunette remained stunned as he told her this information. Information that his entire party knew by the way, IF having learned of it shortly before they cam to Leanbox in search of its Key Fragment, before they got caught up in this political mess. "So, if you ever want to talk to someone, if you need someone to vent your frustrations on, let me help. I'll listen to your problems, and if I can, I'll help you deal with them. If you don't want my help, I'll stay back, but I'll support you when needed. You're a strong woman, MAGES., and I refuse to accept you as anything less. To do so would demean both yourself and the struggles you went through to make it this far. I';m sure that, wherever she is, your mother is VERY proud of you, proud of the woman you've become. I know I would have been if I were in her shoes."

'DAAAAAAAAAAMN, KING! YOU PULLING OUT THEM PLAYS, AREN'T YA? YA THINKING OF TAKING ANOTHER SLUTTY BITCH'S HEART, EH? WHELP, CHALK ANOTHER TO THE LIST OF BITCHES I INTEND TO TAKE WHEN I REIGN SUPREME!'

'One: That is fucking disgusting. Two: like i'll let that happen, and THREE: I am NOT playing with her heart, you fucking retard! I'm being 100% honest! If she doesn't believe me i'll fucking give her my word as DEATHSTROKE! Fuck it, i'll swear it anyways!' Nico hotly replied to his white self's vulgar comments with utmost ferocity. There was no way he'd be an asshole like that and toy with MAGES.' feelings like that,, no way no how. Not when he can somewhat relate to what she went through.

Through this mental argument, Nico missed how MAGES. had turned herself away from him, his hand leaving her shoulder while she used her hair and hat to hide how utterly red her face became from the way he worded his response to her. She could feel her heartbeat getting irregular, blood rushing to her face and turning it into the shade of a tomato. She clutched the clothing on her chest as if that would help stem her thundering heartbeat. "... You have my gratitude, DEATHSTROKE... no, Nico."

"Huh? What was that, I didn't-"

HUG

Whatever the redhead made to say got cut off when MAGES. slammed into him, engulfing him in a hug with her head buried into his chest. Her arms wrapped around his waist, not unlike that time when he rescued her from almost going to the Devildimension (or the 'Demon World' as he had thought it was called back then). Of course, Nico did NOT expect this to happen either, yet even so his instincts reacted and he hugged her back, burying his head into her shoulder. Nico may e someone who restrained himself whenever it cam to hormones and physical attraction (though several times this restriction gave in under pressure) but when a girl hugged him like this whatever reluctance he had always crumbled to nothingness. He LOVED a nice hug, more than that he loved the affection behind the hugs. Hugs were a great source of comfort in his book, and Nico doubted there were many who thought otherwise.

On MAGES. end, the Mad Magician savored this contact just as much as the Spec Ops Agent did. She relished the feeling of being hugged by someone, the feeling of affection and warmth that filled her being right now reminded her so much of her beloved mother. It nearly broke her defenses, but MAGES. would not allow herself to cry. She hadn't the time nor care to cry, yet she absolutely ADORED the way that Nico hugged her. He probably didn't realize it, but he had skills in hugging just as much as his luck with the ladies. Whoever ended up getting his heart would have a lifetime of hugs to look forward to, that's for sure.

At first, when she met him in Lastation, MAGES. didn't really think much of him beyond simple curiosity and interest. She had deduced him to be a thoughtful, competent Agent of the Guild who served as the Party's backbone, the hidden leader who would come into the spotlight only when needed. When he showed her information on where to find Doc P, she quickly registered him as one of her confidants, someone she formed a bond with out of mutual desires and interest. Her need for information on Doc P and his need for information in general. It was a fair deal, and he had held up his end of the bargain. Something that was admittedly rare these days.

It was only during the Hellverse incident that she REALLY got to see what kind of person he was. The way he fought like a wild animal, tearing apart those that stood in his way in order to get close and closer to regrouping with one of his captured comrades, all the while making sure that herself and Tekken were well looked after, it spoke to her. It showed that even if he didn't know them, the fact that he held them so highly indicated that he knew good comrades when he saw them, as well as knew how valuable and rare they were. His Skill on the battlefield with those 'Devil Arms' of his (a subject she honestly didn't feel too comfortable about, she'll be honest) clearly showed that he was a veteran on the field of battle, and that he had no qualms with viciously ripping his prey to pieces in order to reach his comrades. Be it human or monster, it didn't matter, nothing would stop him from rejoining his Comrades. Plus, the consideration he showed for her and Tekken like when the latter suffered a nervous breakdown from all the undead roaming about or when she had queried to him about Tekken's possible (now confirmed) Devil Arm, raised points by more than a large margin.

Then there was the way he saved her from falling into the Demon World.

The way he jumped down for her without hesitation, no signs of reluctance at all as he skydived towards her with the intent on preventing her from experiencing a fate nobody should ever have to go through... it touched her on more than a few levels. The way he risk his life for her like a knight in shining Armour, though in hindsight that was NOT what he was, was like a breath of fresh air to her. MAGES. had seen many men in her lifetime and all of them were NOTHING she would like to associate herself with. She had seen liars, cheaters, thugs and all around bad men with few exceptions. Literally she could count those exceptions on one hand. Not to mention his... more than considerable amount of restraint.

She knew that she was attractive, there were WAY too many guys who made vulgar or perverse comments either to her face or when they thought she wouldn't hear them. Though, she always did, not like she let it bother her, since she only had eyes for her Doc P addiction as well as he sensei's teachings when he took her under his wing. Yet, in contrast Nico barely made many comments like that, preferring to let his body do the talking for him. No, that wasn't quite right, it was more like he would refuse to let any perverted thoughts distract him from what was truly important. Case in point, when he tensed as she wrapped her legs around him back in the Hellverse. She didn't show it at the time thanks to their situation, but afterwards was a different story, how embarrassed she felt inside at allowing a stranger to feel so much of her body, yet she couldn't help the gratitude that she felt towards him for not commenting about it. Though, part of her, the womanly part of her, had felt slightly annoyed that he didn't say anything.

After the whole incident had passed, MAGES. had decided to conduct some research on him after she got her sole friend Tekken to his apparent adoptive mother. She looked up his profile, searched or records over the internet, among other things. She learned of his low standing amongst his peers even though his Quest record was quite high, impressively so. With the types of beasts he had defeated, MAGES. had been surprised that he was ranked so low, so much so that it didn't make sense. Nico should be more well-known than he was, especially with his hand in various incidents across Gamindustri, but the official documents don't label his involvement as anything major, passing on the credit to another person involved with the case. When it was just him, though, MAGES. found that they would make a fabrication up to keep him on the down low, not letting him get the credit he deserved.

Nico may not be a saint (with the amount of human quests and his reputation she could say this with surety) but the way he was treated by his peers pushed her buttons horrendously. She very nearly wanted to unleash some forbidden Spells her sensei taught her to pay those foolish officials back, but held herself at bay. It would do no good in the long run anyways, no matter how much she wanted to. Plus, her sensei taught her those spells only so she could use them in case of emergencies. MAGES. did NOT like how he was treated, not one bit. Even if he was somewhat brutal in his killing, it wasn't like his human victims didn't deserve it either. In the end, he was a morally grey character yet with a strong sense of honor and justice that was rare in today's society.

It... was more than a little attractive.


The hug lasted for what seemed like forever, until the two finally parted, MAGES stepping back without looking at the redhead teen who looked up and saw that there was a hotel near them. 'Huh... looks like we've arrived.' Nico thought to himself, a pang of disappointment and reluctance exploding within his chest. He wanted to spend a little longer with MAGES. hugging hr, talking to her, he really enjoyed her company. She was a great form of conversation, she didn't flinch when he got gory when discussing his killings, and he felt like he could be... well, free around her. But still, like all good things they must some to an end. "Whelp, here we are."

Looking in the direction he had glanced at, MAGES. saw that he was indeed right, a frown forming on her lips. Like Nico, she too wanted to spend more time with him, he was just that interesting to talk to, and he gave great hugs. Growing up without her mother for the past 11 or so years (yes she was 21, though she didn't look it) made her rather addicted to good hugs, and Nico gave those in spades. "Indeed, this is my hotel..." she said reluctantly, stepping towards it before turning back to him. "Are you sure you will not be able to stay?"

"Sorry, but I can't..." Nico replied sadly, shaking his head as he pocketed his hands inside his black pants. "The others in my Party will have returned from training by now, so I can't let em get worried about me. Already did that once, don't wanna do it again." he replied, making MAGES. quirk a brow in curiosity and interest. Another thing she liked about him, the loyalty he showed to his Party. Nico valued comradeship, he valued people whom he could trust because they were so rare in the world. That, she could totally get behind.

A disappointed sigh escaped her lips at this, but she nodded in understanding. Nico did belong to a Party after all, and it was his responsibility to be there for them. Everyone had a responsibility when in a party, Nico wasn't any different. "I see... well, I'll see you at the Gala, then."

"Huh? Wait, what?"

"Oh, I must have neglected to mention." She began, realizing when she saw his look of disbelief that she hadn't told him yet. "Mr Von Kessel has extended me n invitation to the Gala in a few months time. I suspect he did for you as well, since we were the ones whom alongside IF and Tekken, broke him free from Maghda's clutches." she explained, getting an understanding 'oooh' from him. It was this topic that lead her to an idea. Even though they were parting ways now, it didn't mean they couldn't hang out before and after the Gala. With that, MAGES. smirked as she pulled her Phone out and typed a few keys.

'Huh? What's MAGES do-'

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!

Looking down at his right Bracer, Nico noticed a message Icon on its interface. His eyes widened when his mind clicked, realization dawning on him while his unasked questions got answered by the blunette. "I have sent you my contact details." she told him, his disbelief blinding him to how she shuffled on her heels while fidgeting with her hands. "Since... since I have yours... it-its only fair that you have m-m-mine..." she stammered, her face getting redder and redder by the second.

'OOOOOOOOOOOHH, LOOKS LIKE YA GOT A GAL'S NUMBER, KING! LOOKS LIKE ITS TRUE, YOU'VE BEEN GETTING GAME!'

'Shut it, you!'

Goddammit, Nico cursed mentally while trying his best to not look like a human tomato, why the hell did people always tease him when it came to girls? It was unfair, dammit! Why couldn't they just lay off for one moment, why dammit?! The only solace that he had was that apparently MAGES. looked as embarrassed as he did. Probably due to having to give him her number. After all, he wasn't someone she knew very well, so why should she have wasted her time giving him her number? That was what he thought, anyways.

CHU!

Apparently he had been so into his thoughts that his senses got dulled for a brief moment, because MAGES. had used this opportunity to make a move that he did NOT expect her to do. That was to move towards him and plant her lips on his left cheek, a hand on his chest feeling his heartbeat almost skip a few said beats. The contact lasted only a few seconds, but to him it felt like an eternity before she pulled back at last. She then quickly gave him a short, quick goodbye before she sprinted inside the hotel. Was it just him, or were there steam clouds coming out her head?

Nah, he must have been imagining things.

Turning on his heels, like an unresponsive drone Nico began his trek back to the hotel.


After checking in with a surprised Receptionist, MAGES. made a beeline for her room and slammed the door behind her. Heavy pants escaped her, her lungs begging and burning as they took in as much air as they possibly could. Almost like they had been denied air all their lives. The blunette sweated from her forehead, her palms and anywhere else capable of producing it, making part of her suggest to take a shower. Yet, she couldn't think about that right now, her mind was to preoccupied by more important matters.

Namely, the kiss she gave to Nico's cheeks.

Whatever the reasons why she did that were irrelevant to her, as their effects on her were what she REALLY focused on. She had never felt so uncomfortably yet comfortably hot before, neither did she feel this butterfly sensation in her gut. Her face had no signs of her fair skin tone, nor did she have her usual calm, knowing demeanor either. She felt no mischievousness, instead she felt like a shy schoolgirl having done something that she had never done before. She felt pain and yet also felt pleasure, rendering her a bonafied hot mess.

'Wha-wha-wha... what the heck?! What is THIS...?!' MAGES. exclaimed in her mind, stunned at herself for acting this way. Not to mention the urge to squeal into something right now was so powerful it nearly broke through her defenses. This wasn't the first time she had been kissed, there was a time when she had attended University in her home dimension. After her mother's passing, she had inherited a large sum of money from her due to being her sole child. Her company would be operated by her mom's second in command till she became of age to take the reins instead, but things didn't go the way they wanted. In any case, she had used the funds for her schooling, completing high-school and college in record time thanks to her intelligence being greater than most kids her age. She had always been smart, ahead of her classes even as a child. Her mom had recognized this and gave her extra lessons so she could skip grades when necessary.

Anyways, back to the university thing. One of her fellow colleagues back then had asked her out back then, and after a few dates that weren't very entertaining, it lead to the more... intimate stuff that couples usually do. He was the one to instigate it, along with everything else, she had just responded to it. She didn't do much herself, if anything at all, and he had treated her as a trophy girl anyways. The sex didn't feel too good for her either, and afterwards the student broke it off with her, saying that he was only interested in banging her and nothing else. How he didn't want a serious relationship. It stung, but not as much as it would have if she actually cared for him. Then again, it was her first time entering a relationship with someone, and nothing she could do would have changed that. Now she knew what to look out for if a guy ever tried again.

THIS however... this felt much more powerful, much more meaningful... because she had INSTIGATED it. She had started things off this time and not the other way around.

Though, unlike most girls her age, MAGES. quickly focused on what happened, replaying the situation in her mind and replicating everything she felt at the moment of the kiss. She wasn't an easy girl, as after that university boyfriend incident she never accepted any offers to go on a date from anyone. Plus, she had her mom's teachings to fall back on, one of them being about how she would know if someone was worth pursuing romantically. The way her body responded to those thoughts now...

A small, wry giggle escaped the woman's lips.

"It appears that the claws and fangs of lust have indeed ensnared me... and I never even realized it..." she muttered to herself, chucking despite the extreme embarrassment rushing through her. If she were not alone then she would probably break her current demeanor and become a shy, meek woman who just discovered her first crush.

Cause that was DEFINITELY what these feelings felt like to her at the moment.


Chapter end!

Another LONG chapter, guys! This one being about MAGES. herself! Yay, she's back in Leanbox! Believe me, this will be important for the plot, and don't worry I have plans for Tekken, too.

Anyways, regarding MAGES. backstory, I know it seems a bit early compared to the other romances going on, but hear me out. MAGES. is someone I see who is quick to realize things and also quick to get close to someone. Not just romantically, she is quick to make friends with those that can stand her chuni habits. She is someone who is also very intelligent due to her inventing all these crazy inventions, so it would make sense if she has at some point gone through university.

As for the cheesy dead mother backstory, i'll admit it is also a bit cheesy, but if you look at the past chapters I've done, most of it is high paced action and combat with undertones of bond building between Nico and the girls. I think a lot of people will agree that a change of pace will be a refreshing sight to see for many viewers, plus it shows Nico's more innocent and meek demeanor, as well as his fucked up mental state. Believe me, when his full backstory finally comes to light, everything about him WILL make sense.

In addition, MAGES. getting close to him so quickly may not seem all that natural compared to the other romances, but think how many chapters has it been since MAGES. and Nico first met? More than a few, and it has been established that she has done her homework about him and formed her own theories, thus ending up with her in a similar position to IF. Also, due to being an inventor and a chuni, it is likely that MAGES. has limited experience with actual romance, the whole uni boyfriend thing was just a way to make a comparison between what she feels now compared to back then. Also, if i'm not mistaken there are those who quickly get close to others for their own reasons, and I feel like this path oddly fits for someone like MAGES.

Any more questions, PM or review, guys! Review, fav, follow cause they keep me going: ;)

Peace out!