Chapter 159 - Meeting Nep again!

The next morning came by faster than one would have liked, especially after what he had done.

Rays originating from bright morning sun shone through the bedroom of a certain someone like the light of heaven, waking them up from their slumber and rousing their consciousness into the land of the awake. The moment they did, the Spec Ops Agent known as Nico awoke with a groan, dissatisfaction at being rudely awoken present on his features whilst his face scrunched itself up as he shifted himself into a seated position. Nico raised his arms and did his stretches, pleasurable moans escaping his lips at the feeling of stress leaving his limbs. 'Ugggghhhhh… man, that never gets tiring…' the male couldn't help but think to himself as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. After doing that, the redhead looked down at himself, noting that he only had his PJ bottoms on right now and noting else, leaving his torso bare. 'Fufufufu… honestly, part of me imagined this part of me being covered in bandages, for somereason…' the male mused, chuckling afterwards.

All the while though, he couldn't help but smile to himself, feeling much more refreshed from the previous night's sleep he had than he had ever been in YEARS. A bright, warm feeling spread across his chest, and for the first time in a long while, themale didn'tfeel any kind of conflict within him, no emotional conflict, no mental, heck even his various sides seemed to be symbiotically co-existing peacefully with one another. They weren't trying to fight for control anymore, his Ghoul side remaining docile and tranquil which could be said the same for his Demonic Power. He felt so LIBERATED, free to do what he desired without any of the previous fucks he had given regarding those who called themselves his superiors. Not even thinking about them caused him to grow irritated and have his Demon Powers react to that negative emotional spike, that just went to show just how good he felt right now.

As to WHY he felt this way, Nico felt like it was obvious: what had happened to him the previous night with those Mercenaries. Thinking sbout it brought back the memories of what had happened like a calm river, with such clarity that Nico got vividly reminded of looking at stainless crystal. That night, it had practically been the breaking pont for him both mentally and emotionally. He had so much baggage built up inside, either from outside sources or his own internal struggles, that he had literally been like a bomb about toexplode. Though, it hadn't been just the recent baggage though, but baggage which ad been building over the last 5 years of constantly being suppressed by those who dheld his leash. Events like the one at Halo Mountain only served to speed up the process some, but the GREATEST breaking point had been the moment when Nico FINALLY decided to accept the monster inside, when he decided to go 'fuck it' and create his own code of rules to adhere to. He had his own parameters now, his own directives instead of fighting battles he didn't understand, for causes he didn't believe in.

Hell, that little torture session he had given their leader felt like he was giving himself some much-needed therapy, to sort out the majority of his mind's issues with the current state it had found itself in so that it could function properly. Heck, his DPU Form's mentality had served as an anchor for him, a way for him to regulate control the madness and insanity he had suffered whilst reorganizing himself inside. If he had been in his HUMAN form at the time, then Nico didn't doubt for a SECOND that his Kakuja would have activated, and THAT would have ended badly. He COULD have just ate his head and gained his memories for more confirmation on his end of things, but Nico had chosen NOT to do so purely so that he could make the guy suffer as long and much as possible. THAT felt to him much more worthwhile than whatever snippets of information he would have had, plus considering how Count Mott operated it was unlikely that he knew anything anyhow.

All the while Soul Edge had pulled a sneaky and absorbd all their Souls, including that of the Leader's during that night resulting in them facing an eternity of torment to fuel the blade's power. Honestly, something like that felt way too fitting for scum like them, and Nico didn't even need to worry about anyone finding out about his actions. If anyone were to investigate, they will have only found nothing, like they vanished off the face of the earth. They'll likely be unable to ascertain anything since there wasn't anything left of the Camp by the time Nico had finished, not to mention that he had disposed of any Pheromone Bomb residue via Hellfire, so they wouldn't know a Spec Ops was responsible. Plus any remains would have been feasted upon by the Abnormals, they tended to... not leave anything behind, if you catch his drift. It was like committing the perfect murder and absolutely getting away with it... Something which honestly made him feel giddy inside, like how a prankster felt before their traps were sprung.

As for the other changes he had noticed about his body, Nico didn't give them as much thought as he should have, simply due to wanting to return home already and get some rest. He had been fighting and travelling for a while, and whilst he had been used to longer trips, sometimes one just wanted to get back. Thus, Nico had returned home, exited his DPU Form, went inside and fell asleep on his lovely, comfortable bed.

Thus, it led to this point in time.

Shaking his head, the redhead pushed those thoughts aside for now, he had more important matters to deal with. Mentally, Nico tried to feel out his connections to Biko and Byakko, searching through both his mind and his very soul. Thanks to having embraced the Ghoul and the Demon, he had felt a MUCH stronger connection to them than he had before, but Nico also worried about what would befall his two closest confidants. He was so used to their company, so not knowing if he would ever hear from them again (and he could NOT believe that he spoke that in his monologue about his Ghoul Persona) didn't feel too good for him. 'Biko… Byakko? Can you two hear me?' he queried mentally, moving into the shower for his morning routine, and after he had done everything Nico played the waiting game as he put on his usual getup. Though, something did seem off when he slid his Trench Coat onto his form, something only someone like him would have noticed. Was it just him, or did the RC Cells making up his outfit feel different compared to before?

Nico didn't get the chance to ponder though, when two VERY familiar voices spoke in his mind, so clearly that one could mistake them for being right next to him.

'We hear you, Nico. Loud and clear.'

'YO, WASSUP, IDIOT KING?'

The two voices belonging to his aspects speakings o clearly to him nearly caused Nico to weep tears of relief and joy, the teen letting out a bubbily laugh under his breath whilst he responded to them. 'You guys…! Its SO good to hear that you both are fine, I'll be honest: I was a little worried that you two would vanish once I accepted you both…' he mentally spoke to them, sighing in relief whilst glancing towards his Bed. With a twich of his brow, the redhead raised a hand, cracking his index finger (huh, been a while since he had done that, how strange) whilst his rinkaku Kagune erupted from behind him. Each of the 6 Tentacles lunged towards the bed at their usual high speeds, quickly making the bed with the professionalism of a masterful maid.

'Of course, we would remain, Nico. The Inner World of your soul is a cognitive one, and as such we are part of it. You never wanted us to go away due to being so used to us, so we wouldn't have vanished at all at that moment. However, thanks to you accepting us, we and you have a 100% connection now, not to mention our powers aren't attacking each other no more.'

'NO MORE BULLSHIT TRYING TO SUPPRESS ME, ANYMORE! FEELS QUITE GRAND BEING ABLE TO STRETCH MY LEGS PROPERLY FOR ONCE! BUT DON'T GO THINKING THIS CHANGES SHIT BETWEEN US, KING! I STILL STAND BY WHAT I SAY, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS! YOU BETTER NOT BE SUCH A PUSSY WIMP AGAIN, OR I'MMA GONNA TRY TO TAKE OVER ONCE MORE AND SHOW YOU WHO'S REALLY DESERVING OF THE THRONE!'

Byakko and Biko responded to him, the former after the latter, making the redhead chuckle. 'Oh, don't you worry, I'm not going to go back to that wimp who lets others push him around. I DID say I was going to make and follow my own rules, be my OWN master for once in my life, after all. Not so sure on the girls though, we'll have to see there, but I'm DEFINITELY going to tell them a few things.' He replied to them, and thanks to this new connection he could feel the acceptance coming from both of them.

'THAT'S FAIR FOR NOW, I'LL ADMIT FOR ONCE.'

'In any case, how about you leave observing these new changes to us, whilst you recuperate from everything by finding your comrades. Its been a while since you all saw each other, so its likely that you all have some catching up to do.'

Biko's words rung true, and Nico knew it. After all, the last time he had spoken to the girls was when they had pulled the rug out from under him and accepted his Ghoul side, accepted HIM for who he really was. Ever since, he had been isolating himself in his thoughts and his actions, thus he didn't exactly know what to expect with them anymore. However, he'll be damned if he didn't try to make up for lost time. Nico had a LOT to tell them, but he wanted to make sure that he could properly convey his feelings to them at the best possible time. A time which would only come when they were all together in one place, since he wished for all of them to hear what he wanted to say.

Speaking of communicating with others…

Glanncing down towards his right Bracer, Nico raised it to his torso level when he noticed the Message Icon at the top corner. 'Looks like I got a message. Wonder what it could be…? Odds are it'll be from mom, since she's one of the few who would message me…' Nico thought whilst opening the message and reading the contents. What he saw made the light of comprehension shine within his light blue orbs.

To DEATHSTROKE

It is with great confidence that I infom you that the start date for the Spec Ops Exam has been confirmed. It will take place 7 weeks from today, due to political reasons and will be held in Leanbox's Guild Agency Centre. Below is a list of the times when registration starts at what area, who to speak to for advice and further information. I had intended to inform you earlier, however circumstances on both our ends prevented me from doing so, please receive my condolences for this error.

Looking forward to future success.

Yours Sincerely, Helena Dawson

After reading the message, Nico took a moment to process what he had just learned. 'So… the Spec Ops Exam's coming up soon…' The redhead thought, furrowing his brows. Had it really been so long that he had forgotten about that? With everything that he had gone through so far, that had completely slipped his mind. It had been less of a priority for him since so much else took his attention, and now there was barely 7 weeks before the appointed start time. Nico knew that IF would have received a similar message due to her circumstances, so he didn't worry about her not preparing for it. Though, he did wonder how she had been preparing herself for it, but one thing at a time. He needed to take a small break from everything related to training, let his body rest and recover from all the transformations and mutations it had underwent. Not to mention that he needed to look into what his new limits in human form were, as they likely were WAY above what those assholes up top would allow if they discovered.

Again, one thing at a time, Nico chided himself whilst deactivating his Bracer and heading out of his room.


Just as he closed the door behind him and took a few steps into the hotel's living room however…

"HEEEEEEEELLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NIIIIIIIICCCCCKKKKKYYYYYY!"

"What the duce?!"

A shout filled the air which came from above, and almost immediately Nico reacted with surprise etched over his features. His instints commanded him to move, and he did so with the Star God's Broken Shadow, pretty much making an afterimage as he moved to the side about 5 meters, resulting in the sudden attacker crashing to the floor.

BONK!

"Owwiee…!"

Before Nico could respond by doing something drastic like pulling out one of his demonic weapons, Kagune, his Hellfire or DPU Powers, the teen's eyes widened when he looked upon the attacker. The white and purple of a familiar hoodie, the messy bob of lilac coloured hair, the D-Pad hairclips and that annoying yet endering tone of voice, all of them made him realize just WHO this person was. "N-Neptune?!" he exclaimed, stunned and bewildered as he beheld the lilac haired Amnesiac Goddess of Planeptune. She looked to have landed quite unceremoniously with her backside right up there (fortunately Nico didn't see beneath her hoodie, as THAT wouldn't go down well), her arms spread forwards like she was lunging to catch something, lastly her legs bent themselves like a reverse 'L' with her feet hanging. "Seriously girl, what the hell?"

"Hey, I should be the one asking you that, buster-buster! Why'd ya dodge ya wifey, who hasn't seen you in ages, when she was trying to hug ya?" Neptune retorted with a pout when she looked up at him. Her forehead looked to be sporting a cartoonish bump which pulsed in a painful manner. Next thing he knew, she had shot right back up to her feet, looking no worse for wear, though that bump still perseervered. "Isn't it the hubby's role to like, catch his wifey when she falls?" she remarked while soothing the bump. "Meanie...! We've been apart for so long, so shouldn't this be like our tear-stained reunion as destined lovers...?! Nicky is an idiot...!"

Nico twitched his brow in annoyance as he approached her, arms crossed over his chest as he responded to her words with a slightly irritated tone of voice. "We aren't even married, Nepune, so don't go all saying that we're engaged or some shit, people might get the wrong idea." Just then, his twitching stopped, as well as his indignation vanished when his eyes widened whilst his arms fell down to his sides. He remembered this feeling, he remembered the times when Neptune would try to do these things. He remembered having to scold her when she did something stupid. It all served to confirm something for him. 'This… this is really Neptune…!' he thought, suppressing the urge to have his body tremble at the realization as much as possible.

A surge of familiar warm emotions blossomed within his chest like flowers in the spring, joy and happiness rapidly surging through his body at the familiar antics that he had been presented with. How long had it been since he had done something 'normal' with someone else? How long had it been since he had been able to talk to the Party members like this? Way too long in his opinion, that was for certain. He had almost forgotten how it felt having too deal with their crazy quirks and their personalities, but Neptune brought all those feelings that he had forgotten over the last dozen or so events back to the surface.

This was Neptune…

This was Neptune…!

THIS WAS NEPTUNE!

"Eh?!"

Suddenly blurring forwards, Neptune pretty much jumped when she saw Nico grasp onto her and pull her into an embrace, wrapping his arms firmly around her petite body. Not quite like a serpent, but pretty close, though she honestly didn't mind it. Her head lay chin first on his shoulder, whilst surprise danced through her lilac orbs at the actions her hubby had performed. "Eh? Nicky? Whoa, hold the phone since when did you get so tall?" she questioned, her arms wrapping around him and for the first time, she noticed that Nico didn't look… physically the same anymore. Not only did he seem to have hit a growth spurt, but he seemed to have a bit more muscle on him now. Not much though, which still meant she could call him lean built, but it had been enough to take notice of. Still, one part of her couldn't help but make her comment on something. "No fair, I wanna grow tall too, though I guess my fans want me to stay the height I am. This is my cute self that everyone loves and wants as their waifu, ya know."

Her words, combined with the random changes in topics, made Nico smile widely whilst he dug his head into her shoulderblade, savouring the familiar warmth which surged through him from the close contact. Oh, how little he had realized, how he had missed something so simple as hugging his comrades like this. In his mind, Nico felt like he was the kind of person who liked the simpler things like hugs and… well, hugs, when he was with his comrades, hugs in his mind were the simplest yet most effective form of affection there was. None of that copulating stuff, that stuff was for idiots who only wanted the pleasure and not the aftermath. Still, this didn't change one fact which surfaced in his mind from the depths of his being: that Neptune had ZERO idea of how happy he was to see her. "Heh, I guess I can see your point there, little Nep..." Nico replied, a soft yet amused chuckle escaping him which caused his shoulders to tremble slighty, something both of them felt.

Suddenly, Neptune blinked owlishly once his words properly registered in her mind. A stunned expression formed on her face as she leaned backwards yet did not separate from the hug, allowing her to gaze into his mildly confused eyes. "Huh…? Little Nep?" she questioned, tilting her head curiously. "Was that a nickname, or…?"

For a moment, Nico wondered what Neptune had been talking about, before he realized what he had said a moment ago, prompting to blush pink as he broke the hug and looked around. Anywhere but at Neptune who now had this teasing smile on her lips as she leaned forwards, humming expectantly whilst her hands got put onto her hips. "Ummm, well… I guess that, since everyone else has a nickname for you… I guess it was time for me to think of one for you, two…" he muttered, scratching the side of his jwhilst looking to the side. Part of him worried though, since if he didn't think of a nickname for his childhood friend Compa, then she would likely react all too negatively to him nicknaming Neptune. She always DID like nicknaming her close friends. He could FEEL the gaze burning through his cheek from his comrade right now, only furthering his embarrassment. Then, the teen backpedalled a bit and waved his hands in front of him, feeling much shyer than he normally did. "N-Not like its anything, if you want I can just stick with calling you Neptune…!" he stammered, his face reddening by the minute as he struggled to retain his composure.

Seriously, what?

What the fuck?

Did ANYONE have an idea on what was happening to him right now?

For some reason, amused chuckles flowed though his mind, and Nico got a PRETTY good idea as to who the culprits were.

Before he could inquire about them though, Neptune suddenly giggled, getting his attention. "Its okie dokie, Nicky. Little Nep, Neppy, Neptuna, Nep, ya can call me whatever, though the gesture's really appreciated…" she stated, a hand over her mouth to hide the amused snickers she suppressed while observing her hubby's behaviour. Afterwards, an excited glint shone in her eyes as an idea came to her. "Say, Nicky, do you think we could do something together?" she asked, grasping his right hand in hers and looking up at him with the so-called 'moe eyes'.

Eyes that Nico nearly went beat red over due to how cute they looked. 'Please tell me that there's not something like getting heartburn from cuteness, please…!' the redhead thought while doing his best not to gulp. "Um… sure…" he replied, managing to keep his tone level and calm despite the look on his face. "What is it you wanna do?" he questioned.


'Well… This isn't how I pictured spending my morning…'

'Though, you will have to admit that the realm of unpredictability is pretty much Neptune's playground…'

'True, true…'

"Hahahahahahahaha, the internet is a beautiful place, alright…!"

"I guess so…"

Currently, Nico sat on the living room's sofa, with Neptune seated beside him. Their footwear had been neatly arranged by the base of both arms, leaving Nico in only some black socks whilst Neptune had her stockings on. The preteen rested on her side, tucking her legs in behind her whilst she leaned on Nico's side. Not something he minded though, since the close contact with his comrades offered a comfort he had been missing for a long, LONG time now. He even had to resist wrapping an arm around her, since he didn't want to come off as a total creeper.

Aside from that, what were they doing, one might ask? Simple: the redhead male had his left Bracer activated, showing a screen which had a video playing on Youtube, apparently by these two guys who were both separate youtubers but had decided to do a video together. This one apparently was about Memes and Haikus, when done right, and the video had just started. They had been just sitting there, Neptune eatinjg some pudding (that he had no idea where she got it from), whilst he himself had a glass of water, as they just sat there watching videos on Youtube about Internet Memes. Something which Nico felt was RIGHT up Neptune's alley. She freaking loved them, spouted them any chance she got and often at the expense of the rest of the group. Smetimes they had been funny, most of the time, not so much.

Yeah, that's right…

They were just chillaxing watching freaking Memes.

May the meta gods have mercy on our souls.

"Oh yeah, hey Nicky, tell me where you've been. Me and the others tried to contact you a few times, but our calls went over to voice mail. Not cool, ya know, you wouldn't be like those jerks who would string along a helpless maiden, have your way with her then never call them again!"

"Ugh, no, I would NOT do that Neptune, if anything I'd do NONE of those things. Geez, if you really want to know then I'll tell you. I kind of owe it to you guys for isolating myself for so long..."

Those two lines pretty much encapsulated what had transpired leading to Nico explaining to the preteen what had happened to him in the last few weeks. He had explained how he had pretty much isolated himself in order to try and deal with everything that had happened, such as the revelation of Mundus, the battle with Okada, and most of all the fact that he had been accepted by them so easily. A couple weeks into it though, he had been found by MAGES., whom had been told by her teacher to bring him to him to see if he was 'able enough' before he got taken to a far off area.

He would have said other dimension, and he REALLY didn't want to lie to her, but Nico doubted that she would have believed him, so he would rather have MAGES. help him explain that part.

In his place, Nico had become able to complete a series of tests, each one having their own themes and foes to fight, allowing him a multitude of rewards for passing them. He had someone else there, a relative of the teacher's, to fight alongside, and eventually he got through them, earning a series of new goodies to look into as well as discovered his body's new limits. He didn't really have too much that he could have used to discover them earlier. As a result, once he got back front hat place, Nico had pretty much done his own thing, and when Neptune pressured him to tell her more, he ended up explaining to her about the Nature Elves, the Auction, etc. Her reaction to it all: pretty much what one would expect.

Several moments of Nico trying to restrain Neptune from transforming and telling her he'd already dealt with the Mercenaries later...

"To be frank, Neptune, I'm surprised you never tried to set up an account and post memes of your own, I can totally see you trying to fill the internet with 'Nepu!' Memes." Nico commented to himself whilst they both shared a chuckle as one of the commenting guys spoke about how one could only meme for a certain amount of credits, due to Net Neutrality (not gonna get into that, like the guy said, since viewers might get triggered).

Neptune looked over at him with a big smirk on her lips. "Ya shouldn' worry, Nicky, neither should the author. I mean, its 2019 over there, and people still tend to get triggered over anything these days." She remarked thoughtfully, remembering some days she spent surfing the web herself.

At this, Nico smirked. "I can't believe you just said that."

The moment he said that, Neptune snickered, both fo them aware of the joke Nico had helped her pull off. "Yeah, oh and about that Nepu thing, I already did. The result is a Nepu video for 10 hours." She replied, chuckling. She ignored the surprised look from her hubby when she said that, before looking out to the fourth wall and waving her arms like a promotion advertiser. "Just go to youtube search for Nepu, and see the light, my young disciples, mwahahahaha!" Then, she pouted, her cheeks all puffy. "Still, staleness is the archnemesis of comedy, people! Wish there coulda been more Nep memes, c'mon all you weebs get to it already! Chop-Chop!"

As they watched the video, one clip got played which caught Neptune's attenton. "Oh!" she exclaimed, leabing forwards till her head filled up the screen before him. "This happened a couple years back, huh? Some company getting trolled? Bah, I can troll better than any troll, I have the 'troll face' after all, mwahahaha!" she proclaimed, before sitting back to her previous position when Nico tapped her on the shoulder with a knowing look in his eyes.

Soon, the clip played, and when the bomb dropped both Neptune and Nico looked absolutely shocked, covering their mouths when the announcer at this event whined about having to pay for a microtransaction or something, before announcing the game. At that pont, the two bursts into laughter, and if he could Nico would have joined Neptune in clapping in celebration.

"Ahahahahahahaha! Nepping Nepped the Nep outta them!"

"Now THERE is a hero right there, hahahahaha!"

Glancing over to Nico, the purple haired Amnesiac grinned broadly at him, her eyes shining with a glint behind them that Nico shared. "Ya know, I get the feeling that whoever this company is, is pretty much acting like a warmup for this Net Nutrality thing and having to pay for everything. But, they do need to make money somehow, right?" she remarked, getting a shrug of the shoulders from Nico. What, it wasn't like he cared about the business side of things unless they did something which would be considered immoral. THEN the swords come out.


After that video finished, the next thing they did would be to load up another video, pretty much repeating the same cycle over and over. They spent the entire morning, watching various videos about internet Memes, simply having a fun time and laughing merrily at how stupid some people can be. Stupid in a way which made people laugh both with them and at them at the same time. Considering what the two had been dealing with in the last few weeks, Nico more so at least in his mind, it would be considered as a welcome reprieve. Neptune felt like she had been completely immersed in her element the most though, since she practically lived and breathed on the internet, and likely she had ways to bypass the rules established by IF ever since that naked Purple Heart on top of him incident. Nico wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

One such video they had been watching was made by this YouTuber with 'Defib' in their name, who made a video full of these things called 'Anime Cracks'. This one got filled with jokes and memes revolving around a series full of muscular macho men going 'Ora-ora-ora' and smashing their opponents into dust. Neptune even mimicked some of the things that she saw there, like going 'WRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYY!' like a certain evil vampire did, complete with the poses too... all the while trying to turn Nico's face into a volcano by making the poses more... suggestive, than they needed to be. They looked even better when she went HDD and did them, causing Nico to look away lest his face literally turn into his Hellfire with how red it became... all the while she kept making teasing remarks at him, furthering his embarrassment.

Only after she had calmed down (once she finally saw the cutest form of embarrassment the redhead could make-he swore he saw her pull out a phone and snap a picture) did they resume watching videos... with Neptune sitting on his lap in HDD form whilst securing her butt into his groin, much to his dismay. They had watch only a few videos about Memes until she reverted to human form, to Nico's relief although she hadn't left her spot on his lap. He didn't mind that as much though, since he got the chance to hug her... and hug her he did.

If there was one thing Nico could admit he enjoyed more than fighting, it would be hugs.

Hugs are best.

Hugs are life.

By the time lunch arrived, Neptune practically raced off towards the Hotel's fridge in order to get at the Pudding she had stocked up there apparently, leaving Nico on his lonesome. The redhead remained seated on the sofa, andas he listened to her footsteps getting further and further away before her humming resonated through the atmosphere, Nico allowed himself to exhale lowly. Just so that Neptune wouldn't hear him as, like a mask being discarded, his expression shifted from amusement to concerned. 'Biko. Please tell me you have sensed it too.' He thought to his Demon Persona, getting an answer immediately.

'I have. Neptune's heart must be in turmoil, as underneath that pool of positively excitement, I can sense a deep-rooted anxiety and nervousness. I noticed it almost immediately when she tried to jump on you and have been monitoring it during the investigation into your body. It seems like this young one has something that's been eating away at her, likely for some time now. According to my analysis…'

'Don't need to continue, Biko, I already know what your thinking, plus I've seen it since the beginning too. She flinched a little when I mentioned the Halo Mountain incident before my explanation, not to mention she's been showcasing other signs too. I'll wait a bit more before bringing it up, I get the impression that this is the first time that Neptune's been able to relax so much in weeks, she may have done a decent job in hiding it, but I can see the signs.' Nico thought back, furrowing his brows. He honestly felt sad that Neptune tried to keep her feelings inside, especially after what he had said she could do with him, but lets be honest: whenever someone has a problem they tend to want to solve it on their own first. It was a matter of pride more than anything, foolish maybe but its not so foolish to some people.

He only hoped that he could do something to actually help with her problem though.


After a while of deliberating, Nico began to wonder where the heck Neptune had gotten herself off to. It had been a couple hours since she had left to get something for lunch, so he began to get concerned. 'Please don't tell me she's going to try and play a prank on me at THIS point in time…' the male thought to himself in weariness, expanding his senses just in case. In any other circumstance, Nico would have more than welcomed the challenge to catch him in a prank, after all he and Neptune were prank rivals still (even if they had been recently distracted). However, with the way the male had been pondering on what could be bothering his companion, he hadn't the desire to care for that.

However, just before he could get up and track down that elusive Nep, Nico smelled the surefire smell of Pudding as it entered his nostrils, forcing him to cover his nose from how awful it smelled to him. 'Ugh, goddamn smell…' the redhead thought to himself, closing his eyes and trying to block it out. 'Judging from potent this scent is, Neptune likely must have brought back a whole ton of Pudding, somehow…' with that thought in mind, Nico turned to address her as she approached the sofa… only to blanch at what he saw.

'WHAT THE DUCE?!'

Unpreturbed by Nico's reaction, Neptune hummed a merry tune to herself as she plopped down onto the sofa beside him… all the while putting a whole carrier bag filled with unopened Pudding Cups beside her. Looked like they were te common type bought at markets, too, so they weren't anything that Compa had made. "Ahhhh, Pudding! The sole joy of this world!" Neptune exclaimed, praising her favourite desert like it was a gift from the heavens whilst plucking out a spoon from within her Hoodie Dress. "Alrightie, Nicky! Lets look at more Memes, this time that new thing that's been coming about: Tik Tok Memes!"

'I know I should be used to this, by now, but…'

Whilst reining in his shock, the redhead Spec Ops Agent couldn't help but note the elephant in the room that Neptune had brought to the sofa. "Before that Neptune, I just have to know, where did you et so many pudding cups?" Nico questioned, pointing at the bag which, upon closer inspection, reached up to Neptune's own waist in height. "Seriously girl, I'm pretty sure IF and Compa wouldn't have let you go overboard with the Credit Spree like you did that tme in Planeptune." He referred to a time when, during their short stay in Planeptune, Neptune had somehow gotten access to a bunch of the groups Credit resources, so she ha dbought every Pudding she had seen within several supermarkets.

IF and him had to scold her like hell for it, Nico having to burn a good ¾ og them in an incinerator nearby.

Neptune swore vengeance for the loss of Pudding at that time.

Looking at the bag (Nico wondered if she remembered the same incident he did too), Neptune waved it off dismissively. "Meh, no big dealie, Nicky. Since that whole shebang with Arfoire and her buddies…" Nico DEFINITELY noticed some mild signs of trying to repress a bodily reaction there. "Me and the girls have been questing and training like CRAAAAAZYYYYY! Though you know how much I need my daily pudding fix, so the gals and I bought large stocks of Puddingto help us last in our training schedules! Mostly me though." She explained, summoning her Soul Calibre in its default form and resting it on her lap horizontally. Talking about that training she had immersed herself in ever since the Halo Mountain stuff got her all sentimental, since she got a chance to connect with her sword on a deeper level.

'Hmmm, interesting…' Nico thought to himself as he eyed the sword and then its wielder, occasionally shifting between them. It DEFINITELY showed that she had been training with it, as when he saw into it the redhead had noticed that the weapon must have been absorbing and purifying countless souls. These Souls likely were Demon ones, since he could sense the more… demonic aspect of the sword having grown immensely in strength. It almost rivalled that of the divine aspect of the sword, in percentage terms it would be at 95%. If he were to make an analogy, then it would be like a shaken bottle of beer about to pop its cork and explode. 'Though, something seems to be hindering it at this point, a bottleneck if one wanted to get technical…' Nico thought, humming under his breath as he looked back to Neptune before she could notice him staring. "Okay, I can see them doing that, at least. Stocking up for training marathons isn't a bad idea…" he admitted, scratching his jaw. "And how's it been going for you?"

"Hm?"

"Your training, I mean. You progressing well?" Nico asked her again, slowly edging closer and closer to the source of the problem he had sensed. He could feel it, as he had been monitoring her negative emotions, and had just stopped short of using the Shingan ring to monitor her thoughts. Nico didn't activate it for her cause A: it would invade her privacy, and B: he'd rather do it on his enemies or when he wanted to gatheer information during those more…. Politicial battles.

At the mention of training, Neptune's eyes brightened… all the while, the negative emotions within pulsed like a living heart. "Its going fan-dably-do, Nicky. This little kiddo…" she began, grasping Soul Calibur and raising it whilst pointing her finger at it's core. "Is one greedy daughter, since she keeps getting hungrier and hungrier with each fight. Got some ideas how to make her even better, too, though I'm still working on the kinks as annoying as that is since I wanna just laze about on a sofa all day and eat loads of delicious pudding. Techniques are comin' along good, and I get to eat loads of pudding all the while!" she exclaimed at the end, going through a mybrid of different emotions faster than a cheetah. Honestly, if Nico had been focusing on that, then he wouldn't have been abe to keepup with her randomness… especially when she acted out various scenes in front of him, like reciting some epic tale about an adventurer kicking ass and taking names.

But at this point, Nico finally saw the opening he needed, and decided to take the plunge. "But getting stronger is becoming a greater concern to you, isn't it?" Nico questioned, though it also felt like a statement at the same time. Especially since the moment that he spoke those words, Neptune made a posture which pretty much statedhow much he had hit the nail on the head sort to speak.

"… Well, I guess I can't say no to that." Neptune eventually admitted, dropping her arms down to the sides while sighing profoundly. Her eyes changed, and to both his joy as well as concern, her mask dropped to showcase just how complicated she felt inside. "Sorry for keeping up with the act around ya, Nicky, I'd honestly forgotten that I could since we've been apart for a while." She apologized, rubbing the back of her head while chuckling nervously.

Nervousness which faded faster than the wind when Nico shook his head with an equally guilty smile spreading across his lips. "Don't worry Neptune, I'm just as at fault here." He replied, before looking to the side as his mood dropped as well. "If it weren't for some… things that I found difficult to comprehend at first, I wouldn't have been spending so much time away from you all."

"Huh…. Kinda figured it was something like that." Neptune mused... right before bonking Nico right on the head. "Nicky, is a dummy! You do realize you could have talked to us, right? If you didn't get something, we would have been more than happy t help, ya know. You're one of us after all, we help each other. We're a party, but more than that we're friends." Neptune stated, her tone neither filled with malice nor scolding. Instead, she simply spoke those words as if they truly were what they were… and to be frank, Nico found himself being able to interpret them that way as well. If he hadn't seen the things he had the last few weeks, then Nico doubted he would have this mindset.

But, when she spoke one word, Nico couldn't help but freeze up, his eyes widening as his body became tense.

Friend…

To describe it, friendship was considered to be a relationship of mutual affection between one and another, or even multiple beings at the same time. There was truly no limit to the amount of people it could influence, a beggar gaining a friend could turn them into a respectable citizen, a prisoner could become a civil conversation partner, the possibilities were endless. Friendship, in a broader sense, would be classed as a stronger form of interpersonal bond, much greater than that of an association, or an acquaintance.

But to Nico, that word had become so foreign a concept that it had been recognized as alien. The reasoning could be seen as clear as day through his past interactions with people, as well as his own experiences with the ugly nature of the world. Nico had seen just how despicable people could be, and as such he didn't see any sort of light in the tunnel, as it were. As a result, Nico hardly called ANYONE a friend… no, that word to him felt way more powerful and precious. To truly call someone a friend, well, hat would mean he would be caable of trusting that person on a level that he didn't believe was possible for him. Not when the world had proven to be so shitty in his eyes.

No, friends weren't something that he considered necessary, instead he valued those who he could sort of trust as 'Comrades'. The term comrade had been mostly used to mean "friend", "mate", "colleague", or "ally", but in his case Nico referred to it as an ally, nothing else since he didn't see them as such. To him, comraderie had been the most important thing, if someone proved themselves to be an ideal comrade, someone whom he could trust even if it were a little, then not even godly deities would stop him from ensuring that person's survival in this world. True comrades were heard to find, like trying to navigate through a murky lake and being unable to see the dephs beneath. Not Something which he didn't have any experience with, seriously.

So, for the first time… Neptune caling him a friend… it made him wonder if now would be the best time for him to change that stance for once. Since Neptune and the others had accepted him for who he was, couldn't they be the first true friends he ever had?

Shaking his head and putting those thoughts aside for now, Nico focused back on what the preteen had told him, offering a mirthless smile and a chuckle in return. "Heh, maybe Neptune. Sorry, its just that... well, I'm not used to having people I can talk to about these things..." he admitted, looking down at the ground beneath his feet. "You know as well as I do how I've been for the last few years, so I'm… not that used to having people I can trust, to talk to about my own worries and such."

"Yeah, I can get that..." Neptune admitted, a frown forming on her lips when she remembered everything she had learned about his past and his current nature. Remembering it caused her to want to bonk the heads of those who made him end up this way for being absolute jerks in her eyes, even though that wouldn't actually be possible. She then continued with a more upbeat, chirpy tone than previously when she, ever the optimist, focused on the silver lining. "Well now you do, so get used to it Nicky. You let me tell you my worries, so it should be a two-way street, Nep it?"

A laugh escaped Nico's throat after a moment of bewilderment, before he reduced it to a snicker as he responded. "I Nep it, don't worry. Also, you should really take your own advice, there Neptune. Lecturing me about trust when you yourself are bothered by something." he stated knowingly, all the while bringing the conversation back to what he REALLY wanted to talk about. Well, that stuff about trust WAS something he wanted to get off his chest, but Nico felt like their worries were much more important than his own. Call it a remnant of what he had went through, but he couldn't shake that trait of his completely. That would only take time and effort to do, and even then it may have become so ingrained that it would be part of him forever.

"Eh?"

At first, Neptune blinked a few times at him in confusion, prompting Nico to look at her with his features blank. He would NOT lose in a battle of Masks, especially not to someone who hadn't born the same Masks as him over the years. Finally, after a few intense moments, Nico saw how the preteen deflated and assumed a tired, 'i'm so done with this' look forming on her features. "Yeah... kinda hypocritical from me, huh...?" Neptune remarked, chuckling in an embarrassed manner. "Yeah, well, I MAAAY or may not be thinking about a lotta stuff that's kinda been on my mind and won't leave me alone like one of those things a naggy parent does to their kid." she explained.

When Nico gestured for her to continue after wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close (not something she minded, by the way), Neptune laid her head on his chest as she cuddle up into him. "Ya know... its not easy, you know. Regaining yourself after a big blow, right? Well... its started since that mean jerk back there wrecked our stuff without even trying..."

"Mundus..." Nico muttered under his breath, though Neptune heard him. Not to mention how he gripped her a bit firmer as a small burst of anger erupted inside.

Neptune nodded her head, looking down into his torso whilst his grip softened upon her wiggling, telling him to pretty much ease up on the grip. "Yeah... him. He wiped the floor with us, and he nearly got his hands on this hot bod. This protag bod, something which is only reserved for that R18 Movies and games, not this normally fun, silly franchise." she commented, and Nico couldn't help but mentally roll his eyes at how meta she had just sounded right there. But he didn't say anything and just let her speak, sensing just how her emotions seemed to be on the verge of boiling over. "Even when you went all beastly for us and stopped that meanie from doing... R18 stuff, we still didn't technically win since he just... ya know, left like he had just been playing with us this whole time."

'I can honestly admit that to be the case...'

'Agreed.'

'AAARRRRGH! THAT FUCKER, THAT FUCKER, THAT FUUUUUUUCKKEEEEEEEERRRRRRR!'

Looked like Byakko still held that trauma, he realized. That reminded him, he and Biko REALLY needed to find some way to help him with that, cause haring Byakko whine like a little bitch felt WAY too out of character for him. But hey, being out of character is essentially what trauma does to people, right? Mentally shaking his head, Nico focused back on the preteen, who shuddered in his embrace. "But that wasn't what REALLY got to you, was it?" he whispered, knowingly. Mundus had well and truly defeated them, even if they had been weakened from fighting both Arfoire and Okada. If they each had been at their best, with Nico himself at full power too, then he doubted that they would have been able to land a scratch on him. That guy didn't even use a spec of his full power, just one technique which pretty much wiped the floor with them. 'Speaking of which, Biko have you got anything on that technique he used?'

'After some digging in the Lexicanum, I indeed do, but it would be wise to listen to Neptune first. I sense this will serve her greatly in finally breaking that bottleneck of hers.'

Biko's response nearly caused Nico to showcase his surprise in the real world, though he successfully suppressed it as he looked down towards Neptune, whom at this point had put her forehead on his torso so he couldn't see her face but only her hair. "Yeah... that meanie beating us I could live with... cause that'd only mean I could just train and get stronger to beat him next time. But... Nepu… what he did to Compa…" she muttered, and at that point BOTH of them trembled in both anger and sadness, memories of how Compa had ben taken out of the battle back then filling their minds. How gory, brutal and ruthless it had been.

Yeah, he could imagine. Nico himself has been so mad that he'd only seen red at that moment, but thanks to the restraints on him and the 'restraint' towards the idea of using is Ghoul side, he didn't actually get a chance to pay that asshole back.

"I was... so mad back then. Furious even." Neptune admitted,, shuddering in his embrace as the flames of rage burned inside her to this day. "Never before in my life have I wanted to utterly DESTROY someone as much as I wanted to right then. Thinking back on it now... it actually scares me, it scares this Nep Nepless that I would want to kill someone so much, ya know? Its never happened to me before, sure killing monsters I can deal, and they're usually attacking me anyways..." she trailed off, taking some time to regather her thoughts.

On Nico's side, the redhead realized a bit of what Neptune had been shaken by. 'Ah, yes. The first time one wants to kill. A prelude to their first ever kill. Its not exactly something they et used to, and those that do tend to act with less humanity than those around them. For someone like Neptune, who likely hasn't had any malice-based intent towards anybody before, then suddenly feelings such a surge of desire to murder, its not exactly something she would be used to. Or like, for that matter. She's too... well, innocent for that.'

'Unlike someone else I know.'

'Yup, I won't deny it.'

"But, when Compa went down like that, I just... I didn't even realize it, but nothing else became important anymore. I was so angry that I just didn't care. I wanted to hurt him, I wanted to torment him, I wanted to make him pay by having him suffer just as much as Compa had suffered. You have no idea how many thoughts of murder went through this noggin o'mine… its really the first time I've EVER thought something so out of character." Neptune admitted, as she thought back to everything which had taken place on that Mountain. She remembered the feeling of massive anger and rage that erupted inside of her at seeing one of her best friends getting manhandled in such a horrific manner. Getting her breasts damaged like that, the way her vocal chords got ripped out, not to mention how she had been tossed aside like yesterday's garbage had REALLY set her off. True on fanfictions scary things happen to them that could be considered horrible, not to mention comical a lot of the times. Heck, just look at what happened to them in the beginning of rebirth 2! But, in this case, what had befallen one of her friends had well and truly mortified her beyond belief. It was like she had seen into the depths of depravity that people would be willing to go to get what they wanted.

Though, even with all that anger, all that hatred and bloodlust coursing through her, what had happened afterwards had been the real kick in the groin for her. Under all that hatred and bloodlust, Neptune had tried to avenge her fallen comrade, her best friend and more importantly, her first EVER friend aside from Nico. True Neptune treasured her friends deeply, she may tease and play pranks a lot. She may scarf whole bowls of pudding on a daily basis, or have her own pervy moments, but if she were frank, then Neptune couldn't be more grateful to have someone like Compa around if she tried. She had been around since the beginning, helping her out when she didn't know a darn nepping thing about herself. She could EASILY see herself losing it or following darker, eviller path should the situation have changed. It would have been so easy, as she had been pretty much like a blank slate at the time. The worst kind of position anyone could be in, since they could literally change into the worst kind of person imaginable.

But, Neptune had been lucky. She had found friends in the ever-innocent and lovable Compa, as well as the external edge lord and internally sweet Nico. Because of those two, Neptune felt like she had made huge progress into the right direction, becoming the person who she was today thanks to being around them. So, seeing someone dispose of not one, but TWO of her friends like that, one by restraints and the other... well, that didn't even need to be said at this point, but in the end it REALLY grinded her gears towards a darker mindset... a mind set she had been entertaining the thought of ever since the Demonic Invasion. Although, she had only TRULY started contemplating it after Halo Mountain. It had only intensified from there, since she couldn't even do a single thing to avenge her friend, since Mundus' power far surpassed her own. Hell, it would be foolish to even CONSIDER comparing their power levels at this point, it would be like a small toddler trying to punch that spiky black haired money guy who had so many transformations.

Ever since then, Neptune had begun training her backside off, not even sparing a minute to do the things she would do normally. She did the impossible and decreased the intake of pudding she had daily, she didn't laze about nearly as much anymore, practically all her time and effort had become focused solely on getting stronger. The images of Compa lying on the ground in pieces refused to leave her alone, like the hallucinations that Nico endured so often (not like she knew that though). She never wanted to feel that useless again, she NEVER wanted any of her friends to end up in a similar state to Compa, EVER, which had been her drive to get stronger in the first place. It just... reached a whole new level thanks to Mundus.

Yet, as she trained herself by fighting the demonic hoards whenever they popped up, Neptune slowly began to notice a few... things. Things which made her shudder in dread, confusion and slight fear. She began to actively seek out more Demons than she had to, in order to satisfy her training schedule. She began to enjoy the sight of Demons dispersing via explosions, almost giggling at their distorted cries as they imploded. Her fighting style became more and more primitive, vicious like a beast's where her enemies would end up being ripped into pieces before her without any hope of fighting back.

It had been these things, which had caused her to wonder while training herself...

What was happening to her?

Why was she changing?

She didn't know the answers, but whenever she tried to stop on her training, she would always think back to that fight, which would spurn her on again. It was almost like she had been turned into some form of marionette, thus she didn't even have control over her own body anymore, and THAT scared the living crap out of her.

Neptune's talking ended there, as the one she'd been talking to absorbed this information in contemplation. "... I see... so that's it..." Nico muttered after Neptune finished her story. His eyes darkened as he held the young maiden in his arms, he held her tight enough to exude the intent of comforting her whilst she poured out her feelings like this. She didn't seem like she wanted to cry though, no it felt more like she had been both scared and confused about what was happening to her. That made Nico gain a newfound respect for the preteen, it looked like it was happening slowly, but it seems like she had been gradually increasing in strength. It wasn't anything major for the time being, but to him it would still be noticeable. However, when he looked down at her, Nico began to wonder about something as he thought to his Demon Persona, all the while examining the weapon attached to her Soul with his senses. 'Hey, Biko, do you think that...?'

'Hmmm... it seems like it is the case, Nico. Under normal circumstances, I do believe that Neptune wouldn't be as confused with herself. She is someone who likes to have fun with her friends, enjoy life to its fullest and generally a person who does not view killing in a positive light. The same could be said for the other Goddesses too, as their very nature compels them to protect their lands and to guard their people. That was what they were originally meant to do from the beginning, if you think back to the DPU Era. However, things have changed for Neptune, and perhaps Noire and possibly the others as well. In Neptune's case, she has gained a weapon which, while carrying a strong divinity due to her being a Goddess, it originally came from the Demonic soul in you. DPUs are naturally different in comparison to Goddesses, as they are a warrior race. As such, killing isn't something as meaningful to them as it is for a Goddess.'

'Huh, I get it. It maybe obvious to our viewers, but we're like two sides of a coin, yin and yang. As a result, her having a weapon which originated from someone who is the exact opposite of her...'

'The Demonic Power within Soul Calibre, the demonic aspect which has been steadily growing the more souls it has absorbed, is finally showing signs ls reaching a similar level to the divine aspect. As a result of this, she will feel the things a Demon would feel, things she normally wouldn't. The demonic influence, the instincts to slaughter her enemies without mercy, the thrill of combat that could only come from life or death battles. Everything not associated with humanity's representation of a Goddess will now be felt by her. All this is merely a side effect, however, the REAL deal will only happen once that sword's demon side is equal to the divine.'

… Huh, was that how it was, huh? Nico hummed thoughtfully in his mind before looking down at his companion. His eyes then hardened with a determined look forming on his features. If that was the case, then he knew exactly what to do about it. But first, he needed to do one thing, first. Putting his hands on her shoulders, Nico gently pried her off him so he could look into her eyes. "Alright Neptune, I think I get the gist of it. You never wanted to see Compa like that again, or any of us for that matter, so you went on a training marathon. But things began to change, and you began to see new changes in yourself that confused and scared you. But instead of stopping, you found yourself continuing despite these things scaring you, right?" he stated.

This earned him a nod from the preteen. "Yeppers." she remarked, frowning in confusion and nervousness.

"Well, I may not be the best person to handle this for you, Neptune. A 'good' person would tell you to stop training and learn how to rely more on others. When fighting powerful enemies, it would be important to work together and eventually overcome it. The power of friendship and all that jazz. That's what a 'good' person would say. " Nico began, almost vomiting over those words like they were vile puss. He managed to stomach it barely though, and continued with a lopsided smirk forming on his lips. "But lets be real here, I'm no 'good' person no matter how you slice it. I'm a Demon, hell a Demonic godly entity if you wanna get technical, as well as a Ghoul. its pretty much my nature to kill in the first place, if you point me at an army, by the time the day's done they'll be nothing but corpses. So, i'll say this: These changes your feeling? Accept them." At the end though, his face turned serious as his eyes narrowed into slits at Neptune's wide ones.

"Nepu?"

Figures, she didn't get his meaning. He didn't exactly state what he wanted to say, but hat was fine. Nico had just wanted to lay the groundwork for his next point, anyways. After all, like he said Nico didn't see himself as a good person, and that was a fact. He wasn't. In the simplest form, Nico was a Demon/Ghoul hybrid, a monstrous creature which had an immense potential for power. He didn't deny it anymore, he had embraced his true nature of his own free will. Any hallucinations he would have about his past? He'll roll with it. Any time his mind became unstable enough to form his Kakuja? He'd deal with it. He was his own master at this point, thus nobody would be making him do things he didn't want to do.

Whelp, time to elaborate, Nico mentally thought whilst continuing. "At this point in time, its pretty much the best option you have at the moment. You've just fought an enemy whose power dwarfs yours. Probably one of the few where the power of the Goddess isn't enough. That means you HAVE to find a way to get yourself stronger, some way which your goddess powers cannot grant alone. This results in you training yourself, whilst unknowingly strengthening the demonic side within your sword. THAT there is the key. Everyone has their own inner beast inside, the side of them that they don't want to show to the world so they hide it behind a Mask. Therefore don't be afraid of these changes, instead you should embrace them, cause like my beast it will open the doors to greater potential in strength for you. Potential to make it so that you will NEVER again be that helpless."

...Accept... it...?

Those two words echoed in Neptune's mind whilst she looked at her hubby in bewilderment. Accept these changes? Was that what Nico was telling her? To accept that there was a beast in her and that she would have these new... instincts? The preteen hadn't expected that, she had thought Nico would have told her something else, like to confide in her friends and help her overcome these new changes. But, that hadn't happened at all, instead it had been the opposite. Looking into his eyes, the preteen looked for any signs of doubt or other intentions, but instead she had seen nothing but strength and determination in those light blue orbs. A determination which seemed all too similar to a raging fire yet had been allowed to run its course. Controlled emotion, that was what she had seen.

But... if that was what he was telling her...

Why did she feel like, in her mind, it was the right thing to do?

Flashbacks of Compa filled her mind, and all of a sudden it clicked inside her mind, a determination not unequal to the one Nico sported beginning to burn inside her eyes. Of course, she knew. She knew this from the beginning, but she had been so caught up in this confusion and fear that she hadn't realized it, but confiding within Nico had helped her see. Whatever changes were taking place within her, they didn't really matter in the long run, not to her. As long as she grew stronger from it, as long as she gained the strength to NEVER let Halo Mountain happen again, then she would do anything. Neptune wouldn't let something like so minor as confusion or fear to deter her, not when the lives of her friends were held at stake. Its a bit cheesy, but her friends were the world to her, so if anyone dared to harm them, then she'd retaliate with extreme force!

This wasn't the normal Gamindustri that many rebirth 1 fanfictions were about! This one is approaching war, and in war one should not hesitate to take up arms.

Thus, Neptune felt like it had finally been time for her to embrace her inner beast. If her hubby could do it, then why couldn't she?

With those thoughts circulating through her mind, Neptune looked up at her hubby who noticed the changes in her state of being. As a result of this, a small lopsided smirk formed on his lips, eyes dancing with various emotions as he questioned her knowingly. "Figured anything out yet?"

A matching smirk formed on her lips as Neptune nodded. She pulled back, allowing Nico to release her from his embrace and allowing her to hop to her feet. "Nep yeah, Nicky. Not sure where all this fire came from, but Nep likes what she sees!" she proclaimed, her smirk widening into a toothy grin as Nico chuckled knowingly, standing up with her and placing his hands in his Trench Coat pockets. "Thanks for helpin' me out, hubby, means a lot!" she proclaimed.

"No problem. Say, mind if I join you? You look like you know what to do, and i'd like to be there to witness it."

"Sure! I mean, I was gonna drag you there anyways, so why not?"

Sweat dropping at her answer, Nico merely let Neptune grab his left arm(after strapping Soul Calibur to her back) and pull him out of the Hotel's living room, deactivating his Bracer all the while.

What, he loved those babies, don't judge!


Later on, the two had exited the city (after several times Nico had to get her back on track when she saw something she wanted to buy, which was mostly pudding related), and found themselves in a large, open field. Large enough for what the duo intended to do, not to mention how as they had neared their destination Soul Calibur gradually began to shake with ever growing intensity, as if it had been aware of what would be happening next. The field looked to be at least an hour's walk from the main city, which they had cleared in half the time since Neptune had been like a toddler on a sugar rush in her excitement. Not like he could blame her, if what he theorized was true, then this would likely be something crucial to Neptune's growth.

Once they got there, the two stood opposite each other with about 6 meters distance between them. They each had their swords out, Neptune choosing her Soul Calibur and Nico with his Rebellion. They stared at each other, the winds blowing through the vicinity rustling through their hair like hands were rubbing over them, yet they didn't mind nor care. Not with bigger things on their minds.

"So... you mind telling how this will work?" Nico questioned as he held his Rebellion in a ready stance. His stance had been the stance taught to him by Okada Izou, which resulted in it looking like this: his body bent forwards slightly like a hunchback, with both hands on the hilt of Rebellion which was angled downwards. His legs were in a crouching position, with the right leg in front of the left. Nico had been told by Okada that this was called his 'Two-Handed Killer stance', which was the default stance for the Manslayer Style that Okada had taught him. Any complaints the male had, had been pretty much crushed to nothingness by the sheer training the man forced him to endure, but to Nico the rewards definitely had merit. There WAS a One-Handed Killer stance which merely revolved around him being upright instead of crouched with everything else being the same, but Nico liked this stance. As for why he had taken this stance, well he WAS using a two-handed sword, and there were different stances for different styles of swordplay.

Plus, it had been advised to him by Neptune during their travels here, though as to why this was so she hadn't told him yet.

Neptune soon took her own stance, and when she did, Nico noticed that it was different from her previous one. Instead of her previous stance, Neptune had changed it so she stood with her right side facing towards him, with her hands holding onto Soul Calibur with the blade pointing behind her. This however, didn't stop him from hearing Neptune's reply though, which came promptly afterwards. "Weeeeell… ya know how these edgy Demons love to fight and all? Well, I discovered the best way to develop this sucker's naughty side was to fight, so I've been fighting like crazycakes to make my baby stronger. Soooo, I just kinda figured that a spar might help me finally break through." she explained, deploying her Armour. She then leaned forwards, and though he couldn't see her features, Nico felt willing to bet that she had a smile on her lips. "Better be ready, Nicky! Not going easy on ya!"

"I expect as much, now then come at me bro!"

Instantly, Neptune broke into a dash, clearing the distance between them instantly and, with the use of her TRACKLESS STEP, managed to slip past Nico's external defences. She then swung her blade at his neck, which prompted Nico to duck his head under it and aim a slash upwards, for Neptune to twirl around it. Whilst she twirled though, the redhead shot his foot out and slammed it into her ankle, causing her to go off balance, though this didn't remain so for long as she used her free hand as a means to perform a handstand to kick at Nico, making him block with Rebellion as he jumped backwards by a couple meters, before he charged right back at her standing upright self.

Even as he cleared the distance in a couple milliseconds, Neptune promptly raised her sword and cross blocked a downward slash, as well as sidestepped several kicks to the face. Twisting in mid air, Nico followed up with another slash from the mighty Rebellion, slamming it into Soul Calibur with enough force to crack the ground beneath him... without the use of any form of empowerment abilities. However, Nico put this achievement to one side as he landed on the ground behind her, resulting in them being back-to-back. This allowed them to exchange slashes in a way which seemed QUITE reminiscent of the time Nico fought Arfoire back in the Monster Cave, until he flipped away from her and vice versa, resulting in them facing off with each other.

All that happened in like a couple seconds.

After this clash, the two charged at one another once more, entering a vicious slash fest which sent massive shockwaves ringing through the air. Every millisecond the two slashed at each other, their respective weapons bouncing off one another with loads of sparks flying between them. They each made use of each other's strikes to follow up with their next one, resulting in two endless chains of sword swings ramming onto one another. Feints, energy-less slashes, twists, blocks, counters all of these tactics got employed in a deadly dance of death between them. Gradually, the fact that this had been a simple spar faded from their minds as the two lost themselves in the heat of this intensifying sword fight.

During all of this, Nico kept an eye on Soul Calibur as it blurred about, its speed making it almost look like it was sporting afterimages like in some of the tomes he had read. Each blow felt light against Rebellion, though thanks to him cultivating the Great Way of the Buddha, Neptune lacked the proper arm strength to win against him in a head on power struggle. Something she had learned early on in their little slash fest. As he eyed it during their bout, Nico noticed that the sword gradually began to sport these dark splotches, like a colourless artwork slowly being dyed black. This phenomenon caught his attention immediately as he parried several strikes then reposed towards her neck, forcing Neptune to divert the swing upwards then strike with the pommel of her sword, something Nico diverted away from him with Rebellion's own pommel.

'Hmmm, it appears the young goddess' sword technique has rapidly improved since we last saw her.'

'Yeah... say Biko, how's Soul Calibur fairing?'

'The more you fight, the more I'll be able to see, but it does seem to be going through a development. Based off my observations, it appears to be undergoing the final stages of some kind of metamorphosis, like caterpillar cocooning to become a butterfly. It seems to stem from her Demonic Power, thus it must be what has been influencing her all this time. It needs to be completed however, for these changes to no longer be an issue. From my calculations, its at... 45%, not only will it take some time to complete, the rest will likely be up to Neptune...'

'Figures... Aright, keep me posted on this metamorphosis' process.'

After that conversation, Nico and Neptune broke away from each other, entering the next stage of their spar when Neptune switched Soul Calibur to its Dual Kodachi Swords. In response to this, Nico summoned Ouranos into his other hand, remembering what his Demon Persona had told him about his weapons. 'Rebellion's a Devil Arm, so I should be able to have it out with Ouranos which is an Archdevil Arm. My soul should be able to take it...' he thought to himself as the two faced off.

This time, Nico closed the distance between them with the Star God's Broken Shadow, swinging Rebellion towards her neck diagonally. The moment Neptune blocked with one of her Kodachi's though, she instantly realized there was little power behind the strike, a bit too late however as Nico swiftly used the momentum from Rebellion bouncing back into a horizontal slash, following it with a diagonal slash from Ouranos. Neptune quickly responded though, swiftly twirling around to avoid the fist strike then swing her other Kodachi towards the approaching Ouranos. This resulted in a loud CLANG erupting through the field as the two weapons slammed into one another with great force.

Neptune then pulled a fast one on Nico, by flipping her sword upwards and making a riposte-like manoeuvre, deflecting Ouranos upwards and launching a snap kick towards his stomach. Out of instinct however, did the redhead use his Star God's Broken Shadow to evade it, appearing behind her with a thrusting Rebellion towards the back of her head. This movement elected a jump from the preteen as she black flipped over him and slashed at his head with one Kodachi. Nico blocked with Ouranos, then parried the second with Rebellion before unleashing a QUICKSWORD technique on her as she landed, sending her flying backwards. 'Phew, I used Rebellion's flat surface on that last slash there, otherwise I might have gone right through her...' Nico thought to himself...

Only to blink when he found Neptune already on him.

When he saw one Kodachi being flung towards the centre of his forehead, he swiftly deflected it towards the right, only for Neptune to slide right past him with her remaining one aimed for his side. Had he not put Rebellion in the way in time, he would have suffered an injury there. Not something he couldn't handle thanks to his regeneration powers, but his stance on them had already been made apparent. Twirling around, Nico positioned both his blades in a cross block, catching both Kodachi's in their grasp before cross slashing, deflecting both towards opposite directions before bringing both blades towards his opponent. Said opponent utilizing her MARGINAL COUNTER to flip the grips onto her Kodachi's and block both of them as if she held knives in the reverse grip.

At that point, Nico used his 'SGBS' (Shortened version of his movement skill) to evade any future slashes, ending up getting about 7 meters distance between them. His breathing remained calm when he stopped, his coat flapping in front of him thanks to his motions, whilst he held his dual weapons in the Manslayer Style's 'Dual Killer Stance': The stance being similar to the Two-handed Killer Stance but he wasn't as hunched over, with one sword angled downwards and the other angled diagonally upwards towards his enemy. Of course, using two swords like Rebellion and Ouranos, two massive swords, wasn't something any normal swordsman could do, but thanks to his constant use of Soul Edge, it hadn't been an issue for him.

Glancing towards her swords, Nico noticed that only one of the swords seem to have been completely blackened, the other only having minor splotches here and there.

'Progression rate... 60%.'

Nodding at Biko's mental confirmation, Nico waited for Neptune to make the next move, eyeing her up as he did so to see how this process was affecting her. Almost immediately did he see it, how her body was hunched over like a predator stalking its prey, her form blackened by a heavy aura of Demonic energy which allowed her to have glowing crimson eyes with a maniacal shine to them, like some twisted psychopath on steroids. Her smile had turned to one of a slasher's, sending chills down his spine though he didn't express it. It honestly reminded him of that show with that silver haired woman who used a sword and was part of a species of superhumans who got 'winged' by kissing destined partners or something. 'Looks like its worse than she said it was. This process must be influencing her greater than she realized, since she only remembers fractions of it. Her opponents must not have lived long enough for the process to finish, otherwise Neptune wouldn't have had this problem...' Nico thought to himself.

At once, did Neptune shift Soul Calibur once more, becoming a traditional Japanese-style Katana, but with an icy blue crystalline appearance. The main hilt looked to be just big enough for two hands, with across guard that had the sphere of Soul Calibur, the core, embedded within. The blade itself was the same, but with lighter blue runic symbols carved in. The blade had a dark blue vapor around it like a cloak, giving off this intimidating yet divine appearance. Gripping the Katana in both hands, Neptune sharply broke into a mad sprint, dashing towards him, before pulling a feint and going to the right, then jumping forth into his right flank.

'Ah, the Katana form. Neptune told me once that her Soul Calibur has a total of 8 forms: a Railgun, a Halberd, a Katana, Dual Shotguns, Zweihander, Rifle, Dual Kodachi Swords and the Sword and shield, aside from its default form. So far, I believe the viewers have only seen everything aside from the Railgun and the Katana, which they are seeing right now.' Nico thought, breaking the fourth wall in the process as he dismissed Ouranos for Rebellion, holding it in the Two-Handed Killer Stance as his opponent approached him. The first strike formed as a downward slash aimed for his right shoulder, so Nico angled his sword diagonally to the right, deflecting that strike as well as its energy.

No sooner had he done this, did Neptune follow up with a series of other slashes mixed with a few thrusts, all linked together into a deadly chain with hardly any openings. However, by angling his sword in various ways, the redhead defended against each of them without losing any ground before, in an interesting display of footwork did the male slide right past her. Seconds later, several deep cuts appeared over her body, cutting through her clothes and drawing blood, causing his eyes to widen in surprise. 'Huh, Mentor Okada DID say how the Manslayer style was meant to kill the opponent as effectively as possible. If it weren't for angling my Sword at the last second, I would have hit multiple vital areas.' Nico thought to himself, frowning as he held Rebellion in the Two-Handed Killer Stance once more.

Snarls and grunts, ones not unlike those an animal would make, escaped Neptune's lips as she turned and snarled at him, most of the blade she wielded now being completely black. 'Looks like this process attacks her sanity too, making it so she cannot speak and instead fight with all she has.' Nico observed, readying himself as he dashed forwards, using SGBS to close the distance then form about 4 Afterimages. Each of them were in various attack positions, thus it caused the primitive Neptune to look at them each for a couple seconds in caution, holding her Katana in a defensive stance.

'Instincts seem to work still though, perhaps better than before, but even so...!'

Before she could react, all 4 Afterimages shot towards her, each going for different areas of her body, flying through the air like 4 powerful blades, for the preteen to swiftly enter a series of 360 degree resulted in her EASILY taking out all four Afterimages like they were nothing but air... ironic, since that had truly been the case as she soon realized when all four vanished into nothing... instead of her sword eventually meeting the flesh of the one she wanted to slice. A startled grunt escaped her lips, before she looked up and saw the redhead diving towards her with his sword already poised to slash through her neck. Only by reflexively using her MARGINAL COUNTER did she dodge the first slash in time...

Right before Nico twisted like a sausage and swung Rebellion again towards her stomach.

SLAM-CLANG!

Reflexes saved her again as Neptune slid backwards by at least 20 meters, causing two foot sized fissures to form beneath her feet. At this point, the aura surrounding her got denser, swirling around her like a vortex as her eyes begun to shine even brighter. They pretty much had a rectangular shine to them, similar to a certain cyborg whenever he activated his Ripper Mode. Snarls and beastly growls escaped her lips, anger and frustration at not being able to have her sword taste the flesh of her opponent radiating from her form. That... as well as excitement, glee and impatience, born from the very sword itself as if it had sensed that the threshold which it and its wielder had been stuck in had long since been passed.

'Nearly done, Nico, 95%.'

'We're nearing the home stretch...' the redhead summarized from his Demon Persona's report, switching to the One-Handed Killer's Stance as he eyed his opponent. At this point, since things were going well for him thanks to learning under the user of the Manslayer Style (part of him still worked on believing that guy and him were relatives, the rest not so much), he felt like his own sword techniques should be utilized from this point onwards. If what he thought was going to happen happened, then its likely that her combat ability will be bolstered by the Demonic Power coursing through her body.

A hunch which soon proved itself right when in the next second, Neptune had appeared behind him, and thus Nico held Rebellion by his side in a downward angle, blocking a slash which could have decapitated a normal person. He then twirled around, spinning their connected blades in an arc above their heads before snap kicking Neptune back and jumping into a helicopter kick, following it up with a rapid thrust barrage towards her head. Blocking all but the last thrust which shattered her guard, Nico swiftly headbutted her, leaving Neptune dazed long enough for him to dash past her, dozens of slashes appearing over her body.

She didn't fall however, not like he expected her to since he didn't aim for her vitals. Instead, Neptune's Demonic Power repaired what damage had been done, and was it just him, or did that aura of hers reduce the damage he had been able to inflict on her? Cause, when he struck just now, and pretty much the rest of the times too, his sword felt like it was being swung through one HELL of an ocean of resistance before striking her flesh. It wasn't anything major, since he could get through it pretty easily, but still for him to notice it meant a lot.

'Think about that later, focus on defending yourself.'

Thoughts like that filled his mind as he twirled around and parried several slashes from Neptune's Soul Calibur, which had formed its Halberd self before she switched to a Katana and launched more slashes, ending up with reverting Soul Calibur to its default form to make an overhead smash. Blocking all but the last and using the SGBS to dodge that last swing, Nico appeared beside her with a slash to her arms, activating his QUICKSWORD to do so. MARGINAL COUNTER activated though, and Neptune managed to parry each of his swings. This MARGINAL COUNTER of hers must have been trained immensely, since according to her it took stamina to use. 'She must have a LOT in this state of being...' he thought to himself, jumping back when Neptune crossed slashed at him, then jumped to give chase.

Immediately her sword began to glow, and Nico quickly realized what her intent had been as he unleashed his QUICKSWORD, countering her CROSS COMBINATION attack with ease. What he did NOT expect, was for her to chain in a CRITICAL EDGE afterwards, causing him to loosen his hold on Rebellion. The sword flew out of his hands and up into the air, spinning like a wheel whilst Nico somersaulted backwards into a jump, shooting through the air at high speeds. He could sense the approaching Neptune jump after him, intent on catching him before he could catch his weapon, causing a small smirk to form on his lips.

'Fool...!'

Unfortunately for her, Neptune in this state, underestimated Nico's speed, and thus he grasped onto Rebellion's hilt just in time to launch a downward slash, making her raise Soul Calibur to block it. As a result, Nico's strength empowered by the Great Way of the Buddha, as well as the other natural enhancers he'd gained over the last few weeks, outdid hers to force her to go crash into the ground below.

Just seconds after that...


'There, it should be done, Nico. 100%'

'Got it.'

Landing on the ground, Nico hopped backwards about 14 meters, landing with a slight skid before getting into his default Two-Handed Killer Stance. His eyes narrowed, calculating caution shining through them as he peered into the generated smokescreen, searching for any signs of his berserk companion. Don't get him wrong, Nico trusted his Demon Persona and all, but he was the cautious type, ya know? Not to mention this was unfamiliar territory, he'd not had any experience in dealing with a Goddess learning how to use and understand Demonic Energy like this. Though, looking at it somewhat reminded him of the Evil Spirit Form that guy used a bit, causing shudders to go up his spine.

Not to mention that Biko's words had somewhat caught him by surprise, so he didn't really have much time to calm his sharp, bloodthirsty instincts yet.

As he peered into the smoke, Nico reached out with his senses, trying to feel out any signs of Demonic Power whilst he calmed his nerves. His mind and gut told him to be wary still though, so he kept his Stance up. 'Now then, Neptune... how will you turn out after this, I wonder...?' Nico wondered, smiling to himself even with his spar with her crazy self. Honestly, sparring with just sword skill like this, even if he used his movement skill a few times, felt quite fun. It had been a while since he last sparred with the girls, and though this wasn't like their usual ones it still held that special feeling that kind of magic which only came from sparring. It had been so long that he'd almost forgotten, but right now all he focused on was the smokescreen containing his comrade.

A Goddess with Demonic Power undergoing a transformation...

What would come out of this, he wondered...?

Part of him naturally worried for her wellbeing, as both Demonic Power and Share Energy were opposing elements. Elements which were quite violent when in contact with each other, almost like poison. Proof was when Noire got infested with his power back in West Wind Valley, however Neptune had managed to find a way to house both energies inside of her. What kind of changes to her power level would be happening would be anyone's guess. Yet, Nico also found himself excited at the prospect. A Goddess was learning bout Demonic Power, able to use both in perfect harmony. It oddly resembled the recent harmonization between his very own Demon and Ghoul powers, so if he could do it then Neptune surely could. He believed in her.

...

...

...

...

...

… After about 5 minutes... it happened.

FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!

In an instant, a huge whirlwind erupted out of the smokescreen, pushing away the smoke as well as anything not tied down in the immediate vicinity like the roar of a wild beast. A sharp, high-pitched whistling sound soared through the area, almost ripping his eardrums apart if possible.

'Whoa!'

'It has begun!'

'Yeah, I can see it!'

After conversing with his Demon Persona, Nico quickly covered his face with one forearm, moving it to his forehead so he could see what was happening. Before him, the male stood in the presence of a black semi-sphere, blacker than night with bloody crimson fumes radiating from their very core like a living flame. The air itself began to get heavy, like thousands of 1000KG weights suddenly appeared over every atom whilst the sphere had many long wisps spiralling around it like a tornado. The feeling of the air losing all its liquids filled the atmosphere, nearly causing Nico to feel like he was suffocating had his Demonic Power not emerged to shield him from the feeling.

As for the semi sphere, Nico saw how it rose from the ground till it revealed its full glory as a complete black sphere, crimson mist spiralling around it whilst forming dozens upon dozens of crimson, wild, ferocious and wicked-looking crystals, hundred upon hundreds even which spiralled around it. These Crystals each combined together, forming larger Crystals which soon became the size of a humanoid torso each. Each one had an appearance which basically screamed this 'evil, I will destroy anything which dares to touch me' kind of feeling.

After a couple moments, the sphere looked like it was beginning to grow unstable and volatile, with how its surface started to bubble madly, so Nico prepared himself for any sort of explosion. However, instead of that, something inside it seemingly made a swiping motion, dispersing the sphere as well as the Mist and Crystals effortlessly, as if they never existed.

The moment he saw it, Nico's mouth dropped.

(Play High School DxD OST Watashi no tame ni, Ikinasa)

"Wow..."

That word escaped his lips as Nico beheld what he had the fortune of gazing upon. There, floating at least 8 meters above the ground from where a certain preteen once fell, was a young looking woman of 20 years of age, staring down at him directly, locking their gazes together and rendering him speechless, numb to his surroundings and unable to tear his eyes away from her. Almost like they had bewitched him or had the charm of a dangerous succubus, ensnaring him with that thorny gaze of hers. Her eyes, by the goddess those eyes, they carried a uniqueness to them which had him starstruck, being equal in parts crimson like pools of blood, as well as black like a starless night, the former beneath the latter whilst in them, two slitted demonic power button symbols could be seen, each one the reverse colour of the surrounding eye. Black when surrounded by red, and red when surrounded by black. Long, abyssal black hair flowed down her back like gentle waves in a calm ocean in the night, straight and true unlike the dual braids of a certain someone he knew. Over her head, he could make out a crimson headpiece, shaped like a pair of demonic crimson wings with black mechanical webbing.

Her height matched that of Purple Hearts, with a matching curvy figure to boot, a figure which any man would probably lose heir sanity to the desire to touch. Not to mention would make even supermodels go green with envy. This figure seemed to be covered from a tight, dark red full-body bodysuit which covered her from the neck down, clinging to her like a second skin. There were black areas as well, thus being reminiscent of the colours of a Demon. Then, he took in some... other details, like how her hands up to her elbows were covered by black clawed gauntlets with crimson sharp nails, nails sharp enough to rip through flesh and bone. Her legs were similar, the leg armour reaching her thighs and ending in sharp, blade-like stiletto heels. From the base of her Spine, erupted a single, 6 foot long black tail which had a chain-like appearance, the tip shaped like a dagger. Protruding behind her upper back, were a pair of elongated, sharpened crimson crystal wings, each sporting 3 digits and shaped like a Demon's, large enough to support flight.

If he looked at her boobs, then he'd realize they were the same as Purple Heart's.

In her right hand, there existed in her grasp, a long Tachi sword, a sword similar in shape to a Katana. The Tachi had a pure black blade with crimson symbols etched into the flat sides, crimson electricity constantly sparking along it like the blade was constantly vibrating like a HF Blade. The shaft itself had a black leather grip, with a crimson pommel and hilt. Although nothing when compared to Soul Calibur's default form in size, the sheer power radiating from the blade could NOT be underestimated. It wouldn't lose out to even Soul Edge in its true form, THAT just went to show how much power had been contained within the blade. Strapped to the left side of her waist, was a sheath which the Tachi looked to be meant to be sheathed in when it wasn't needed, though it felt like it had just as many hidden talents as the Sword itself.

This, combined with the many Crystals floating around her, caused Nico to be entranced by her.

Especially those eyes... by the Goddess those eyes...

'Holy...'

Nothing came from his aspects, since they too shared his feelings, none of them even noticed how deep within his Inner World, the manifestation of Erebus gritted her teeth in jealousy.

After one heck of a moment staring, Nico finally got his shit together and shook his head, clearing the cobwebs from his mind as he held the side of his noggin. 'Okay, I was sorta expecting something drastic, but THIS took the cake...' he thought to himself when he heard the telltale signs of the womanly form descend towards the earth. Once her heels nearly touched the ground, she floated over to him like he would in DPU Form, and for a moment, Nico couldn't help but look into her eyes once more, any attempt to raise Rebellion for defence thwarted by that gaze alone.

Once she was before him though... the woman's crimson coloured lips curved into a small, amused smile, her eyes dancing with dark, yet entrancing amusement at him. "Awww, why the long face, Nicky? Do you not recognize your wifey in this bod?" she questioned, snapping him out of his stupor.

"N-Neptune...? Holy, I had thought something like this would happen, but... wow..."

Obviously, Nico had few words to say right now, too stunned by her current form to say much else. This caused Neptune, in her current form, to chuckle to herself in a similar manner to her CPU Form. "Well, its of no surprise, it appears that my personality in this form is like that of my HDD self. Though, I do sense one distinct difference..." she spoke, her voice like roses inside Nico's ears as she reached out and cupped his cheek in her clawed hand. Her gauntlet had vanished in a flash of red by her will, so she didn't hurt him when doing this. "I feel like in terms of seduction, this form beats my other form by far. I DO seem to recall that you liked my hair down..." she remarked, causing Nico's face to go red at the memory.

'G-Goddamnit, why the hell did she have to bring THAT up now of all times?!' he shrieked mentally as his thoughts began to turn towards the... raunchy side, much to his dismay. 'This form of hers may be similar personality wise to Purple Heart's, but its got its own dangers...!'

Coughing to clear his throat (and to try and clear his head whilst he was at it), Nico tried to take some control over the situation by bringing up the obvious topic. "W-Well... I can safely say that this form is... well, reminiscent of your CPU Form in terms of using Demonic Power instead of Share Energy as a means of transforming. Your Demonic Power Core seems to have taken over here, your Share Energy taking a back seat. This likely means your Share Energy will be like your Demonic Power in HDD: there, but limited in use. Like one big switcharoo." he mused, before glancing to her sword. "That Tachi must be Soul Calibre's base form in this state, not to mention it feels quite strong. It doesn't feel like a DPUs though, it feels way more like controlled chaos instead of the wild chaos which our energies feel like..." he mused, the more he speak the more confidence which came back.

As she watched him try to regain himself, sometimes fumbling like an idiot, Neptune couldn't help the giggle that formed in her throat. Oh, how she missed this, teasing her hubby with her body and seeing his cute reactions. 'Even if he's an edge lord, he's one big softie inside still. Oh, I just can't WAIT for the day when I can finally 'corrupt' that innocence of his, it'll be SO much fun...' she thought as images raced through her mind. Images which she would have had a nosebleed from if she were human, but it seemed like the 'calmness' aspect of Nico's DPU Form seemed to have passed into her DT Form. Perhaps it could be used for battle, too? It WAS possible, since this form came largely from her hubby's Demon powers. She did wonder if any of the other Goddesses would gain this 'Devil Trigger' ability in the future. Part of her wished they wouldn't so she would have a lead, but her gut told her otherwise.

Oh well, she can at least enjoy him for what remained of the day, and boy would she...

But first...

Looking herself over, Neptune hummed in agreement. "Well, Lets pull a reference from that guy with white hair whose half demon and call this my 'Devil Trigger' Form. I feel a lot more like a Demoness like this, anyways, and according to traditions, I think I'll call myself 'Blood Heart' to refer to my mostly red colour scheme." she stated, to which Nico shrugged nonchalantly since he didn't have any complaints. Afterwards, an idea came to her when she looked to her Tachi-shaped Soul Calibur, prompting her to look back to Nico with a look he knew all too well, since he sometimes had it on the battlefield: bloodlust. "Say, Nicky... shall we not test this form out? You still have quite the spunk left after keeping me entertained before..." she suggested, her tone thick with sultriness which would have made any mortal go weak in the knees.

A fight against a powerful opponent, huh? At that moment, Nico's eyes lit up with his embarrassment being replaced by excitement and bloodlust. Quickly transforming into Crimson Soul, the young DPU held his Soul Edge in the Two-Handed Killer Stance, his eyes shining with competitive spirit.

No words needed to be said as Neptune, now Blood Heart, got into her own stance...

Thus, commenced the Sparring.

(OST END)


Chapter end! (been a while since I wrote an AN, huh?)

Alrightie guys, another one bites the dust. Now, a few things:

One, to any who feel like this may be a bit forced, remember I've been hinting at this kind of thing since the beginning of the Demonic Invasion Arc. This is something that I've been planning to implement even before that too, so I know what I'm doing here. I gave it the name Devil Trigger since I wanted to make a distinct difference between this form and that of the DPUs. The thing is, because Soul Calibur has been absorbing Souls and getting stronger, its demonic aspect has gotten to a point where its equal to that of its divine side, which resulted in this transformation happening. It became this way through combat, since Demons thrive on the 'strength is survival' mentality, but Neptune needed someone who could last against her to complete the process. That's where Nico came in, and if you haven't seen the foreshadowing for the other CPUs at the end there, then I'll simply tell you to reread that end scene. Its not like this form won't become stronger though, and no, that Katana will NOT be Soul Calibur's final form. I still have a LOT planned for this form, don't you worry hehehehe…

As for its design, the bodysuit resembles that of Zero Twos from Darling in the franxx, but with black instead of white bits and no cap. The sword itself is shaped from the Blade of the Archfiend from Ninja Gaiden, whilst everything else is from my own design. If any of you want to try drawing fan art of her, Nico or any characters, then go ahead. Surprise me.

Oh yeah, in the side story I released you see how Noire develops her Devil Trigger as well.

Two, the arcs. Sorry if it feels like I'm stalling, its like I get distracted way too easily or something. Now, there will be a few chapters focusing on light hearted character interactions with a bit of combat sprinkled in (cause I'm honestly itching to write action), but then the next major point will be the Spec Ops Exam, which I have a few things planned for. Then, finally after some more downtime the Lowee Arc will begin. Oh, and through these next few chapter I will drop hints about the next Landmass Arc and what will be shown in it to tide you all over, like I've done in previous chapters as well if you look hard enough.

Aside from that, have a nice day y'all!

Peace Out!