Anya POV:
We wasted no time whatsoever in rushing through the first part of Nene's giant fortress, me seeing that the place was actually as straightforward as you could get for a fortress's design. It was not maze-like at all and we proceeded through with almost zero effort. My allies had all gotten stronger, that much was a fact.
"How did you get here so quickly?" I asked them with honesty.
"We helped Pachess Town escape from a Green Barrier that Nene had activated to trap all the citizens inside... including someone that you care for deeply," Shu said, me looking at him with expectant eyes.
"W-Who was it?" I asked when we went through a door and we emerged into a magic-filled area. It was one of Nene's simulations.
"It was your dad," Jiro said, me gasping and bursting in joy as we rode a floating platform to the battle arena of the simulation.
"EEE! You met my daddy! Is he doing alright?" I asked in glee.
"Well, he was extremely pissed at Nene when we told him what he did to you and Noluta, as he had left Noluta a year after you disappeared. Apparently Noluta didn't get frozen the moment you were captured. And when he got super ticked, he gained something. Something cool," Kluke smiled.
"You mean... he has a shadow too?!" I smiled widely.
"Yep. He's got a centaur shadow," Marumaro smiled.
"Awesome!" I exclaimed... but once I said that, I gasped as we felt a rumbling from below us and we gawked as a creature emerged from the sands that the others knew and hated.
"Land Shark!" Kluke exclaimed.
"So this is what it looks like," Zola said with a gaze of uncertainty.
"I just knew that Nene had more than one at his disposal! Time to attack!" I exclaimed as I let out Mystic Mermaid and used her sheer strength to attack the giant robot fish with a punch powerful enough to crush a defending robot's shield! And when I did so, the Land Shark then changed its tactics and turned into its battle-form, the others shocked at this while I simply stood strong.
"Okay, time to use our power!" Jiro exclaimed as he used a Flarus Spell, making the giant robot start to heat up heavily while we all continued to pelt it with fire-based attacks. I quickly learned what they were trying to do as, after I attacked with a Flarus Sword attack, the Land Shark overheated and fell to the ground, exploding after one more fire attack by Kluke.
"Alright!" Marumaro exclaimed happily as a strange light show then occurred before a green light started to mist upwards.
"This will take us closer to Nene," I said as we all boarded it and went up, me seeing on my watch that it had been 10 minutes since the bomb had started to count down. "We only have 50 minutes left, let's hustle!" I said as we rushed forward some more, slamming our way through the next bunch of enemies and not bothering to stop and say goodbye before we entered another door and into the second simulation, us seeing that it was incredibly stormy and I saw someone on the battle arena that looked quite advanced in tech since I'd last seen him.
"Szabo... you got quite the enhancement, I see. Did Nene outfit you with those tacky turrets?" I asked him.
"My body simply needed repairs since the last you defeated me. Master Nene saw it fit that I should have a second chance to stop you," Szabo said.
"That sucks," Shu frowned.
"It is how he does things. To those he views as useful, he gives them all a chance. To anything he views as useless or beneath him, he wants destroyed or killed," I frowned as Szabo then snapped his metallic fingers and he was then joined by all of his fellow robots... and I immediately smiled at the complete absence of Raging Kesu.
"What the?! I told you that when I snap my fingers, all 4 of you come to help! Where the hell is Raging Kesu?" Szabo asked angrily. I then gasped as he got his answer from a single blade plunging itself into the supports for his turret base, Szabo gasping as it fell and exploded, the other three robots looking shocked as well.
"Kesu! What's gotten into you?!" Mai exclaimed angrily.
"I now know the truth about Master Nene's plan. He doesn't want to rule the world. He wishes to destroy all of it! Kill every single person and creature that calls this place their home! I may be named Raging Kesu, but I have more morality than that madman at this point!" Kesu exclaimed as I quickly used a spell on her to prevent her from taking any damage. And just in time, too. Nene immediately tried to send a blast of magic at her and she gasped at how it didn't faze her one bit!
"What?! Die traitor!" I heard Nene hiss through the intercoms as he tried to fire more blasts at her and Kesu simply did the work for us. She attacked all of the other robots and Szabo until only we and she remained.
"Bah! If that's how you want to do this, Kesu, so be it! I can always make another clone of you in the future! Join the scrubs if you want, what should I care?" Nene growled as the warping mechanism appeared soon after.
"Kesu..." I looked at her with a smile.
"Hmph. Your group better not try my patience, Anya. If they do, I will not hesitate to hurt them," Kesu frowned angrily.
"Okay, you heard the knife robot. No testing her patience. Well, lucky for you, we're trying to reach Nene before this bomb explodes! Let's go now!" I exclaimed at her as we went through the warp device and got to the third floor, Kesu then saying something that made me very mad.
"That necklace isn't a bomb, you dunce! It's designed that, when the timer goes up, it will sap you of all of your magical ability. The only way to stop it would be to use a Corporeal attack," Kesu said, me stopping in place and curling my fist up before laughing like a mad woman.
"Is that all? Hah! So Nene was just forcing us to feel pangs of emotions once again... YOU HEAR ME, MASTER NENE?! I AM GOING TO TAKE MY METAL FISTS, WRAP THEM AROUND YOUR NECK, AND FUCKING CHOKE YOU UNTIL YOU GO TO HELL!" I exclaimed at the top of my lungs as we then encountered some more robots in the next room and I then used my Corporeal attack right then and there. Mystic Mermaid emerged from my body and, when she did so, the collar on my neck snapped off and, once it landed on the ground, made a miniature blast that barely fazed me, rendering the collar useless. But what did Mystic and I do then? Basically attacked the robots with no mercy and annihilated all of them with a single punch that carried the force of a 50 foot tidal wave!
"Hah... hah... that... was... awesome..." I said with a smile on my face.
"Are you okay, Anya?..." Jiro asked me with worry.
"Never been better. Now let's get to Nene so I can make him pay," I said calmly this time, our group then walking forward as if nothing happened... but I could tell they were all a bit frightened at my sudden outburst of crazy I had. "By the way... sorry if I scared you there... I tend to have a crazy side if someone really grinds my gears... figure of speech," I said, the group then smiling at the dumb joke.
Shu POV:
After our group made it past another 'simulation' as Anya called them where we demolished all but one of the Moon Lasers with the green device we got from Pachess Town (and Anya being very jealous when Jiro was the one to use it with ease) we then smashed our way through the next area filled with robots and into the fourth simulation. And what did we face here? Something that I'd been wanting to smash to bits ever since it tried to kidnap Kluke.
"The big boy has come to play at last, has he?" Kesu said with a snigger as we were sent towards the numerous green robots as they formed into the giant War Mech once again.
"Huh?... Is it just me, or are they following the orders of one mech in particular?" Kluke asked in confusion when she saw something I didn't.
"You're correct in your assumption. Nene had it so the lone survivor of the War Mechs would be the leader of the group. If we can eliminate him, the whole thing will be demolished," Kesu said, Anya smiling at her.
"You really are on our side... okay, then, let's smack the leader out of him, then!" Anya smirked as she smacked the giant War Mech right in the face with a powerful Windus Sword. And once she did so, the head popped off completely and at least 8 different War Mecha Robos appeared from the inside of the machine.
"One of these has got to be the leader! Attack them all before they have a chance to reform!" I said as I attacked the front line with Mow Down and did big damage to the ones in the front.
"Now it's my turn!" Kluke smiled as she used Grounda to attack all of the robots at once, them countering by pelting her with numerous lasers, which Anya's Mystic Mermaid blocked all of them and barely looked hurt. In fact, the Mermaid seemed to look pleased.
"Now that you've softened them up, I'll take the fray with my spell," Anya smiled as she then did a spell that I gasped at. It was some strange ball of energy that she sent towards the War Mechs. "Hunker down," Anya commanded, all of us doing so as she then snapped her finger and we gasped as the hole suddenly sucked all of the Mecha Robos directly to it, our group needing to increase our weight with our magic to prevent being sucked in ourselves! And as for Kesu, Anya smiled when she was sent into the area with the black hole (I assumed that was what it was) before snapping her fingers once more, all of the robots exploding from the blast... except for Kesu!
"What the fuck was that?! You could've killed me!" Kesu exclaimed at Anya.
"Don't you remember that spell I cast on you in the 2nd Simulation? You've still got 40 seconds left of complete invulnerability. When I used that attack, you had 1 minute left," Anya smiled, Kesu looking at Anya with a frown before she then laughed herself.
"So that's how I was able to survive Master Nene's magic attack... what do you call that spell? It's surely one that he's never used before," Kesu smirked.
"I call it 'Indestructible'. Fitting name, no? And that move I just used? I call that one Black Hole Blast," Anya smirked happily as we then boarded the next warping station and went to the next area. And when we did, we had to plow through a few more robot troops before emerging in the final area, no simulations at all.
"Should be straightforward enough," Marumaro smiled as we moved forward a bit before a fleet of robots emerged that we all recognized.
"What the?! Yasato? What are you doing here?" Anya asked.
"I apologize, friend Anya... Master has ordered me to fight you... and has installed something on me so I cannot deny him... you must destroy me," Yasato said with sadness, our group gasping at that.
"No, we won't. We're going to save you!" Anya exclaimed.
"How? How can you save a robot if he's attacking you?" Zola asked.
"It's going to be quite simple. Just hold up," Anya smiled as she cast a spell and I gasped when I then saw something happen that was awesome. I saw some kind of apparition dash into all of the different servant robots summoned including Yasato, finding and removing something from their bodies in different areas faster than I could even blink! Once it finished with the final one, I gasped as I saw that all the robots looked confused at first before I saw something in Anya's hands. Numerous CPU chips, about 9 of them!
"Oh my god... did you just move faster than the speed of light?!" Kluke gasped.
"No, I stopped time for everyone but myself for 40 seconds. I call it Time Twister," Anya smirked, obviously boasting as Yasato looked at us with a smile.
"Friends... I thank you for saving me! You must go! I'll escape on my own," Yasato said, Anya looking at him with a frown.
"Naw, I'll have you all escape right now, and get us some experience to boot," Anya smirked as she focused her powers and we all gasped as the robots all warped away and, in their places, we saw an equal number of Kelolon as there were servant robots!
"Another unique power? Damn, Anya. You're good," Jiro smiled.
"I know I am. I call that saving grace my Warp Switch technique. Simply focus one someone and then focus on another creature or person to switch locations with. Now they'll be back home in Baroy Town," Anya smiled as we proceeded to the elevator and we were about a quarter of the way up before we saw someone else appear from below.
"WAIT!" exclaimed a very injured Szabo. "Szabo? No!" Anya exclaimed as he tried to aim his gun at us and Zola then did something different. She jumped from the elevator and started to charge Szabo.
"You guys go after Nene! I'll cover you from here!" Zola exclaimed.
"You got it, Lady Zola!" Marumaro exclaimed as we went up the elevator the rest of the way until we came across Nene, who was sitting on his gigantic throne with the most smug smile ever.
"Master Nene, it looks as though the tables have finally turned, hasn't it?" Anya smiled as our group walked forward towards Nene.
"Hmph. I should've known that I'd have more than one traitor, but you, Raging Kesu? You were one of my trusted Robot Generals!... No matter, a replica is not the same, but it will serve better than you," Nene smiled widely.
"I may be called Raging Kesu, your excellency, but I have a mind of my own, and I know that killing people for the sake of joy is not a good thing to do! I am ashamed to have even been the creation of a monster like you! You're smell worse than a Poo Snake, you are more vile than a Hydrattler, more sickening than a Snakeface, and more slippery than a Kelolon with a case of the runs! The day that has you dead is a day that everyone will rejoice!" Kesu exclaimed angrily, me looking at her in surprise at how she, one of Nene's top mercenaries, was telling him off.
"How pitiful..." Nene snickered as he then did something we all gasped at. He produced four more collars out of thin air and sent them at myself, Marumaro, Kluke, and Jiro! We all then gasped as they stuck to our necks and Anya gasped.
"NO!" she exclaimed. I then felt like my entire neck was on fire as I saw that everyone's collar and mine had turned red and we had been risen into the air! I tried my hardest to gasp for breath before I then yelled with my allies and I gasped out a final gasp... I thought that was the end of it... but when I felt power flow within me again, it was when I saw that Nene was swallowing the last of his Soul pieces.
"Shu, come on... we have to get out of here!" Anya said with concern.
"Not until I handle this bastard!" I exclaimed in anger.
"S-Shu..." I heard Kluke gasp as she got up next, then Jiro, and then Marumaro... me looking at Nene and gasping as he then underwent a transformation and we were stunned to see his old, decrepit body suddenly become much younger and for his shadow to turn into a giant purple chimera!
"Ah... finally! I have gained back my youth and my power in this time! Now I will begin a new era of magic and rule this world! All will bow before me!" Nene exclaimed angrily as Anya looked at him with a growl.
"Is that what you promised Himiko?" she growled, Nene stopping his laughter the moment he heard that name again.
"What?" Nene growled.
"What was the promise that you gave Himiko before you 'went to your frozen sleep?' Was it to rule the world?! Is that what you promised her?" Anya growled.
"Do not speak of my darling Himi-" Nene was about to say before Anya yelled something at him.
"WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO MY FUCKING WORDS?!" Anya yelled angrily as she let out her shadow in retaliation, Nene gasping and grinning at that.
"Fine. Speak your mind. Either way, you won't have long to live afterwards," Nene smiled.
"When I ask a question, you answer it truthfully. You are no longer ruled by your sickness, so now you can think like a sane man. So answer my goddamn questions for once. Just this one instance!" Anya growled.
"Fine," Nene frowned, me sensing that his power was still greater than ours, but against all of us, we'd pretty much be on even ground.
"First off, why do you think hurting those without magic is going to help you with your condition when you could be using that time to ask people for any kind of help?
Question number two, why would you try and rule over those that have no magic when you were once a kind king who wanted everyone to have the ability to be accepted, no matter if they had magic or not?
And the final question, and you had better damn well answer it, what was the promise you made Himiko? Because if it was to rule the world, I don't think she would've been so in love with you to have made this necklace for you afterwards," Anya growled as she presented another necklace that I gasped at and so did Nene. It was a necklace that had darker colors of purple and black on it and it also had a picture frame in it. And when she opened it up, it was the same picture with different words inside of it.
"The first answer is that I hurt those without magic so that they can gain the willpower to be strong enough to nourish my soul when I find a potential suitor!
The second answer is that all of the people I ruled were ANCIENTS! There were no such things as you stupid, idiotic humans in my timeline!" Nene growled.
"No such thing!" Deathroy exclaimed after.
"And for the final answer... my promise to Himiko wasn't that I would rule the world. At the time I said that, the world no longer existed, you bitch! I promised her that I would always love and cherish her, even if I have to never see her again!" Nene snarled, me gasping when he called Anya a bitch.
"Fine. You answered my questions, thank god, now we're going to retreat," Anya frowned, me about to retaliate before the scenery around me suddenly changed. And where did we appear at? A town that looked so full of death and lifeless trees that it looked like it was the worst place to live... yet there were villagers here.
"Why the hell didn't you let me finish him off?!" I growled at Anya.
"Shu, those collars are still on your necks. Your souls may be free from Nene's influence, but those collars will stay on your bodies for a full 24 more hours. All we can do for now is wait out that time in this vil... oh shit..." Anya gawked when she saw the surroundings. "We're... we're in..." she was about to say before I heard a voice from behind us.
"Devour Village..." said a girl's voice from behind us.
"It's nice to see you again... cousin Annie," the girl said with a very sad face on her.