Planeptune, the land of Purple Progress.
Following its title, its capital city is the most advanced out of all the four nations. Tall, high-rise buildings makes up the city's skyline, with the nation's Basilicom tallest among them. In the streets close to the Basilicom where vehicles and people go about their daily routine, Neptune and IF, who are on their way to Lowee by request of its CPU, White Heart, were walking out of the city. Neptune seemed to be worried about something.
"Urghh…" Neptune groaned.
"Come on, Neptune, have a little bit more faith with your sister. You know she's not gonna leave you for Vert. Well… not anymore, I think." IF said, attempting to cheer Neptune up. IF has heard of what transpired with Neptune and Nepgear during their time in Ultradimension, which is a dimension that closely resembles Hyperdimension, but with some differences. For one, the CPU of Planeptune is not Neptune but another person called Plutia. Plutia… the various stories about her brought shivers down IF's spine. Poor Gear, and my counterpart in that dimension, she thought.
"No, Iffy. It's not that— well, I mean, I'm still kinda worried about Nep Jr. but this is not about that. I've been just thinking..." Neptune said.
"What, are you reflecting on your attitude?"
"No! Why would I need to do that?" Neptune said. "Anyway, I've been thinking about that guy— y'know, the ronin guy."
"Oh, you mean that Kenshi guy, right?" IF said. "Like I said, we still haven't have a dang clue where he could've gone."
"Yeah…" Neptune's voice trailed off. "But we know that he couldn't really stay in Planeptune for long. So, where could he possibly go to?"
IF looked at her best friend in amazement. "Wow, you're actually acting serious for once."
Neptune pouted. "Hey! You're acting like I'm lazy all year round. I still can get serious even if I'm not in HDD form! Besides, he still needs to pay for stealing my pudding!"
"Really, Neps? The guy kidnapped you and yet you care more about your pudding." IF sighed. "Anyway, answering your question, I think he will most likely be in Lastation right now." She answered.
"Really? Why is that?" Neptune asked.
Well… Leanbox is out of the question. All of our ports will be looking out for him, and thanks to the four nations' anti-smuggling efforts, he wouldn't be able to go there through illegal means unless he intends to swim all the way over there. As for Lowee, he would have a very hard time trudging through all the snow, not without hiding from the authorities. So all that's left is Lastation." IF explained.
"Well, you're right. But, he seemed to be a pretty sneaky guy, seeing how he broke into the Basilicom. So, don't you think that he would try, you know, go to where we least expect it?" Neptune said.
"I know that." IF sighed. "That's why we have such a hard time finding him."
They continued their walk along the street. Just then, someone notices the pair as they walked by.
"Hey!" The newcomer shouted at the pair.
This girl's name is B-Sha, one of the members of Gold Third, a group involved in the Kurome incident that happened recently.
"Neptune! I'm glad you're okay." B-Sha said. "I was getting very worried when you weren't waking up."
"Oh, a wild B-Sha appeared!" Neptune exclaimed. "Well, joking aside, sorry for getting you all worried, by the way. I was just that out of it after that whole debacle."
"Yeah…" IF breathed out. This didn't escape Neptune's notice.
"Hmm, is there something you want to tell the class, Iffy?" Neptune asked. Out of her view, B-Sha's body stiffed.
"Well… during your three-day coma, B-Sha here visited you." IF explained. "And… she was carrying a vial of sorts..."
"Hey… IF? Nep-Nep doesn't really need to know this, you know." B-Sha was now nervous, but IF ignored her plea.
"She tried to give that drink to you." She continued. "She said that it's a special wake up drink and that it would "surely wake her up!" And then she tried to charge me 3000 credits. Anyway, like I'm going to let you drink some shady liquid, so I stopped her."
"Nepu?!" Neptune was a bit shocked at B-Sha's antics during the time she was unconscious.
"Hey! It's not like it's gonna make her glow or something. Or at least I think it won't." Was B-Sha's defense from IF's account.
"Look, B-Sha, I appreciate the gesture, but it looked like I was this close to getting a premature bad end. This fic barely even started yet!" Neptune said to B-Sha.
"Fine, I get it…" B-Sha surrendered. "Anyway, where are you guys going?"
"Oh, we're going to Lowee. Blanc needs our help for something." Neptune answered. "Hey, wanna join us? Like they say, the more the merrier!"
"Oh… thanks for the offer, Nep-Nep, but it's getting pretty lively at Chuu-ko's. You know about those retro PC kits? Those things are getting a bit of traction these days."
"DIY kits? Bleh, those things take too much work before you can even play games with it. It might be Nep Jr.'s thing, but not me. While I like playing retro games on the original hardware, I'd much rather plug-and-play." Neptune said, not really liking the idea of putting effort before playing games.
Typical Neptune.
"Anyway," IF interjected, "we'll be going now, see you soon."
"Oh yeah, see you soon, you two!" B-Sha said to the pair. The two also gave their temporary farewells.
The two walked for a bit. They eventually ended up in a parking lot, where IF's bike was found.
"Oooh, we're riding on your bike, huh? Me riding the bike in the back, hugging Iffy as we go along the road. How romantic." Neptune joked.
IF lightly bopped Neptune's head. She has a light blush on her face. "Stop screwing around, we can get to Lowee faster by vehicle." She grabbed a helmet and gave it to Neptune. "Come on, wear this. We don't want to be stopped by cops along the way, after all." She said as she sat on the bike's front seat and put on her own helmet.
Neptune wore the helmet and then hopped in the backseat of the bike.
"Onwards!" She urged IF.
"Hold on!" IF revved up the bike's engines and sped off out of the city and onto Lowee.
The pair were riding their bike on an highway. But this isn't just your ordinary highway. Not too long ago, the four nations devised a project to improve the infrastructure of Gamindustri as a whole. This created routes made out of Share energy that connects the nations to each other. What would have been a few hours of travel time is now brought down to minutes thanks to these routes. Though, due to the partly immaterial nature of the their structure, there are still concerns of the routes disintegrating due a sudden lack of Shares. So, the routes are heavily restricted.
"Hey, Iffy?" Neptune called out to IF.
"Yeah?"
As they ride the bike through the light path, the lush green landscape of Planeptune has been slowly replaced by the white sheen of snow that is indicative of Lowee's landscape.
"I just realized, it's been a while since we've been on an adventure together– just us, I mean." Neptune said.
"Oh yeah, what about it?" IF said.
"I mean, it sucks that Compa isn't with us, though. But I do kind of miss this, you know? Me, you, and Compa on an adventure together." Neptune said.
"Me too, Nep, me too." IF said with a faint smile on her face. "When this is all over, let's hang out with only the three of us." She further added, before noticing something in the distance. "Oh hey, I see it now."
"What?" Neptune looked in front of IF. "Oh, it's Lowee!" Sure enough, in the distance, the distinct silhouette of the city of Lowee is seen. "Let's see what Blanny is doing!"
"Yeah!" IF said, before further accelerating until they reached the outskirts of the city.
Lowee, the land of White Serenity.
Following its title, Lowee is a nation that is mostly covered in snow. This permafrost does create an atmosphere of calm throughout the entire nation. In its snowy tundras and icy mountains, the only sounds you could hear are the incoming wind and the occasional cries of creatures from afar.
But that does not mean that it's entirely peaceful…
Far from the nation's capital city or any major roads, a small group of bandits are attacking a small, remote village.
"Someone! HELP US!" A female villager screamed.
"No one's gonna save yer sorry asses. Now, hand over all your belongings, or else!" A bandit, presumably the leader, threatened the villagers, brandishing his blade in front of them. "Or else… we will force you!"
"Please, we're just a small farming community, we don't have much to give." A male villager begged.
"Shut up!" A bandit grunt threw the man into the ground. "We wouldn't have to resort to doing this if it weren't for those damn CPUs! We ASIC used to be at the top, but then all of our top honchos got killed by them and we're all that's left now!"
It turns out, these bandits used to be former members of ASIC, a criminal organization that worships the Deity of Sin. Years ago, this group captured all four CPUs and almost managed to control all of Gamindustri, but thankfully the CPU candidates worked together and saved their sisters, who in turn defeated the four Felons, the leaders of ASIC. The four goddesses also managed to destroy the Deity of Sin once and for all, thereby ending the threat of ASIC for good. Needless to say, the organization has been reduced to less than a shadow of its former self.
"But, fortunately for us, and unfortunately for you," another bandit said while grinning, "you're just a small, isolated village in the middle of nowhere. Your goddess won't come to save ya'!"
While the bandits were slowly rounding up the villagers, a third bandit grunt came over and walked up to her leader. " 'ey boss, look what I've got from the greenhouse!" The bandit said. She was carrying a bag full of freshly harvested crops.
"Oohhh… this is some great stuff!" The bandit leader inspected the goods. "Hey! You two!" He pointed at two bandits. "Help her get the rest!"
The village elder pleaded with the bandit leader. "Please, don't take all of our harvest away! We wouldn't have enough food to last us until another harvest!"
"Shut up!" The bandit leader shrugged off the village elder who grabbed his arm. "Or else we'll take some of you too!" He said as he looked through the rounded up of villagers.
"Mommy!" A small child cried, hugging her mother tightly.
"It's okay, dear. We're going to be fine." Her mother comforted her, though the mother and the other adults all know that they won't be able to survive once the bandits take all of their food.
There would be no one to save them, they all thought. All of the villagers lost all hope by this point.
That is, until someone arrived.
"Cease your villainy, criminal scum!" Shouted the person, who appears to be a male.
He arrived on horseback. He wears some kind of long cloth over his body, this is actually a surcoat and inside of it is an array of metal plates that is built for protection without sacrificing mobility, this is a coat of plates. His limbs are covered in mail with some plates here and there, particularly in his shin and the knuckles. He also has a helmet but he is not wearing it, presumably so the bandits can see his face. On his hands are a longsword and a knight's shield that shows an emblem on it. All in all, he is a model of a medieval knight.
"Huh? Who is this clown?" A bandit said.
"I am the one who will bring down justice upon you, bandits!" The medieval-looking man said.
"Heh, is that so?" The bandit leader snickered. "Well then 'bringer of justice', you're gonna fight us, huh? Well then…" He whistled, prompting for more bandits to come to his location. "You're gonna deal with all of us!"
The dozen or so bandits have surrounded the medieval-looking man, blocking his chances of escape.
"Heh, looks like you're outnumbered." A bandit said. "How're you gonna deal with us now?"
In response to this, the medieval-looking man just raised his sword to the air and shouted at the top of his lungs, "EVERYONE, HEAR ME!"
The bandits were confused, who could he possibly be talking to?
He then put his sword forward and shouted again, "CHARGE!"
Now everyone is confused. "What's with this freak?" The bandit leader asked no one in particular. "Whatever… you guys! Go get hi—" he said, stopping when he felt something.
The other bandits felt it too, causing them to take their focus away from the medieval-looking man.
The ground was shaking. The bandits wondered where it was coming from. One bandit in particular noticed something in the distance. "Hey, look over there!" He said.
Atop of a small hill, there were people who all appeared to be hunters, equipped with gear that seem to be made from monster materials.. All of them have their weapons drawn and they are running to the bandits' location, really quickly I might add.
"W-wha?!" The bandit leader stuttered in surprise. "Who are they?!"
"They look pretty strong, and they're charging at us!" A bandit panicked.
The bandit leader looked at the medieval-looking man, who has now dismounted his horse and wearing his helmet. "Y-you!" The bandit leader blurted.
"That is my party charging at us." The medieval-looking man said to the bandit leader, pointing at the charging group. "If you surrender right now, I promise that your lives will be spared. You are still going to be imprisoned for your transgressions, though." He said.
Hearing none of it, the bandit leader suddenly charged at the medieval-looking man, striking at him. The medieval-looking man, however, easily blocked it.
"I admire the bravery of you bandits, attacking even when you know you are outmatched." The medieval-looking man said. He struck at the bandit leader with the pommel of his sword, quickly knocking him unconscious. "Though, is it really bravery, or are you just dim-witted? There is a fine line."
Three bandits have also charged at the medieval-looking man, avenging their fallen leader. The medieval-looking man, however, proved to be way more of a match to them. He easily blocked the opening strike from one of them. The medieval-looking man immediately counterattacked, still hitting with his pommel, rendering his first opponent unconscious. A second bandit reeled back his weapon to prepare for an attack. But before he could bring his weapon onto his opponent, the medieval-looking man kicked the bandit right into his 'weak point', instantly bringing him down. The third bandit, surprised at her comrades being easily defeated, has gone to a more defensive stance. The medieval-looking man, looking at the third bandit, sheathed his blade and instead pulled out a mace. He struck at the third bandit, but she defended against his strike. She opted for a counterattack. However before she could connect her sword with her opponent, the medieval-looking man, even with his much heavier weapon, is much quicker, landing a hit right into her head. This causes the bandit to fall over, miraculously still alive— just unconscious— even with that hit, people in this world are just built differently, I guess.
The rest of the bandits tried to help their unconscious comrades, but the charging hunters have now reached their position and begun their melee.
The hunters have an assortment of different weapons, from swords to bows to giant hammers. Curiously, like their leader, they also used their weapons in a nonlethal way. The sword wielders smack the bandits with the blunt side of their blades. The bow wielders use arrows tipped with sleeping reagents. And the hammer users just use good old blunt force trauma; again, everyone is built differently on this world, they can just survive things that would actually kill them. The results, however, speak for itself.
"Wait!" A bandit shouted out. But his attacker either did not hear his pleas or just plainly ignored it and proceeded to bash his skull in with a hammer. It's fine, though, since somehow, he is still alive with no permanent injury on his head whatsoever, he only needs some rest and he will be fully healed.
With their leader gone and most of their numbers thinned, the remaining bandits started to run away, but before they could get out, the medieval-looking man, now riding his horse again, blocked their paths.
"Surrender! And we will make it easier for you." He demanded to the bandits.
The remaining bandits obliged.
After the battle, the hunters picked up the unconscious bodies of the bandits from the cold snowy ground and put them in somewhere a bit comfortable.
One of the hunters approached the medieval-looking man who is the leader of the party. "We've got every single one of them, sir. As far we can see, there are no casualties on either side." The hunter said to his leader.
"That is good, be sure to restrain them, we do not want them to escape." The medieval-looking man said to his subordinate.
After he coordinated the rest of his party to tend the wounds of both the villagers and their fellow party members, the village elder approached him.
"Oh, thank you for saving our village, sir." The village elder said in gratitude. He presented various produce that was taken back from the bandits to the village's savior. "It isn't much, but please, take this as your due."
But the medieval-looking man refused this. "No, you need it more than we do, peasant. Bringing evil-doers to justice is more than a reward."
"Huh, peasant?" The village elder raised an eyebrow, confused, but he ignored the remark for now. "Nevermind that, may I please know your name, sir?"
The medieval-looking man smiled. "My name is Sir M&B, a knight in service under Her Highness, Lady White Heart." He declared to the village elder.
Hiding in the bushes quite a distance from the village, a person was observing the battle that had just transpired. She lowered her binoculars.
"Hm, I was a little bit suspicious of that guy when he suddenly entered the Basilicom, but I guess I was worried for nothing." She mulled to herself, she looked at the group of hunters. "Although, are those really the villagers? They now look more like hunters, newbie ones, from what I can tell, but they're still proper hunters."
She got out of her leafy cover.
"Okay, I'm gonna try to talk to him. See if I can get more info." With that, she began to approach the village, where the mysterious visitor was communicating with his party. "Oh, I should probably call Blanny, too."
I can't describe people for the life of me.
Anyway, say welcome to our second OC of this fic, M&B! He is based off of the game series Mount and Blade. Like Kenshi, It is an RPG with a rather unique gameplay. You start as an adventurer in a foreign land finding a name for yourself, only this time, it is in a grounded historical setting. The setting varies from game to game, but the main games, or so I call them (Mount and Blade, Warband, and Bannerlord), are set in the fictional continent of Calradia, a land made up of kingdoms which are based off of Medieval European cultures that are really hostile to each other. It is up to you to who would you pledge allegiance with (or don't and just make your own kingdom!). Rise up your status through trade, diplomacy, or just go into war.
It is a very fun game, though can be very involved. Depending on you starting character, you could have a very hard time rising through the ranks. But it is a sandbox game, so you could play in anyway you want!
