God, Goddess (m, f): An entity whose power is so great that no human being can reach or surpass it.

Also: Deity, CPU

-Gamindustrian General Dictionary

Most of May passed uneventfully; students began to prepare for the next school year as the month neared its end, but a certain three were not among them.

It remained a decidedly weird feeling to IF, although she slowly got used to the excess of free time. The driving lessons she registered for cut into that a bit, but she would hardly know what to do with it anyway. Compa was busy cramming for nursing school, not because she had to but to make sure she would do well; Nepgear had her own tutor to please, too.

With her friends occupied, there was little else for IF to do most of the time. Although all of them were free right now; fresh air gently caressed their faces, a tad bit colder than they might have liked. Their steps were dulled by the soft earth they were walking on.

A lone Dogoo passed them, quickly to be speared by two faintly blue orbs; only one flew steady, the other wobbling a little in its path. Compa sighed at that, making the magical projectiles spin around herself. "I really need more practice." Nepgear held an understanding smile while IF only barely managed not to grumble.

The orbs popped and all three of them carried on without much thought to it. IF took a look at her phone to check her bank account, then nodded and flicked a Credit to her friend. "Your kill, your money."

Compa caught it, though only barely due to surprise. "Oh... thank you, I didn't even think about that."

After she pocketed the coin, the aspiring nurse took a deep breath and smiled up at the cloudless sky. "I know it's probably boring for you two by now, but it's nice to just take a stroll out here. That's much different from doing things in the city, but I like it." The other two exchanged glances, though they nodded.

"It's different from when we're on the job," Nepgear noted with a glance at their surroundings. "We usually have to watch everything and keep an eye out for potential danger then, there is no real time to just... take in the environment, I guess?" IF nodded in agreement; her colleague put this into much better words than she would have found.

Flowers were blooming around these three; a bee buzzed around nearby, ignoring the girls like they ignored her in turn at first. Then she decided to fly right by them, making Compa duck out of reflex as the insect soared over her head. IF chuckled a little, but left it at that while her friend pouted; Nepgear stayed out of the teasing this time, checking something on her tablet.

Once the other two were done bantering, she waved them over and turned the device around; IF read the headline before nodding. "Ah, right. I've seen that this morning. Surprising to see two new Makers for Leanbox in three months, and Lastation is still waiting for theirs." The article informed about Maker Cave taking up the mantle for her nation.

Agile and calm, the redheaded woman had been the prime candidate for the job among the leanboxian S-ranks; at least in the public eye, that was. Green Heart might have thought differently, although she apparently agreed in this case.

"Ohh, another one? That's five this year, isn't it? And we are still one short, too, so it's basically half of all Makers." Compa quickly skim-read the article with mumbled comments, most of which the brunette understood just fine; she had similar thoughts.

"Don't forget MAGES. and CC2 last year, and Broccoli the year before. That makes eight out of eleven in the last three years."

Naturally, three years were a proper time of service for a Maker, but so many leaving at the same time remained unusual. With Broccoli had begun the dawn of a new generation. A generation that was, now that she realised it, peculiar. "Hey, uh, aren't all the new Makers women?"

Compa and Nepgear both paused and went through a mental list of all Makers recently introduced, coming up with the same result. The girls looked among each other, but ultimately shrugged it off as the coincidence it was. Amusing, granted, but still a coincidence.

Before either of them could change the topic however, the agents' trackers began to howl and their cellphones followed but a moment later. Compa froze in place while IF and Nepgear quickly checked the app for what was going on. The brunette paled at what she read, while the purplette's eyes widened to an almost comically degree.

"How bad is it?" Compa only had the general alarm, not the specifics.

Nepgear told her while IF was already checking the map: "An Ancient Dragon, and it's in the forest. How far, IF?"

"Two minutes if we run," she barked back, making her colleague flinch. Their civilian friend started shaking in fright, but the brunette just patted her shoulder once she noticed. Her expression became more gentle as she reined herself in. "It's away from the city. You should just head back, we will see you later."

Compa considered refusing, insisting they come with her. She knew, at heart, that an Ancient Dragon was beyond her friends, no matter how prodigious they were.

Among all the monsters roaming Gamindustri, this one stood out as the most terrifying. While not the strongest of them all, it was the strongest to spawn regularly around the world. Powerful enough to test the limits of human capability, requiring entire battlegroups of high-ranked agents or a tank division to reliably fight. The only humans who could hope to meet these creatures in single combat and live were Makers, as well as those in the process of becoming one.

With its natural toughness, powerful body, and hellish flames, a single Ancient Dragon could easily lay waste to large areas.

And now one had wandered into Virtua Forest, where civilians dwelled. Compa knew in an instant that no insistence in the world would stop her friends; she could read it in their faces.

Only a moment had passed since IF had spoken. With the prickling of tears fighting their way up, she nodded and turned to run.

IF and Nepgear shared a look. Both of them wanted to say the same thing; that the other did not have to, but they themselves would go even if it meant death. They smiled at each other, exchanged nods, and started to run. Both of them knew what the other thought without having to ask.

Their pace was measured, not fast enough to tire them out; they could assist immediately instead of having to catch their breath. As they ran, their trackers received a transmission from HQ: "To all agents moving to intercept the dragon, there are civilians in the area. Tanks and air support are en route, but will run late." Neither of them commented, though it heightened the tension.

With her heart beating heavily, IF could hear the first roar as they neared; her mind effortlessly ground all fear she might have had to dust, burying it under resolve. These people caught in the battle, powerless, helpless, she wanted to protect them. Wanted to prevent them from ending up like she herself had. She would not hold anything back today, no matter the consequences. Even if she were to die today, then, that she swore to herself, IF would go down swinging.

As adrenaline began to course through her veins, her mind clearing and becoming tranquil, even those thoughts vanished. She registered but failed to react to uprooted and broken trees, or the human screams added into the cacophony. All of these were pushed back for later. She originally feared she may be too attached to focus, but the issue vanished under the force of IF's will.

Then they saw it, long before their allies came in sight; standing eight metres tall and with its golden scales gleaming in the afternoon sun, the Ancient Dragon's bulky body appeared to fill the large clearing by itself. Like all of its kind, the monster stood on two burly legs and a metres-long tail almost as thick. It's arms were comparatively short yet adorned with pearly white claws, one of which was coated in crimson.

The monster's face was sharp and drawn into what might be anger as it roared again, a challenge against the humans surrounding it. Several lay dead at the treeline, thrown aside by the bloodied tail and razor-sharp claws. Only a few shallow cuts in its chest spoke of the effort put into the defenders' attack runs.

IF failed to comprehend the bloody puddle she passed, where the monster had earlier stomped another agent underfoot. Toward the other end of this clearing was a steep hill, too difficult to climb; a group of people huddled there, too scared to move and unable to make a break for it without passing by near the juggernaut.

The only reason they still lived was because it had yet to notice them.

IF took in the scene in moments as she slid out of her coat, noticing the six people still fighting; more agents were on their way, but there was just a single man in the front for now; he desperately dodged the monster's swings, attempting to stall for time. Dirt flew up as the ground was gouged from near-misses.

Behind him, a few others kept up a steady stream of bullets and a single mage attempted to deal significant damage, yet most of their punishment was shrugged off without any effect.

Then, the moment she began to charge, a lilac tempest rushed past her at full speed. Nepgear took the lead, passing the ranged fighters within seconds; IF followed her without hesitation, taking up momentum and focussing on the monster. When she passed her friend again, they were there.

An errant swing came her way, but IF quickly ducked and leapt forward, coming up in a roll that brought her below the monster; in that instant, she put all her momentum and strength into a swing at the scaly hindleg next to her. Sparks flew, but the blade did not penetrate. Then IF had to run because the dragon raised its foot and stomped, the impact sending shockwaves through the ground.

She could see Nepgear appearing behind the monster as well, her face a grim mask. She came up from its side, leaving their enemy screeching in pain; when it turned to follow the nuisance, IF saw a deep gash in its arm.

The dragon's golden eyes were alight with hatred as it stomped after the purplette with surprising speed; claws rushed forward in one-two rythms, but the girl effortlessly sidestepped most and then cartwheeled out of the rest. IF took a step back to dodge the whirling tail and took note of the fact more magic was flying in from their allies now. The staccato of bullets crashing into the dragon had become a roaring storm, confirming that more agents arrived.

After an instant of consideration, IF made her choice; she stood to the dragon's side, in perfect position to distract it. Even if she could deal no damage, she could give Nepgear an opening.

So she pulled from within and pushed out her hand toward its tail; as responsive as it always was, her magic surged forward and became light, rushing like water and tearing into the ground. All the shadows were banished from their surroundings as the bright tidal wive hit its tail and sent ruptures through the scales.

Again the dragon screeched, turning to the new source of pain with a growl. Before it fully focussed on IF however, it easily backhanded Nepgear as the girl came in to abuse the opening too early. The purplette was sent flying a few metres with a yelp, but managed to catch her descent with a roll; IF's attention flicked to her friend for a moment, but immediately returned to the dragon that now came at her.

She stepped back to dodge its claw; then she dodged it again, and again, and again. The monster was obviously angry now, not leaving up for a moment. IF stumbled over an open root, but quickly turned her fall into a roll backward to get out of the next strike.

As she retreated, a moment of clarity entered her mind. The guns had fallen quiet as many ran out of ammunition and more had to reload, so she used the silence to shout at her fellow agents: "Evacuate now, I'll keep it busy!"

She intentionally pulled back toward the treeline, leading the monster further away from where the civilians stood; it followed her without a care, wishing only to crush the insolent human.

Some of the later arrivals did heed her words and turned to the civilians, but that was all she could observe; IF continued dancing with the dragon, her stamina and dexterity being all that stood between herself and death.

Then Nepgear was there, ramming her blade into the monster's leg after a quick charge; it stumbled and almost fell at the force, but kept itself upright and growled at them. All the other fighters were forgotten. As Nepgear leapt out of its reach again, the noises produced by fleeing civilians caught its attention nonetheless; the creature's head turned, only to be rewarded with a stream of light to its face, courtesy of IF.

Following her attack came a heatwave as an orb of plasma passed by the young warrior, striking the monster square into its bulky chest and melting through the outermost scales. Looking back, IF saw the ellipsoid form of a tank hovering above the treeline, its main gun cooling off from the shot. It opened fire with several heavy machine guns while the brunette turned back to her task; there was only one tank, but that was already a lot.

With light having dazzled it, plasma burning it, and bullets finally starting to penetrate, the monster howled in pain before stomping the ground heavily; this time, she was too close and stumbled from the force of it. Before she could regain her balance, the monster pushed forward to strike at her.

Time seemed to slow as her body locked up, concious thought returning to IF; her footing was wrong and she knew that she could not dodge this one. This was it, she understood. Her eyes closed as she prepared for the end.

People screamed in the background, something impacted in front of her with a hard thud... and a gust of air ran over her, bringing the smell of iron and smoke.

When the brunette opened her eyes to find out why she was still alive, she saw a mane of lilac hair in front of her.

Nepgear stood, body coiled like a spring and with one foot aligned backward; claws as long as her arms were held back by her blade, the dragon's force pushing her into the ground. Yet the girl did not waver, did not give an inch. Then she pushed back, unbalancing the monster and slashing off half of its hand before it left her reach, faster than the girl behind her could perceive.

In this moment, IF understood. The person before her was not human. Could not be human. But she had no time to think; the fight was still on, the momentary pause over. As the monster's hand disintegrated into particles, it howled in a decidedly higher pitch while stumbling back. That was when a squadron of drones opened fire on it, adding even more bullets to the storm washing over its hide.

In that moment, Nepgear's attention switched from their enemy to IF; concern and determination warred on her expression as their eyes met, then the purplette was hit by the tail she did not see coming. She went flying with a surprised cry as IF rolled backward to evade the attack, vanishing among the trees.

But she was safe, that much was for certain. IF continued to focus on the enemy, battered and bruised as it was. The monster, missing a hand, a light hole in its chest and more all over its hide, a lost eye from somewhere, nasty gashes in its legs, began to growl darkly as smoke rose from its nostrils.

IF's blood ran cold as her body reacted almost automatically. The Ancient Dragon's final trump, an ability they only used while close to death. She could not dodge it, could not prevent it. But she could at least try to protect those standing behind her now.

Bounds put in place by discipline and sheer force of will were loosened, allowing her magic to surge from her core. IF channeled it as best as she could, pushing her open palms toward the dying juggernaut. Warm waves curled through her body, barely not heating it up from within as the power rushed forward.

They screamed as one, flames sprouting from the dragon's maw and IF's hands. The monster roared out its hatred, the girl let out her pain. With so much magic and so little control, some began to ignite before leaving her body.

Between them, fire met fire and began to push; were they ordinary flames, they ought to have ignored each other. Yet these were magical flames, the added quantity allowing the burning tides to meet. The katars strapped to IF's arms began to melt from pure heat alone, her flames refusing to give way as the dragonfire roared against them. The girl kept her arms steady with nothing but her will, clamping down on the searing pain lest it overpower her mind.

A second passed, then two. Then five, and the dragon's magic stopped coming. Without anything holding it back anymore, IF's fire carried on and singed the monster's face before she stopped.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment. No wind howled, the people stood in awed shock and even the dragon paused at what it just saw happen.

Then, in the silence, it screeched and fell forward; IF dodged the falling body, recognising Nepgear on top of it; her friend's sword was rammed into the dragon's head to the hilt, having killed it for good. The other girl's expression held relief, which did not change when the monster disintegrated below her and she dropped to the ground.

The moment Nepgear landed, the cheering began. IF hardly heard it at first over her thundering heartbeat; the drones fell back and the tank finally reached ground level while fellow agents secured the area against other monsters.

It was over. They made it.

Suppressing the excruciating pain as best as she could, IF looked her friend over with a shaky smile. "Looks like we won." Her throat was dry, all the liquid apparently having become the sweat she was drenched in.

At first her friend wanted to respond, but the forming smile immediately turned into horror when she saw IF's arms. "Goodness gracious, what?!"

Looking down, IF understood the sentiment. Starting from her elbows, the skin became ever more ruptured and peeled off toward the hands. It turned from an ugly red at the elbows to charcoal black at her palms, the limbs barely following her orders once the adrenaline faded from her system.

IF looked on for a moment longer, then she sighed and got what was left of her magic to work. A faint shimmer of green light emanated from the open wounds, the echoes telling her more than she wanted to know. From the feel of it, she cooked her arms from the inside out.

"Don't worry about it." She could tell Nepgear did worry; IF had burned herself before, but never to this extent. It would take at least weeks to restore this, even with the amount of healing power she could bring to bear. At least her bones were not broken, that would have been much more of a hassle.

Then hands gently took hold of the scorched arms, the touch alone sending a jolt of pain through her system.

And a moment later, her arms no longer hurt. A flood of unfamiliar magic coursed through them with a strength she could not match, restoring lost cells, veins, muscles, and everything else within moments. The ugly colours left her skin, returning to their usual rosy tone.

Nepgear sighed in relief before letting go of her arms, though she did not meet IF's gaze this time. Her hands fiddled with the katars' straps, releasing them from her arms; they fell to the ground with a dull sound. Her flames had molten those blades by proximity alone, making them useless.

After a few moments, her friend finally looked up to see IF's smile; another one bloomed in response.

They were soon swamped by their fellow agents, receiving congratulations and thanks; both girls blushed under the praise, though IF got to mask it as she slid her coat back on. Someone had brought it over from the other side of the clearing.

Amidst the celebration however, all of them felt a gentle presence settle onto their minds; without having to look, they all could tell where she was, turning their heads as one. Only Nepgear took a moment longer.

Above the hill, a fond smile etched onto her face, flew Purple Heart. Her black armour already became a flowing robe in her nation's colour, eyes firmly on the two girls. When she landed before the group, everyone bowed their heads respectfully.

The goddess did not pay much attention to the agents; she simply walked past them, the crowd opening up before her without hesitation.

IF only saw her feet and long legs, her Lady's twin braids of purple hair swishing around them without ever touching the ground. Despite being that long, the hair seemed to hover where it should fall.

When she stood before Nepgear and her, Purple Heart gently put a hand under IF's chin; the goddess spoke while pulling her head upward. "Of all the people present, you will not bow to me today. I was too far to make it in time, only being able to see the end of it in the distance. Without you two, this could have gone much worse than it did." Her voice carried, dark and mature, those full blue eyes filled with appreciation as they met IF's disbelieving green. A sharp yet gently rounded face, almost regal in its appearance.

Even if she wanted to speak, IF would be unable to; this was the first time she truly stood before a CPU, her overwhelming presence pushing any thought of words out of her mind. She was not scared, simply awed by the being before her. Purple Heart stood a head taller than IF, who was already not a small girl; she had to look up to meet the deity's gaze, blushing furiously over the additional praise.

The goddess huffed in amusement before looking around; her hand left the brunette's chin as well. Purple Heart cast a look at the tank commander, whose team stood behind him and at attention. "Of all the times to schedule a drill... how did you make it here so fast?"

"Overrode the safeties, my Lady. The engine is close to busted." IF's gaze flicked to the man as he spoke, not the tiniest bit of remorse in his behaviour.

Then again, the presence encompassing them was soothing and the Lady appeared not at all disappointed. "I see. Please mark your report to be sent to Histoire. Good work."

"Yes, my Lady."

He saluted, as did his subordinates. More tanks had begun arriving by now, securing the perimeter from above. Purple Heart, however, only looked at the surroundings with a slight scowl. "Please have the fallen retrieved and the civilians checked. All agents present can take tomorrow off. I will get those two," where she indicated IF and Nepgear, "and bring them back myself. I saw how your arms looked like." The last part was directed at the surprised IF, who immediately averted her gaze.

Only now did she realise that her most well-kept secret was out, yet there was no sense of unease. In fact, she felt mostly relieved about having to hide it no longer. She was worried about repercussions, yes; but if she were to make this choice again, her decision would not change.

While everyone else bowed and got to work, she remained where she was with her Lady and Nepgear. Nepgear, who she now remembered to be more than just a normal person. Nepgear, who was frowning and had a hand pressed to her forehead. Her face flushed a little and she wobbled for a moment.

Before IF could bring it up however, a hand clad in dark gloves was held out to her. "Hold on tight, Isabelle." And for the first time in many years, she liked hearing her own name from anyone not Mari; it was spoken with care, making her feel at ease. Purple Heart held her other hand out to Nepgear, who stepped up and hugged the taller woman's waist.

Touching a CPU would be scandalous without her permission, at least to IF. Knowing that she was not only allowed but asked to be so close to the goddess she revered made her feel many conflicting feelings. Most of all though, she did not want to refuse an order, no matter how friendly it was worded. Now that she knew who Nepgear was, it was clear that there were things to be said.

So she did what Nepgear had, closing in and tightly wrapping her arms around the Lady; they had to adjust a little to not get in each other's way, but they managed. A strong arm wrapped around IF's back to hold her tight, making the girl feel as safe as she never had before. Some part of her remembered a similar embrace from long ago, but it was such a vague memory and hardly compared to the powerful feelings surging through her now.

The Lady was soft. And warm.

Then, gently, they took to the air; a foot pushed itself below Isabelle's, allowing her to stay steady even as they sped up. She could only see half of Nepgear's face, the remainder hidden by the taller CPU's shoulder. Purple Heart's expression was calm again, directed elsewhere. "I masked us from sight," she told them after a moment. Nothing had changed to Isabelle, but she knew to believe. Even if she were skeptical, the feeling of air rushing by her back and making her coat flutter took most of her attention.

Looking back down, she could see the ground far away; the forest had given way to the plains, with her hometown falling away in the distance. Only Planeptower remained in sight after a while.

The sweat on her skin had dried by this point, this new exhilaration pumping more adrenaline. Even over the thrill of being mid-flight however, she did not miss how Nepgear began to glimmer; her gentle face was marred by a pained frown and she held on even tighter. "Uhhh, I feel weird..."

A soft hum escaped the woman holding them, vibrating through her body for Isabelle to feel. Her hand slowly moved, caressing the purplette's head. "It is quite alright. We should be far enough."

With those words, they returned to the ground and gently touched down. The embrace was lessened and IF let go reluctantly; she would have liked to stay as she was a little longer, already missing the feeling. Yet she did step back, her expression remaining a little softer than usual. Calm breezes caressed the flowers around the small hill they stood on, with a few lone trees filling the vast expanse of grassland.

Dogoos and some Boxbirds were roaming nearby, curiously watching the new arrivals but not yet closing.

IF took a deep breath, reminiscing in the experience she just had; flying was quite different to anything else she ever did, even if she was merely a passenger. Despite the exhaustion that settled in from where they just were, she pulled herself together. The divine aura encompassing her did its part in keeping her mind active; IF slowly became used to it, regaining her ability to speak if she wanted to. Although in this very moment, she felt it was not for her to say anything despite the questions rolling around in her mind.

Nepgear had begun to outright shine with an inner light now, massaging her temples as she did.

After letting them go, Purple Heart had taken a closer look at their surroundings and nodded slightly. "Yes, this should be appropriate." Then she turned to IF with a faint nod. "My apologies for just taking you along, Isabelle. I believe that you more than earned to see this."

They were interrupted by a whimper, turning their attention to Nepgear who was clutching her center with a pained expression. The CPU gently petted her head again, a fond smile on her lips. "There is no need to hold it in any longer. Let it out. Embrace your nature and shine."

The girl whimpered again and nodded, and the shine exploded into a surge of silver light. It effortlessly tore her clothes apart, leaving but a silhouette to IF's eyes for a full second.

It was the most beautiful light she had ever seen, filled with nuance, gentleness, hope, possibility.

Before her eyes, a pristine white bodysuit formed out of the light, reaching from Nepgear's feet to her throat; every inch of skin was covered in elastic yet form-fitting material, pink accents here and there. A sleek weapon formed in her hands, its blade as white as the rest.

Next Nepgear's face became visible again, her hair a vibrant shade of pink, brighter and more radiant than ever before. There was little change to her features outside of the slightly different hair colour, and once she opened her eyes, IF could see the divine mark where her pupils should be; a drop of water in the process of meeting the ocean. A mark that was unmistakable.

It was in this moment that a second presence hit IF, confirming what she had already known yet found no time to process. It told her clearly that between them was a gap, one that was insurmountable. It told her that with Nepgear, she was safe. It promised she would care for her and protect her if she was in need of such, no matter when or why.

Nepgear looked down at herself, eyes wide and a mix of expressions on her face. She slowly beheld her covered hands, taking in the weapon and feeling over the smooth material. "I... does it always feel this weird?"

The lighting had not changed, yet she appeared to brighten up her surroundings. Her voice had not changed, yet it had an ethereal note to it just like her sister. Purple Heart chuckled quietly, shaking her head. "No, this will not happen again after the first time. However, you will also never again obtain the same beauty you held today."

A sigh had them both turn, meeting IF's gaze before the brunette averted hers. She could not bear staring into those eyes for too long. "I... guess that makes it clear." Her words came slowly, the presence of two deities right before her making it difficult to speak. She much rather just stand awestruck, staring at the goddesses for as long as they let her.

Yet, for all of her freshly gained radiance, the younger CPU averted her gaze and began to tap her index fingers together in a familiar gesture. "Um, yes. I think I have to apologise for not managing... I wanted to tell you, IF. I really wanted to, but... I just couldn't."

She was not angry or hurt about it; being considerate about who to let in on such a secret was a given, and IF remembered for how long her friend had been bothered by it. She gently shook her head at the overwhelming woman before her. "It's fine." Then her previous thought returned, as if a highlight in plain text; she thought of a CPU as her friend. "But... does this change anything?"

Nepgear immediately shook her head, raising a hand almost pleadingly. "Only if you want something to change."

Had her mental faculties worked properly, IF may have noted the hint of fear in her posture; as it was, she only felt relief before shaking her own head. "No, I'm quite happy with it. By the way, you got pretty obvious toward the end back there, you know?" She could not help but needle her friend a little, partly to test the waters and partly to assure herself.

Nepgear's expression became thoughtful as she apparently wondered what IF meant, so the brunette helped her out: "I mean, you did save my life with that one so I'm not going to complain, but..." She had the feeling she should be more upset about having almost died than she was, but her internal reaction was mediocre at best.

Nepgear's cheeks quickly turned a shade more pink, but the girl chuckled. An armour-clad hand covered her mouth as she did. "Heh, I guess? But I really don't... do not need to consider when choosing between saving a friend and keeping a low profile. Besides," the CPU needled her back, "I am rather sure that your little display took all the attention from me. Your control is awful, by the way."

Now it was for IF to avert her gaze and blush a little. "Yeah, I know. There is a reason I never actually told anyone, and I mean anyone. No need to tell me that was dumb, I know it." She sighed while Nepgear broke into full-blown laughter, her gaze wandering from the Candidate to her sister.

Her mind was still refusing to correlate the imposing figure before her with the friendly face she remembered, but there was no denying it. "Then that makes my Lady... Neptune?"

Now the elder CPU chuckled as well, offering her a fond smile as she folded her arms behind her back. "Quite. You are the very first to ever make the connection on your own. Granted, this is a special case." Then her eyes wandered to her mirthful sibling, the smile turning so much more gentle that IF almost felt envious over but a simple gaze.

Once Nepgear had calmed down, she hugged herself with a happy sigh, making even such a gesture appear graceful. "Oh, I actually did it. My apotheosis..." She babbled more at herself than at them, all but actually squealing in joy. "HDD, finally!"

Hard Drive Divinity, or HDD, the very most powerful state a CPU could assume. All public appearances were held exclusively in this form, for it offered both the ability to fly and the aura IF was still feeling. In addition, it granted a certain anonymity to their civilian forms.

IF just shook her head over the display; even as a deity, Nepgear remained Nepgear. For as crass as the change between Neptune and Purple Heart was, as small were the differences between the purplette's two forms. Said girl was currently looking at her hands in wonder. "Actually, how did I do that?"

Purple Heart gently ruffled her sister's hair with a smile, eyes twinkling in amusement at how lost she appeared. "At birth, all CPUs already have a certain base character. Like with humans, this character grows and solidifies for the first few years of their life. Unlike humans however, we have the potential to outgrow and change as we see fit with time." A sideway glance was thrown at IF, who raised an eyebrow. No words were spoken, but she knew this explanation was for her as well.

"The ability to change this much is not inherently divine, but a clear mark setting us apart from humans. I let you grow up the way you were, seeing you become a sweet if shy girl." Nepgear nodded slowly, hanging on her sister's every word. "Over the last eighteen months, you changed a lot. A change which allowed you to bloom today, when instead of hesitating, you threw yourself head-first into battle to protect what you care about. You gained courage and stability.

"That, this very first change after your personality solidified, is the trigger for our apotheosis. The proof to ourselves that we can and will change as needed. Your Hard Drive Divinity reflects this, as you changed very little in appearance; you are fine with yourself, yet now you stand straight and with your head held high. The courage you displayed today is what you also gained; I am quite glad," the older CPU closed, "that it was such a good change. Any that follow will be harder to obtain."

Neither of them had moved as they listened to Purple Heart's explanation. Nepgear appeared thoughtful while IF was caught in introspection, looking at herself more closely; she did not feel any need to change, at least in any significant way.

Her thoughts were interrupted by movement, making her focus on Nepgear again; her friend was now looking right back at her, a happy gaze that seemed to pierce right into IF's soul nonetheless. "Now that we are here, that all of this happened, I believe it is high time I say it properly." Then she held out a hand to her, beaming more brightly than ever before. "I am unbelievably glad we became friends, IF. I am Nepgear, Planeptune's Purple Sister."

The gesture made her bite back a laugh as she took the hand. "Pleased to meet you." Nepgear's grip was surprisingly weak, as if she were not even trying to press. IF could guess that her friend held back as to not crush her hand.

A light clap brought them out of their own dimension, returning attention to Purple Heart. The older CPU had her eyes on the monsters watching them. "How about we put your new abilities to the test, Nepgear? There are a few targets for you to practice on."

IF personally would have preferred to go home and lie down, but she remained on her feet and pushed back the whooziness from adrenaline, pain, and magical exertion. She wanted to see this as well.

Nepgear turned her head this way and that, considering the wary monsters before shrugging. "I guess? Just let me..." She began to mumble as the blade on her weapon was retracted, allowing a gently glimmering port to open freely. It emanated dark pink particles that quickly faded while Nepgear's smile turned almost feral. "I think I like this."

The blade, normally as long as Nepgear's entire arm, had halved its size as she effortlessly pointed it forward, at a pair of Dogoos. The monsters wobbled for but a moment, then they and everything around them was rent asunder by a dark pink beam. It easily cut through monsters, plants, and dirt alike, the sheer amount of energy disintegrating several square metres of ground. When the light died down, only glass was left in the crater.

Instead of stopping to look at her handiwork, Nepgear continued; she turned quickly, reducing every monster surrounding them to particles with pinpoint accuracy.

Ten seconds after she started, the plains were empty. All wildlife had long since fled, leaving a disturbing silence over the countless craters where monsters once stood. IF, despite having expected it, was still a little intimidated by the amount of casual destruction her friend just dished out. Nepgear turned this way and that, her gunblade lowered to the ground. For some reason, the girl's expression was much more subdued now. "Goodness, I need to practice my fine control."

Purple Heart simply chuckled in return as she gave the area a once-over. "This is quite adorable."

Before she could stop herself, IF threw the Lady a look. "Are we defining that word the same way?"

Around the time she realised what she just did, the older CPU snorted and shrugged. "It is good to see you can still talk back properly." There was no admonishment in her voice as she said that, dropping the matter without another word. "That aside..."

A purple gleam emanated from within the CPU, gently permeating their surroundings until they could no longer follow it with their eyes. The ground rumbled a bit as glassed earth became once more pristine, the holes filling themselves, and fallen trees regrew together with burned grass. The whole process took maybe a minute, leaving the plains in about the same state they used to be. There were subtle differences, but nobody else would notice; terraforming was quite useful, IF noted. Also draining, that much she knew.

It was only then that Purple Heart finished her statement: "I believe it is time to head home. You two had an eventful day."

...

Another had arisen, and thus another would eventually fall.