Author's Note: Wow...Gig got a trifecta when it came to judging! Not a single vote in my opponent's favor! ...Though, in all honesty, Gambit is still a wonderful writer. Better luck next time! Anyways, since Gig's home free, I decided to write this bonus chapter. But, before you read it...

Warning! Spoiler alert! Gig living through the final battle and getting a body of his own is one thing. Read what's below only if you don't mind knowing the MAJOR plot twists of "Soul Nomad"! Said twists include:

- Information on the final areas of the game

- Information on the final bosses of the game

- Information on how a Crimson Tear (an important plot item) is created

With that in mind, enjoy the chapter! ...Oh, and this will be the last chapter in which Gig is censored; you have my word.

Bonus Chapter #1: Odie's Odyssey

"Well, ****. Cook boy's not here," Gig muttered, as he returned to the spot where he and Vitali first split up. He knew he was in the right place, because he had tripped on a rock shortly after they split up, and he had passed said rock on the way back. As for why he was staying in place and not searching for the cook, there was a pretty good answer: this island was f**king huge, and it'd take way too damn long. "So much for pranking him with this Whiskered Eggplant. Looks like I'll just have to wait here until he come back…if that pansy comes back, that is. He probably found another contestant and wet himself into a coma by now."

Gig decided to sit on a rather large rock nearby and wait until something happened. As he did, he couldn't stop himself from reminiscing about the recent past. "Man, I wonder whatever happened to all of those other two-bit losers I had to hang around with back on that journey. Revya, the stupid cow chick, those fruity cherubs…hell, I'm even starting to wonder where that pathetic magician wound up. I haven't seen that goofball since they first built that train…"

~!~!~

To find the answer to Gig's question, one must travel back in time. Specifically, about two days before Gig's big train heist screw-up. We must also head to the kingdom of Orviska, which is known widely for its wonderful economy, having a twelve (now thirteen)-year-old girl as its queen, and exporting hotpods to the rest of the world. Naturally, this was one of Gig's favorite places to visit, even back two centuries ago when he was using the place as his headquarters while his World Eaters were blowing up the rest of the continent.

The 'pathetic magician' that Gig referred to is known to most in the land as Dio of the Evil Eye…not to be confused with a certain Get Backer. However, Dio's true name was Odie, and he certainly had a long history with Gig, Revya, and the people that Revya & Gig encountered on their adventure. Though he was nothing more than a Mid-Boss when they had first encountered, he eventually decided to switch sides and join them on their quest to save the world.

On this fateful day, Odie was running down a corridor towards the palace's throne room. The first thing he did when he reached the throne room…was trip and fall onto his masked face. He may have grown more skilled as a wizard after meeting Revya, but he was still quite clumsy. The second thing that Odie did was to get back onto his feet, and the third was to address the queen with a matter that he thought was urgent. "Your majesty! As the current Dio, I feel that I must inquire about the train being built across the land. The tracks are taking up a lot of farming space, and the people find it hard to sleep with this 24-hour construction. Do we need a train, anyways? I'm pretty good friends with the cherubs; they could just fly to wherever you need stuff delivered."

"…Hmm? Sorry, Dio dear, I didn't hear you; I was too busy finishing my nails," uttered young queen Diness. She used to be a bit of a ditz that depended on others in order to avoid not running the kingdom into the ground. While she still acted as young as she was every now and then, Odie's confidence-boosting seminars were improving her decision-making skills.

"The train, m'lady. Why is it being built?" Odie asked again.

"Hmm…why did I approve of such a thing? …Ah, I remember! I believe the last Dio mentioned something about that a day or so before…well, you know. And silly me, I always used to just approve anything he said without really considering it. But, he might've left some kind of notes about it behind," Diness told him.

"Of course," Odie muttered, memories of the last Dio still haunting him. "I'll go check right now."

~!~!~

In the kingdom of Orviska, the title 'Dio of the Evil Eye' was passed down through generations of Dracon wizards. The last Dio before Odie was none other than Odie's older brother, who was certainly a conniving character. He had used his magical abilities to bring life back to Median the Conqueror, a war hero from over two hundred years ago that had united the continent of Prodesto. Unfortunately, Dio required human sacrifices in order to keep Median (who was now going by the name of Ghestal) alive. Between that, and the fact that Median had plans to kill all of the Masters of Death for revenge purposes, it was pretty much a sure deal that Revya, Gig, and everyone on their side (including Odie himself) had to kill him.

When the battles were over and the world became peaceful again, Odie got his brother's old job, and the perks that came with it. Since his brother's room in the castle had yet to be completely cleaned out, Odie decided to search through things and try to discover any documents involving trains that may have been left behind. To his luck, hidden inside of an old textbook, there was an odd parchment that bore a mark unlike that of any of the land's kingdoms.

Odie pulled out the parchment and held it near a lantern, going over the words slowly as to not miss a single detail. Apparently, his brother had been a part of a secret organization called B.O.R.E.D., which existed in a world outside of his own. This didn't really faze Odie, as Revya, Gig, and their friend Danette (the 'stupid cow chick' mentioned by Gig) had to travel to an alternate world known as Drazil near the end of their world-saving quest. What DID faze Odie, however, was what B.O.R.E.D.'s staff was planning to use the train for.

Apparently, there were quite a few members of this organization that, while incredibly skilled in some way or another, still decided to make a profit by performing…calling them 'crimes' seemed too light of a word. To cut to the chase, in order to avoid authorities, their vast fortunes would be carted to his world en masse. To put things in perspective, it would be similar to a man opening a Swiss bank account to avoid the IRS...except that the man could BUY Switzerland with the stored funds, and the bank was the SIZE of Switzerland.

Millions…nay, billions…nay, trillions of dollars were going to be carried on that train. Daily. And each and every cent of it was earned at the expense of the innocent, of those that suffer through no fault of their own.

Odie knew that this had to be stopped immediately.

~!~!~

By the time evening had approached, he had gone through every acquaintance he had in order to find help. And everywhere he turned, there was failure. His old friend Vangogh had to stay at home, as his wife was still angry about something they had fought about last week. Danette, who still called him Sluggo because of his mask, said she was too busy defending her village. Revya was still nowhere to be found, but as the last anyone had heard from her involved some sort of Demon Academy, it was probably better off not trying to find her. And the second he had told Gig about a train passing through Orviska, he had dashed off…probably because he thought it would just carry hotpods, and the former Master of Death was banned from any establishment that offered them.

There was only one place he had left to turn to, and that was the land of the Nereids. To those who don't know who they are…first off, I'm a bit ashamed at you. After all, they're introduced fairly early in the plot, which means that you must've just read a few things that will ruin your game play experience. But, I'll tell you who they are anyways. With the exception of the queen, who is a traditional mermaid, a Nereid is a mermaid with legs instead of a giant fish tail, and they can survive on land for a rather decent amount of time.

Now, Odie was a bit worried about this meeting. After all, the first time he had encountered the Nereids, they were having a meeting with Revya that he interrupted in order to get revenge on the red-haired girl. And after he got beaten up by Revya, he had never really encountered them again. Even Juno, the one that traveled alongside Revya for a fair amount of time, wasn't anywhere near close to be known as even an acquaintance. But, the Draconian (sorry; not even this author knows what exactly defines a Draconian) wizard had nobody else to turn to for help, and desperate times call for desperate measures.

He soon found himself standing before their leader, Queen Alexemia, where he presented his case. Luck must have been with the bumbling spell caster, as she took pity on him and offered the assistance of her troops. She also entrusted Odie with something the wizard didn't think she would have: a Crimson Tear. They were considered very rare and illegal to use before Revya's journey; after it was discovered by the masses that a person's soul was needed to create one, the odds of finding one became even rarer. Still, if B.O.R.E.D. truly existed in another dimension, Odie would need the power of one to reach it.

~!~!~

By the time midnight had fallen, Odie was ready to begin his odyssey. He had a small rowboat with fishing gear in it, which he would need to survive on the open seas. He also had a bag of items called 'Gig Edicts'; while Gig was no longer a Master of Death, these items had been enchanted before the change occurred, and Odie could use them in order to keep his stamina high. The queen had assigned Juno and thirteen of her subordinates to help his cause, all of which had finished gathering their own supplies. It appeared as though, if he was ever going to go through with this ridiculous plan, now would be the time to start it.

"Well, Juno, it looks like we're about ready to go. Just in case, could you do one final inventory and status check? I'd hate to leave something important behind."

"It's who-knows-how-many miles to Grand Cross Island, we've got an ocean full of food, a half pack of Edicts, it's dark, and you're wearing a stupid mask."

"…Let's hit it."

Odie got onto the boat, pulled out the Crimson Tear, and placed it in front of him. Channeling as much magical energy as he could, he focused on the gem, using its power to try and open a rift for them to travel through. Soon enough, the fifteen characters and the boat they were on were glowing red with energy. And the next second, they were gone, whisked out of their land in a flash of light.

And that is how Juno and Odie's journey to try and find B.O.R.E.D., and put a stop to their organization, began. Yes, it seems hopeless. Yes, it's been at least two days since the competition, and not a single member of B.O.R.E.D. has even mentioned mermaids and a masked wizard attempting to assault their base. Yes, this will have no effect on any of Gig or Vitali's future battles. But is their quest entirely in vain? It appears that, as cliché as it sounds, only time will tell…

END OF BONUS #1