An Azure's Re;Birth
Vermin's Guarded Treasure Bunkery – Part 1
The surroundings shook at the battle cry of the creature as it charged forward, its legs leaving imprints within the ground with each pace. Having taken its attention, Neptune broke off from the kneeling newcomers with her sword in hand, the monster chased after the girl.
She had to keep it away from them, it wouldn't do her any good if they got caught up in the coming battle. After all, she was the protagonist of this story! Time to show off what she was capable of.
The battlefield was quite large, big enough that any coming attacks could be dodged relatively easy thanks to her agility. If she could keep it busy, she could strike it down when it'd get angrier.
"Heiyah!" Neptune cried, running up to one of its legs and swiping it as she cut across it to the other side.
She looked up towards the creature's head, taking notice of the neural life bar HUD provided by Compa's N-Gear. Barely anything had changed judging by the floating low number of damage told her. 'Rats, this one's gonna be a toughie.' She thought.
The monster let out an annoyed screech at the attack before turning towards the small protagonist, its sword scraping through the rocky floor. Seeing the attack come her way, the girl back dashed away, bringing her arms up to block the flying debris coming towards her face.
"Augh!" She cried. Those rocks are part of his attack? Whoever designed such a large hitbox for this enemy was really pushing it to keep her on her toes. Having endured the debris, she once again ran before dodging the oncoming overhead swing.
As the two battled away from the group, Compa jumped off the rickety bridge and ran towards the downed duo. "Are you okay?"
The silver haired woman broke from her daze, having been paying attention to Neptune the entire time, and looked towards the nurse. She nodded. "Whilst it may not look like it, I am mostly fine." The woman motioned the nurse towards the girl in her arms. "She needs immediate attention since she took on a blow from the Guard Vermin and hasn't been healed as we were being chased."
Taking a closer look, the nurse noticed how hurt the young girl was. Scratches and cuts could be seen on the exposed skin, her face flushed indicating she was having a fever. This wasn't looking good; she'd need to work fast if she didn't want any lasting damage for the girl.
After her quick assessment, the nurse rummaged through her purse and pulled out her N-Gear. Tapping as fast as she could, she summoned materials to heal the girl. As she brought out the items, the silver haired woman's eyes flashed with what appeared to be nostalgia before going back to normal.
What was that all about? No, that didn't matter. She had a patient to help, she couldn't afford to waste time right now.
"She'll be all right now, I'm a Nurse-in-training. Just leave the healing to me." Compa said, reassuring the woman. "Here, take this. It'll help with the swelling in your leg." She handed her vial of Reflex, the green liquid swirling inside the container with a glow.
The hooded woman took the vial and popped the lid open before downing the contents. Her figure lit up with a green hue. Seeing her healed, Compa positioned the items on the floor before gently letting the girl rest her head on her thighs.
Just as she was about to continue her healing, the woman stood up from the ground before reaching into her hood. In her hands, she pulled out some cards that splayed across her fingers. Each one coloured differently.
She counted each one before nodding and threw them up into the air, the cards hovering around her before gently bobbing up and down. She brought her hands up to her hood and pulled it off, revealing her face.
Her long lavish silver-lavender hair seemed to gleam from the crystal light, bright blue eyes penetrating everything in its path. Her eyes locked onto the angry Guard that was swinging its sword like a club at the elusive Neptune.
"For harming those that I care about, you wretched thing." The cards begin to swirl increasingly faster at her words. "I'll show you my true power!"
The ground beneath her broke as she launched towards the Guard Vermin, her figure encased by the ring of blue cards as she radiated wisps of energy. The sound of her launch stopping the monster mid-swing as it turned to the noise.
Thwack~!
Bang~!
The monster's eyes suddenly shut from the sudden pain directed to its head. It grasped its eyes as it screeched. "Hey, eyes on me buddy." Neptune said, having jumped at the monster with a swing before jumping off and delivering multiple retreating shots. "Your fights with me!"
With its attention divided, the woman stopped beside the monster. She reached into her pockets before pulling out a set of red cards. "Death: Earth Bind. Set." The woman launched the new set of cards at the monster before being absorbed into its figure, the monster earning a red hue.
Beneath it, the ground shook before engulfing the legs of the Guard Vermin, rocks shooting upwards towards its mandibles and arms and encasing them in solid rock.
"Neptune, now!" The woman yelled, causing the girl to snap out of her stupor at the sudden support.
Neptune nodded, switching her grip before leaping over the beast and assaulted its back with a mixture of slashes and stabs. Piercing past its scales, she dug the sword's end into the monster before twisting it in place, earning an angrier screech as it pulled harder to release itself from its stony confinement. Having secured the sword in it, she carried the momentum from her leap before axe kicking the sword deeper.
A prompt appeared before Compa's eyes; her pupils grew wider. Guard Break.
Quickly applying the vial of Reflex in her hand, Compa gently lay the resting girl against her purse before summoning her syringe.
"Hey guys!" She yelled, rushing towards the duo as Neptune pulled the sword out from the staggered creature. "Hit it with all you got, its armour is down!"
Having shouted their advantage, she charged to Neptune's side before aiming the end of her weapon towards cracked armour of the Guard Vermin. A sickly green liquid came out of the tip at high speed, impacting before seeping through.
A burning smell came from the wound, steam radiating as it hurt the monster.
'A corrosive substance it seems.' The card user thought, preparing herself once more. It appeared to be effective, having forced the creature into a further frenzy.
"Temperance: Haste. Set, cast." A set of green cards appeared in her hands, the magical energy radiating off of them before being tossed towards Neptune and Compa. Just like the monster earlier, they emitted a green light before a wave of clearness washed over them.
"Woah, I feel amazing. Thanks for the buffs Lady!" Neptune said as she admired her glow. "All righty. It's time for a pink and purple beating from yours truly. Let's do this Compa."
"Right. I'll be right behind you Nep-Nep!" Compa said, ready to swing her syringe.
The two burst towards the Guard Vermin, pivoting through its legs and unleashing their attacks on the underside of the monster, further creating more cracks over its armour. With every slash and shot Neptune dealt, Compa followed with her own shots of 'medicine' and piercing stabs.
In the back, the card thrower launched some cards towards the creature, bombarding it with attacks of light. Each one differing with types of spells imbued within them. Fire, wind, water, earth, lightning, light, dark. A cacophony of effects stacking on top of one another.
Very quickly before them, the bar of health dwindled fast before plateauing. The last stretch. This was it; they were about to finish this thing off.
Though they did not have any visible Gear, the silver haired woman broke off from her own attacks and began to cast as if she too noticed how close to dying. She closed her eyes in concentration.
"You girls might want to step back. I'll deal with him." The woman said with a steel tone.
The buffed-up duo finished their last attacks before side stepping the broken rubble and swinging sword that stabbed at their last positions. Its Guard Gauge restored, charging towards the girls with rageful fervour intent to take them out.
The cavern stood still, an invisible wave blanketing the air. Everyone paused before turning towards the woman. Her figure unchanged but the magic she had coming off her was thick, the source of the magic that channelled throughout.
The Guard Vermin stopped his charge before redirecting his rage towards the silver haired woman, eager to take out the biggest threat before she finished her spell.
"Look out!" A voice called. Who it was didn't matter as she was too deep in her chant. The two girls looked ready to jump in once more before the channelling cut, as if all magic that lingered in the air was suddenly removed.
"The World: Disaster. Struck and Fall."
A bright ball of light engulfed the woman's body before rapidly expanding outwards, absorbing the falling strike coming towards her head and eviscerating the sword. It grew further and reached the arm of the Guard Vermin, disintegrating it and part of its body. Before it could scream in pain, parts of the ground began to crumble before swallowing the creature into its depths as it desperately tried to claw its last hand into the sides.
Silence permeated the battlefield, only broken by the shallow breaths of the standing party. They had done it, they had beaten the monster.
Just as Neptune was about to celebrate their win, she was cut off by a thud behind her. The woman who had been precariously standing near to the newly created pit drop collapsed into a messy heap on the floor. Sweat coating her body as her face adorned a flush.
"Nep-Nep! She's experiencing Magic Exhaustion. We need to get her to safety and quick before we encounter more monsters." Compa cried, rushing towards the woman.
"Geez, is it really hard for the author to let me take the limelight for a bit? It's really feeling like I'm a secondary at this point…" Neptune whined but followed her request, knowing how serious things were.
Maybe after this stint of time, she'll have more time to shine.
With a heave, she helped Compa take the two resting patients to a safe area for them to recover.
"Though it's roughly following the path of the Re;Birth timeline as you would put it. There are already different discrepancies to suggest that this is something new." Histoire said, using her magic to follow along Neptune's journey. "However…"
She trailed off her sentence, not finishing whatever she had in mind. Her face was deep in thought over the events that had transpired, focusing on the arrival of the duo that Neptune and Compa had come across.
According to the Tome, around the first encounter with the Guard Vermin, she were to break her oath as her role of the Tome of History and help Neptune activate her Hard Drive Divinity. But before she could even consider it…
"It's fine, isn't it Histy buddy 'o gal of mine?" Came the disembodied voice she had grown fond and accustomed to. "This is way more interesting this way, and it allows there to be more tension to be built. Creates more stakes and cooler development for everyone, yeah?"
Had it really been thousands of generations since she had met the energetic voice since her attempt at reaching the Goddesses?
It certainly didn't feel like it, at least with the amount of new information she had read that day and chats they had spent together. She won't say it out loud, but their friendship had filled the void in her heart from Arfoire's betrayal. Having someone to have a rapport with was a nice feeling that she had longed for during her isolation.
"Be that as it may, Neptune could have nearly perished at a moment's notice." Histoire replied. "Planeptune would have been left without a Goddess and fallen from the lack of Shares to uphold the islands. The safest thing to have happen is to give her access to her Goddess form."
"Pfft." The voice scoffed in amusement. "You saw how they handled the Guard Vermin, they're absolutely fine~. Plus, tall and spiky is missing some stuff despite being broken and he's doing well by his lonesome." She pointed out, causing Histoire to turn her mindful eye to the separated party member.
Her eyes clouded and swam as she looked away from the human Goddess and nurse carrying the new arrivals and locked onto the Reaper's. He was currently in an exchange with a large monster that stood a head taller than him, with purple crystal dreads and a wooden mask and club.
'A Jaki?' she remarked. A monster found near large crystal formations, protective of its territory and possessive of similar shiny items and treasure. They were often seen as the breakthrough point within an aspiring guild member's career if they were to successfully slay one, their overwhelming strength and unorthodox attacks being the sole reason it was dubbed as a 'Newbie Killer' amongst the Planeptune dungeons.
Despite the title, the man didn't seem to be struggling much against the monster. He caught the falling club with his hand, unflinching as the monster struggled as it pushed all its strength into the attack. The Reaper let out a bored sigh before letting go of the club, causing the monster to overextend as it couldn't stop itself from falling.
Before it could face plant into the floor, the white-haired man seemingly vanished before he appeared by its side and implanted his knee into its stomach. The attack caused the monster to jolt before collapsing over his knee in a slump. He pulled back his knee before kicking it away as it tumbled on the floor before exploding into particles.
With a scoff of what looked like disappointment, he continued down his path, intent to find the girls.
"See? He's doing fine, that ruffian has got some kick in him." The voice in a songful manner.
Indeed, he was quite strong if it only took him one attack to defeat such a monster of that calibre. "Just who is that man, Ms. System?" She asked inquisitively. "You still never explained just who he was despite knowing all about these other paths and dimensions. All I know about him is that he is an outlier to this world due to my power as the Tome. A foreigner, as you dubbed him."
"Hmm." System hummed, trying to think of how to phrase her next words. "Well, let's just say his role isn't over just yet. And leave it at that, 'kay?"
Histoire sighed, yet another cryptic and vague answer in regard to him. She felt like she should already know the answer, but something not to dissimilar to a washy haze combed her mind when she tried to ponder further. At times, it hurt if she tried to persist, as if to stop and dissuade her attempts.
"Histy honey, you can't always kill the suspense and skip the build-up of the story. Sometimes you just got to let things unfold to properly digest it all in." System teased. "You really are a handful for a lover, you know that?"
"Please do not phrase our friendship as if we were so!" Histoire blushed, yelling at the voice.
It was just another one of those days, wasn't it? And like that, Histoire forgot about activating Neptune's HDD and pondering as to who the familiar face of the woman was.
'Good. We're now one possibility closer.'
Damnit. All these damn paths look all the same and it feels like he had already tread down these places before.
The Reaper was walking down another pathway, looking the same as the previous ones he had walked down before reaching a dead end. If anything, he was starting to go crazy from how everything blended in together, no standout spots he can keep track of without making one himself.
This new world was really strange to him, having run on similar enough rules but many nuances that differed from his last one. Seriously, what kind of government or group of people struggled with such weak ass monsters? Maybe he was just that strong to not be phased by such things, but seriously, even a light jab seemed to take down anything he came across. It was starting to piss him off.
Dogs that were piles of goo, weird blocky monsters that barely animated and moved, perverts and other crap. Still, at least there were more traditional or supernatural enemies like those Imp-like monsters or that tall club bastard that Saya had wanted him to read to her when they were kids.
He was surprised no one caught up on his slip ups just yet. After all, though he wouldn't admit it, his acting wasn't the best. With the amount of suspicious looks coming from Neptune, sooner or later it'd be brought up. That is, if he could find them in this place.
'All right. Screw this, I'm getting tired of this shit.' He thought, his hand making his way towards the hilt of his Aramasa.
He held the weapon in a reverse before swinging it overhead, crashing into one of the walls beside him. An explosive rupture blasted the rocky debris, clearing the newly opened area before him.
The man twirled the sword before placing it down on his belt again, ready to step through. Just as he was about to crouch through, a projectile came barrelling towards his head, causing him to jump back. The projectile collided with the wall behind him, a small explosion erupting from it.
Turning to the shot wall in question, steam arose from the impact, a small light of orange glow evident. Though it seemed it wasn't too harmful, he would rather not be on the receiving end of another shot. The closest thing they reminded him of were Butt-Floss' own shots.
"Were you trying to take me out, you damn bastard?!" Came a voice, remarkably similar to someone he knew, except it sounded off. More boyish than prim and annoyingly posh.
"Rabbit?!"
His head turned immediately towards the voice in the new area and was greeted with a short girl. At least she was similar in height to the Rabbit. 'Down there too…' He thought before quickly wiping such thought. Neptune's own mannerisms seeming to infect already.
"Just where the hell are you looking at?" She said, her already annoyed gaze intensifying as she caught his momentary line of sight. Yeesh, he'll need to watch his actions if he didn't want to be on this girl's shit-list… "You wanna die?"
The tomboy had long brown hair that ran down her back with a green ribbon that looked like a leaf. She wore an over-sized black and blue jacket that draped over her figure, large belt that held multiple slide on pouches and black undershirt and shorts with blue boots that reached short of her knees.
From first glance alone, she seemed harmless and unlike the Rabbit the more he observed her. However, the qatars that peaked out from her baggy sleeves pointed towards the Reaper wiped away such thought. Her stance ready to pounce and beat him blue. Just how the hell did she shoot him anyway, there doesn't seem to be a gun on her. Unless part of those qatars had a gun mechanism. Yeah, that'd do it.
"Look lets just cool our jets for a second. I didn't mean to cause you any trouble." The Reaper said, lifting his hand in a surrendering manner, trying to quell her anger.
She didn't let up her stance. "Hah, likely story. No one just conveniently attacks someone about to claim a chest unless they purposefully are trying to gank someone of their loot and belongings." To emphasise her point, her eyes drifted towards a blue chest next to the newly opened hole.
Crap. His luck really was shitty no matter where he went, huh? Another damn misunderstanding.
The Reaper let out a sigh and closed him eye, causing the brunette to squint her eyes at his actions. She motioned her hands and pulled them back to her chest before thrusting them outward, a clicking noise of a round being loaded.
"Prepare yourself, I'm not gonna be pulling my punches. After I beat you, the first thing you'll find yourself in is in a cell for assaulting a guild member." Any attempts of negotiations would fall on deaf ears, her choice being decided. "Know that person who will defeat you is The Wind Walker of Gamindustri."
"Fine. If that's how you're gonna act and not listen to a damn word, I'll just have to beat it into you. Don't start crying after I beat your ass." Ragna said opening his eye and glaring at the girl before him.
The two stood apart from one another, the girl in a fighting stance whereas the man stood up right, almost as if he were looking down at her.
It didn't take long, a piece of rock fell from above and hit the ground, signalling the start of the fight.
The brunette leaped up into the air before diving towards the man headfirst, her hands clenching the qatars she had as she winded up to strike. In response, the Reaper reached behind and pulled out Aramasa and brought it in front of him, using the flat side to block the attack and pushing her off.
She springboarded off the shove by the Reaper and flipped in the air before landing and ran around the Reaper, observing him and potential weak points. Her eyes glistened before rushing towards the stationary man.
As she approached him, he scoffed before putting away the sword. She didn't seem to hit hard from that strike, so going easy on her as to not inflict anything fatal would be ideal. He'd rather not cripple her from a misunderstanding.
She swing down her arm blade, barely missing him by a hair before swinging her off-hand in a diagonal swipe to catch him reel. Not being discouraged, she went in for a dual slash before breaking off and thrusting the qatars rapidly towards him as he dodged and deflected the strikes towards him. Seeing her attacks fail, the girl quickly rushed behind him, leaving his view in a gust as she pelted all around him with shot for shot.
Seeing the misdirection by the projectiles, he dodged again before ducking the flying double round house. Just as the first leg flew past, he grabbed the second leg, the pressure he had causing her to wince at the pain.
"You best clench your teeth." The Reaper said. With a tug, he flipped the girl into the ground causing her to bounce. She let out a gasp from the pain before being struck in the back as he drove his fist into her, her vision being disoriented further as she collided into the wall, dust kicking up into a storm.
Ragna stared at the sight, watching as the girl struggled to get up. "Tch. Damnit, take this thing seriously!" She yelled.
"Yeah, how about no ya pipsqueak. Can we just talk it out and settle our differences before you attack me again?" She pushed herself to her knees before reaching into her pockets and popped a green herb into her mouth. A green aura covered her and the scrapes she had disappeared off her.
"Hng… Much better." She whispered as she got up. It seemed like she didn't want to stop. Seriously, this was a pain in the ass.
She looked towards the man before aiming her qatars and shot at him, two yellow projectiles leaving her sleeve. It rapidly approached the Reaper. He brought up his arm and took the brunt of the first shot, however he didn't feel the second one.
"Ha, you mis-..?!" Before the rest of his words come out, the second shot hit the floor and made a small cloud, impairing the man's vision temporarily. "That won't work on me kid."
"Ya sure about that?"
Ragna felt something sharp dig into his back. "Gah?! Sunnava-." He was cut off from his cuss again as another stab hit him in front, the assault not letting up.
All over his body, a mixture of stabs and slashes littered the Reaper as he tried his best to block the attacks with his arm. However with the combination of his lacking depth perception, impaired limb and dust cloud hindering his already limited view, he was at the mercy of the brunette's quick deadly rave.
He clenched his teeth in anger, the cloud now clearing up giving him a better sight line. This didn't last long as his vision suddenly saw the ceiling above, the last thing he saw being the pipsqueak gliding to a stop before kicking him in the chin. "You're wide open!"
Not letting up her advantage, she followed through the kick with an upwards slice before piercing forward her off-hand into his chest, cocking in the new bullet before firing off the round.
Ragna flew back from the explosion. "Demon Flame!" The girl cried, her sleeves glowing an orange hue as a R/W disc appeared before her. Soon after, a large pillar of fire engulfed the man as he let out a guttural yell from the heat as it didn't let up.
Seeing the fire engulf him, the girl let out a scoff. "That's what you get for underestimating me." She turned around before sighing. "Yet another easy victory for me. I wonder how it must feel to lose a fight." The fire began to dwindle before putting out as the spell ended.
Another fight where someone thought of her to be an easy target. Admittedly whilst it was advantageous as the normal idiot would quickly find out that wasn't the case, it grated on her nerves to always be mistaken as a freebee.
Still, she had a job to do as guild member. One of them also involving locking up hooligans just like the one she sent packing.
'Man, it feels good to put troublemakers in their place.' She thought. Now for the annoying bit, taking them back for someone else to lock him up for her and then coming back here to continue her mission. She had an escape button at the ready at any time for emergencies, but to think she'll have to waste it on bringing him back.
She'd rather not waste it, but she can always pick one up again from the guild.
"How about I change that for you?" A voice behind her stated coldly, causing a chill to rub down her spine.
She quickly turned in shock to see the man standing despite her finishing combo. How the hell is he still conscious after her Demon Flame? That move is enough to send most people out like a light, and the most damage he had was a bit of singeing on his jacket and small cuts.
"How ar-." The brunette was quickly cut off as she jumped back, narrowly avoiding the lump of metal that strike where she was just standing. The force causing the ground the splinter as debris flew up, her hands covering her face.
"Try this on for size!" He yanked the sword out before sending it into her chest before extending it, the blade cutting her. A pained scream escaped her lips; however he wasn't done yet as he brought the blade down as it slammed her into the ground.
Seeing her ground, he carried the momentum before turning and batting her aside with the blunt side launching her like a ragdoll. She grinded to a halt as her qatars dug into the ground, forcing her to slow down as she tried to gather her bearings.
As she looked up, her face flashed with fear. The silver haired man now in the air launched himself towards her, the beaten-up sword now take on the form of an unfinished scythe, as if it were missing a piece. "I'll cut you down!" he yelled, vitriol in his voice.
Time slowed down for the two.
Ragna looked at the battered girl, her eyes clenched shut as she seemingly prepared herself to take the hit, almost accepting her death. Such a sight struck him to his core, reminding him of his intentions. 'Damnit, I'm taking this way too far. Shit.'
With a turn, he turned the scythe to its back side and slammed down the head.
Crack~
The scythe lodged into the ground beside her, narrowly missing her. Her eyes slowly looked to the side towards the noise before widening in shock, realising how close she was to potentially becoming a goner.
Her face turned pale before her eyes began to droop as she fell onto her back, tired, and battered from the exchange. With the girl passed out, Ragna ripped Aramasa out the ground and returned it to its sword form before returning it onto his belt as he observed his surroundings.
Bits of the ground was broken up from his hard swings and the other disrupted and scorched by the girl's magic. Debris littering the place with crystals strewn about the place. All in all, they made a mess.
The aftermath left a sour taste in his mouth as he looked down at the girl. He let his anger and frustration out on the girl without him knowing it and paid the price by almost killing her. Him being confused and frustrated about everything happening didn't excuse his actions.
He was better than this, and he was sure if his Master were here to witness his actions, he most certainly would have beaten his ass for it and then some. Frankly, he was welcome to it.
Ragna sighed and went up to the self-proclaimed Wind Walker and picked her up by the waist and put her on his shoulder. He had to make it up to her after all, no way in hell he was just gonna leave her here in this state where someone could rob her or encounter a monster unconscious.
Perhaps when he met up with Neptune and Compa, he could get the nurse to nurse her back to health like she did with them. That way, at least it won't be as awkward for when she woke up again. He'd rather avoid the confrontation and make another misunderstanding by taking her without her permission and wakeup to him by her.
The Reaper winced at the thought. Yeah, its best he starts finding them.
After securing the girl on his shoulder, the walls and ceiling shook with an aggressive shake. The hell was happening now.
He moved towards the cliff side to try and find out the origins of the tremors. It didn't take long as before him, a large monster appeared before him, signs of injuries and battle coating it as it clawed the wall trying to stop its momentum before halting to a stop.
It turned its mandibles and head in a 180 degree, before noticing the man and unconscious girl. It screamed in a ear breaking screech before jumping off and clumsily clasped at the edge of the cliff he stood upon.
'Shit! Why does this shit always happen to me?!' The Reaper though as he struggled to keep himself up right.
Normally this sort of encounter would be fine as he could fend for himself just fine but having been injured himself as well as having to care for someone else, it just wasn't a choice if he didn't want to risk her life.
With a disgruntled growl, Ragna leapt towards one of the broken holes the creature made during its fall before repeatedly jumping away further up the chasm.
A crazed howl escaped its mouth, the monster looked up at the escaping man before burrowing after the Reaper, intent of capturing them and not letting them live.
The chase was on, and they both had no intention of losing.
Omake after the Author Notes.
Word Count: 5407
Started: 23/06/2023
Final Draft: 02/07/2023
AN:
Hey, welcome back to the latest chapter of this story. Slightly longer wait you had to endure for this chapter but that was mainly due to work taking up most of my free time, as well as having recently held a local theatre play for one of my newest creations. To everyone who had attended that IRL, I thank you for enjoying it. And to my Japanese friend who was there.
応援ありがとう。
I've actually written waaay too much for this chapter, having written about 11k words, however upon seeing that and taking the time to redraft and edit such, I've made the decision to cut it down. So Part 2 and potentially a part 3 will happen before the end of this little saga. Do note, this is a semi-slow burn story. I'll be sure to make it more apparent in the bio and top of the story to remedy any future confusion as to the pacing of the story.
There's something I want to address about the story that people seem to have confusion about, and in their defence it is something I am actively trying to both make more apparent and remedy as the story goes on. And that mainly is the setting of the story, as in which timeline and versions of the Neptunia cast I am using. And to answer that, it's simple.
The characters are more heavily inspired by the original PS3 Hyperdimension Neptunia, and with some sprinkles of their Re;Birth iterations. It doesn't help that the story literally partially uses the Re;Birth name, implying that it's the 1st remake iteration of the games as well as so far following the story line of Re;Birth 1, but as the story progresses it will definitely show it is more the original than remake. I tried making this more evident through the specific encounters of enemies featuring the Jaki and Imps from the original and other items lost from the remake. Sorry for the confusion!
Another thing is that the timeline is a bit hard if you aren't paying full attention to all the minor details I sprinkle in as well as other indications. So if you want to have a short rundown of the timeline of things, here:
Prologue with Histoire (200 year anniversary of the Console War) Timeline [REDACTED](?) Ragna's and Neptune's Awakening (Thousands of Generations after 200 year anniversary)
That's the rough and short of things! Also another thing I'd like to ask, would you prefer the current weekly(ish) schedule I have of writing about 5k words a chapter, have shorter chapters of about 3k words every couple or so days or 7k+ words biweekly? I'm sort of torn since my schedule might be a bit sporadic with my current work and hobby so I wanted to get some input on that and people's opinions.
Remember to review and criticisms as it gives me motivation and will to continue to make more chapters.
Either way, enough rambling, onto the reviews.
Pete - Oh darn. If Ragna come into the scene and see the girls get badly injured... I kind of see the overgrowth insect is about to be put through hellish beating up by our favorite grim reaper.
He'd definitely be pissed about seeing them hurt. He is a total softie so he'd rain hell on it whenever he gets the chance.
NeroAlmia – Long one so I'll break it down.
Like I addressed earlier in the AN, this story is still in its infancy stage essentially, so a lot of the interesting stuff I will introduce down the line will hopefully earn your intrigue. I have loosely been following it along so far as I am using it to develop and build the world through Ragna experiencing it for the first time. Hence why Compa acts as a pseudo-guide for now.
In regard to their personalities, their iterations are more based on the original Neptunia game with sprinkles of their Re;Birth counterparts. So expect a more satirical and slightly less goofy Nep, less air-headed Compa and more bitchy IF. It's more so for to better fit the upcoming Blazblue mature direction I have cooking up. But that's neither here nor there. I've already added a bunch of OG Neptunia references and material, so to all oldschool fans, hope its been cool to see.
Like I said, this has a lot of worldbuilding and references to a lot of things to stuff to both franchises, so I'm sorry if a lot go under the radar or don't hit as much as I'd like it to. I'll be sure to improve on that and amend things in the future when I get more time.
And just to make it clear, I don't plan to add many Blazblue characters outside of a select few exceptions almost nigh unaffected from Ragna's Post CF actions. That should help narrow things down for you, if the interaction between Histoire and System wasn't already a dead giveaway.
ShinryuseiJin - I am happy that this story is continuing to be great I hope it will continue also is ragna going to react to IF voice because which I think at this point a lot of people know that IF voice actor is same as Rachel / Also I agree I hope it will be usual harem thing for ragna.
Damn, someone already predicted the little joke I did with IF before I could publish this first part. And for now, harem hijinks and such will be regulated to omakes. I want to make a somewhat serious story so unless things start to naturally work out between Ragna and a character, it won't happen until it does.
That will be the last time I will address the pairing questions, so either refrain from asking in the future or just PM me and we can discuss more there and such.
Now, onto the omake.
Omake – To Compile her Heart, One.
It was a normal day in Planeptune as the group lounged about in the living room of the tower. Sitting on the floor was Neptune, furiously mashing away on her controller as she seemed concentrated on the game. It was a new game that been recently released from Lastation, the latest entry for a legacy series revolving around Mechs and Cores. Admittedly, the game looked interesting to the Reaper as he sat on the couch.
He won't admit it, but Noire's nation made for some interesting titles, but if he said that out loud it would only stroke her already insecure ego and cause her to go on a tirade of how right she was. He'd have to give her another visit, that virtual reality station where it simulated you piloting one of those mechs seemed cool.
"Nep-Nep, Ragna, it's almost breakfast time. What would you like to eat?" Came a voice behind them.
Neptune didn't stop her gaming session, totally absorbed in her battle.
"I'm thinking something spicy would liven up my day a bit. However I won't say no to your homemade Tentama Udon." Ragna replied as he swivelled his towards her.
Compa stood in the kitchen with a pink apron on, in the middle of it was a red heart. She was currently looking through the fridge, looking over the ingredients they had at hand. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail, giving off a more mature appearance compared to her usual look.
'Hm, cute…' The Reaper thought before stopping himself. Where'd that thought come from?
"Hmm. It seems we're out of food, even pudding." She said, closing the fridge with a troubled frown.
"WHAT?!" Neptune cried out in response, dropping the controller she had in hand. She was atop the couch, right next to Ragna and freaking him out from the suddenness of her appearing out of nowhere. "There's no way that we could be out of pudding already!" She paused before pondering for a moment. "Hmm. Then again, I think I remember going through my last secret stash behind the TV during my marathon last night…"
"If that is the case, why don't you and Compa go down to the market and pick up some groceries then?" Replied a gentle voice.
The trio turned towards the voice and was greeted with Histoire and IF, walking side-by-side out from the balcony. It seemed that whatever they were discussing had finished.
"Awww, but Histy I still need to complete this level." Whined Neptune as she slinked down into the couch. "Plus, don't we have that ultra-mega important meeting between Planeptune, Lastation and Leanbox coming soon? Something to do with IP rights, games on their consoles and yadda yadda?" She continued as she pouted. "I need to have this done so I can fully concentrate on that when I eventually get around to it."
"Really Nep? That's your priority right now?" IF said, giving her a stern look. "Seriously, its not even that far from the tower. It'd do you some good going outside every now and then instead of just being cooped up here for hours at an end. Even Gear is out more often than you and she's got her eyes on her latest invention."
With that being said, it was true. Neptune rarely ever did get outside unless she got kicked out by Histoire, wanted to visit the other nation's (most Noire's to tease her) or pickup something games related that she was interested in.
He himself did more quests and helped around the guild every now and then, often tagging along with IF or just going on journeys around the landmasses and seeing the sights. With there being peace, it allowed him to start trying more things out that he never got the chance to back in his old home. Well, outside of cooking that is.
It felt strange doing things for fun and to pass time, but the girls helped him slowly adjust to it.
"It's okay guys, really." Compa said trying to dissuade Histoire and IF from kicking Neptune out the tower again. "I'll just pick something up real quick for us to eat. I'll be back before you know it!"
"Hold your horses, I'll come with ya." Ragna interrupted, getting up from the couch. "Might as well start my day off better than lazing about like Neptune here. Besides, I prefer the outside weather."
Compa smiled at his offer and went to hang up her apron on the rack. In the back, Neptune cheered at avoiding going outside. It didn't last long as she was quickly surrounded by IF and Histoire who began to lecture her on her attitude and work ethic as the CPU.
Seeing the trio occupied, Ragna and Compa headed towards the lift and grabbed their coats. Ragna's signature red jacket whilst Compa decided to adorn a maroon button up, before entering the lift and going down towards the food market.
…
The food market for Planeptune was in full season, stalls of fruit, vegetation and different foods and meals on display for customers and residents to buy. Every nook and cranny was crammed with items stacked on top of one another.
As they entered the area, it was apparent that there were lots of customers as walking through tight and awkward to manoeuvre. So much so that Compa almost got swept up in it all from the bustling.
"There, I got'cha!" Ragna said. His hand reached out before grasping the wrist of the almost lost nurse and pulling her from the crowd. "Can't have you getting lost on me now can I? After all, we still need to get those ingredients for breakfast so that Neptune doesn't cause a fuss."
Due to his height, the silver haired man towered over most of the residents of the nation which made him stand out easily. Alongside his 'protagonistic', as Neptune dubs it as, and unique looks, a lot of people take notice and even stare at the Reaper. Be it they're charmed or disgusted, it wasn't exactly something he knew how to take it as.
But right now, it helped him find Compa easier.
"Thanks Ragna, it's getting a bit scary with how many people there are." Compa thanked with a grateful smile. Cute. "Maybe we should go deeper down the market and get to somewhere with less people."
Ragna nodded at the suggestion. "Right. That'll make searching for stuff easier for us." He looked around the place, tightening his hold just enough so she didn't get swept up again. "I think over there looks spacious enough. Come on, I'll lead us there."
She gave an understanding hum in response before letting the Reaper make a path for them, gently guiding her towards their next destination. It felt nice with how considerate he was being of her, the tingling sensation in her stomach fluttering a bit from the gesture.
It didn't take long for the path to clear up and before they knew it, they were in front of a stall that had various fruits. "Oh, look Ragna. They're selling some special seasonal apples and melons. Do you think we should pick some up to snack on later?"
The nurse pointed towards the food on display, marvelling at their shine. Well it was starting to get a bit hot, something sweet and watery like that would be nice. "Huh? I don't see what makes them any special to normal apples and melons. They got more nutrients or somethin'?" Ragna replied, his gaze analysing the fruits.
Compa picked up one of the apples before depositing some credits from her purse onto the table. A flash consumed the credits before a ding sounded, acknowledging the transaction as successful. She took a small bite out of apple, chewing on it before turning it around and showing it to Ragna.
"These fruits are special because at this time of year, they grow to form these flavoured sugar-like crystals in their layers inside. Each bite tasting sweeter compared to their normal counterparts. They also have chances of being more refreshing as a result!" She explained with glee. "Here, why don't you try one yourself?"
The apple rest atop her open palm. Ragna looked towards the fruit before moving his hand and taking the apple and moving it to his mouth. With a crunchy sound, he bit deep into the apple, failing to notice the growing blush from the nurse as she stared at the spot he bit into. The one she had took a bite from.
His eyes widened in surprise. Huh, it was sweeter than normal. Though he couldn't see himself eating them a lot, he could understand the interest and reason to their speciality.
"You're right, I guess they are sweeter." He finished the portion in his mouth and looked towards Compa. "Hm? What's got your feathers all ruffled?" Ragna asked, his brow rising in confusion. Despite his confusion, the sight of the more mature Compa was endearing to witness.
She quickly waved her hands in front of his face. "Oh no, its nothing. Nothing at all, don't worry about me. Just thought of something embarrassing for a second is all. Teehee." He wasn't convinced in the slightest. "Let's just find the rest whilst we can…"
With a shrug, the Reaper took the lead towards the other stalls, hoping to find something to cook for breakfast as he continued to take chunks from the sweet apple. Following close behind, the nurse walked beside with a flushed expression with her eyes looking at the floor.
Haaah… It was gonna be one of those days again, wasn't it?
Next Chapter - Vermin's Guarded Treasure Bunkery – Part 2
Expected Release Date: 12th/13th to 20th July 2023.