Interdimensional RED-Coded Contract
Break the Circle
The automatic doors opened without issue, letting Hilda stumble into the reception. She quickly casted one last healing spell on herself, using what sliver of SP she managed to recover on the way here. Green light washed over Hilda, and she started to feel a bit better. Not by much, but anything was better than nothing considering who she was about to face.
Her entrance however gained some attention. Just like the bystanders on the streets of Lastation, the Basilicom staff was also disturbed by her maimed state. One brave person walked towards her with a concerned expression. A manager of some kind.
"Are you alright, miss?" She asked.
Hilda didn't pity the poor woman for what will come soon. Collateral damage was a simple reality in her quest to vanquish the devils. Still, when it's affordable, she had nothing against minimizing that collateral.
Hilda raised her gaze to look at the woman. She stared right at her eyes, not blinking and not looking away. "If you stay calm, you might survive what comes next."
Understandably, the woman was confused and disturbed. But her features were also hardening in response. "Is- is that a threat?"
Without a change of expression or her tone, without any hesitance, Hilda answered.
"No. Just an advice."
And before anyone could react, the area around them darkened, an effect that swiftly spread to the entire Basilicom, spreading over panicked civilians and the intended targets alike, preparing the stage for the end of her overlong journey.
"Let's end this."
With a single sentence the malevolent spirit unleashed her EXE Drive, warping everyone caught in range onto the arena. In the blink of an eye, the darkness dispelled, and Neptune, Noire, Blanc, Vert and Uni looked around in confusion, along with all the terrified Basilicom staff that got taken with them.
"Oh dear, this came out of left field…" Vert mumbled worriedly as she looked around and quickly tucked away the controller she was holding, taking off her headset to let it rest on her shoulders as well. Blanc took one look at the blonde and knew exactly what the woman had been up to just prior to this, but now wasn't the time for snide remarks. She had no idea where exactly they were, other than being on a platform, surrounded by a glyph made out of cursed green fire. It was obvious who was responsible though, and what needed to be done.
Lady Black Heart's determined visage swiftly changed to one of confusion when she saw her people scrambling about in panic. "What the- Where are we? Why is everyone… Neptune, are you alright?!" Noire's gaze landed on Neptune's face, and saw how pale the normally cheery girl had become.
"It's her. She's here." The pink-haired girl said as she summoned her sword and clutched it with shaky hands.
Noire placed a hand on Neptune's shoulder and was about to try to calm her down when Blanc's commanding voice broke through the fearful noises of the crowd. "Get ready, everyone! Noire, Uni, stay close to each other! Vert, protect the civilians! Neptune, you're with me! And all the rest of you, stop running around like headless chickens and-"
Before Blanc could shout any more orders, a green spear shooting out of the ground like a bullet struck her in the gut. The CPUs only had a split second to process what just happened before more followed, the long thin spikes rising from the ground with killing intent. One spear hit Vert's throat. Another stabbed Neptune in the back. Noire quickly shielded her little sister, before throwing Uni up into the relative safety of the air - While she herself was struck by multiple stabbing spears.
The screaming hit a fever pitch as the surrounding civilians fell into mortal terror, trying to flee but with nowhere to go. Uni transformed and flew high above the platform, avoiding the spears with sheer distance from the ground. However the other CPUs weren't so lucky, struck again and again, knocked this way and that, doubling over in pain as the spears found their mark more often than not, keeping them from transforming too.
However, what should've been a bloodbath turned out to be not as severe. Even as the merciless spears occasionally grazed or even stabbed some unlucky civilian who stepped in the wrong place at the wrong time, most remained unscathed, as they were never the target to begin with.
Moreover, not a single drop of red that spilled belonged to the divine. CPUs could only be harmed by very specific means. Hilda knew this much wouldn't be enough to kill these Devils. It was just the opening act.
Amidst the screaming throng of civilians, covered by the spears, the terror and the chaos, black flames snaked along the ground towards their target. The devils hadn't even transformed yet, caught off guard by the situation and ever used to their invincibility. She will take as many as she can in one fell swoop, before they have a chance to organize. The first will be the ravenette, occupied with trying to extricate herself from a mess of spears and checking on her sister's wellbeing.
The CPUs only had a second to react when the black flames emerged from the chaos of spears and fleeing bodies, taking human form as she thrusted the god-slaying sword into Noire. The Gehaburn made contact…
…and then Hilda knew that it was over.
The blow sent the CPU tumbling back, without so much as a scratch on her skin. The Gehaburn failed to pierce Noire's flesh. The malformed edge was too damaged to cut or to stab with, its power as warped as its form. She had underestimated the pyromancer, and rushed ahead to finish things without properly assessing the damage suffered.
Then the world went dark, as someone ran up to her and hit the side of her head. The blow came from her blindside, created by the freezing edge of a brave warrior.
Falcom woke up with Nepgear in an unknown place.
That immediately was weird, as she's never found herself having a need for sleep in here. In fact, she's fairly certain she can't go unconscious at all, much to Hilda's displeasure. So for Falcom to find herself lying on the ground, not knowing how she got there besides that they fell in here was… alarming.
Falcom took a deep breath. "Okay." She looked around. For the first time in a long time, Falcom saw an open space. An open empty space. It was a dark, gloomy and purplish environment. Full of nothing.
She and Nepgear, who was still unconscious or sleeping, were on a rock. One of the few physical objects in this area. It was floating in the void, suspended and not reacting to Falcom's movements, as if it was frozen in time and space. Its surface was rough and uneven, but large enough to comfortably fit both of them.
Falcom put her hand on Nepgear's shoulder and gently shook her. "Nepgear." She called out. "Wake up!"
Nepgear woke up quickly, as if she wasn't really sleeping. "Huh? What is it?" Nepgear said. "Why am I on the ground?"
Falcom got up, giving a hand to Nepgear to help her as well. "We fell somewhere, emphasis on where."
There was another rock before them, and yet another rock even after that. And so on. Rocks floated in space before them - creating somewhat of a path they could follow. It was the only path they could take… besides trying to find out what would happen if they jumped into the void.
But the thing in the distance caught Falcom's eye.
"That place looks kinda familiar."
"Hmm?"
She recognized the building at the end of the path. The LAN Castle, where it all began. It stood proudly at the end of the road, right on the horizon, just as she remembered it, if in much less a state of disrepair.
Falcom pointed at the castle. "That's where I found the sword."
That was all Nepgear needed. "Oh. S-Should we go there?" She didn't want to go there.
Falcom looked around, finding nothing but empty space. There was truly no other option but to go in that direction. As if some higher force wanted them to reach that place. "We don't really have any other option." Falcom said.
"Y-You go first, then!" Nepgear said. "You know this place better than I do."
"Fair enough." Falcom nodded. "Let's go."
Falcom walked over to the edge of the rock they were on, before taking a small leap. Her foot landed on another rock. Just like the first, it didn't move at all, as if it was embedded in the void. Falcom waved at Nepgear that it was safe to cross.
Nepgear gulped, looking down into the void below. What would happen if she fell? Or if she was pushed off? What if it was another trap left by Hilda? Dozens of unanswerable questions went through her mind, before Nepgear gave up on thinking and just leapt over the gap.
The gap wasn't big, no feat of strength needed. It was however big enough that you actually had to put some force behind the jump and think where you would land.
Nepgear did none of that.
She jumped not far enough. Her foot landed on a slope right at the edge of the rock, before slipping off. In that moment Nepgear was in a freefall, dropping into the void below.
Then Falcom caught her wrist.
For a few seconds, Nepgear and Falcom stared at each other. Both of them wide-eyed and in shock. Falcom breathed heavily, both from the adrenaline and effort. Nepgear was too panicked to react. Eventually Falcom managed to force out a question. "Y-You okay there?"
Nepgear nodded, and Falcom lifted her up.
When they were back on the rock, Nepgear already felt like she's had enough fear and terror for the rest of her life. At the very least the rock they were standing on was solid. Despite being held by nothing, it hasn't moved at all when Falcom was lifting her up.
Falcom sighed, trying to calm her nerves. "Okay. Let's not do that again."
Nepgear felt inclined to agree. The first step and they already almost fell in. If it wasn't for Falcom, Nepgear wasn't sure what would've happened to her. "T-Thank you." She stammered out.
Falcom chuckled amid her heavy breaths. "You're welcome."
They eventually got up. Another rock stood before them, another step on their path to reaching the LAN Castle, and finding out what was in there. Why was it there? The next jump came out much easier and with much less danger, after Nepgear had her first jump for reference, and as an all too scary reminder to focus.
"I got an idea." Falcom said. "What if you try to transform? We could really use your flight right now."
Nepgear… hadn't thought of that yet, but now she felt embarrassed of not doing it earlier. She could've saved herself so much panic and misery by simply using her HDD. "Okay." Nepgear nodded and turned on her HDD.
But nothing happened.
"I… uh. I'm trying." She tried again, but to no avail. The HDD wasn't turning on.
Falcom saw her struggle. "Well. At least we tried." She said with a shrug, "Nothing we can do about it, let's just go."
She took a step forward, and then stuff happened.
Even after seeing her parents die. Hilda understood.
Even after knowing that her best friend killed them. Hilda forgave.
Until one fateful day where she didn't.
People were surprised when the news broke out. Hilda assaulted Uzume, the one who she was meant to protect. This sudden change in behavior and personality was unexpected to all, but one person.
Histoire questioned Hilda for it, and the retainer in an unprofessional manner offered no reason nor any defense for her own actions. Instead she said that Uzume deserved that, and worse. Histoire, surprised by Hilda's change of demeanor, ordered Hilda to take a vacation - believing that stress and grief were the cause of all of this.
Hilda left the Basilicom, and came back a year later.
With an army, and a rebellion.
Everything around them changed. New land began to spread, transparent with a green tint. Crowds of people suddenly appeared, gathering around them, screaming and roaring into their ears. Nepgear was more than a bit startled, looking around in shock, but Falcom immediately recognized what it was. A Wraith Manifestation.
An enormous one at that.
"Soldiers!"
A loud, rough and familiar voice echoed out. This time it was Falcom who almost leapt out of her skin as she heard Hilda's voice, only to realize it was just the Wraith Manifestation. A Wraith Manifestation of Hilda herself.
The Ghost stepped out in front of them, or at least Falcom thought it was her. The green tint of Wraith Manifestation made some features hard to see, but she could recognize her voice from anywhere.
"This is it! Our destination: The Devil's own home. We can end this today. The machines, the monsters, the cataclysms, we've fought and defeated all of them to protect our families! Now we will fight a Devil, and we WILL prevail! Then we will go home and rebuild, create a new home for ourselves! A home free from so-called Goddesses!"
This Hilda actually looked different than the one Falcom was fighting with all this time. Her hair was longer and tied in a ponytail, and she was clad in a gambeson, with leather and steel armor protecting the vital areas and limbs.
"This fight will not be easy, but I'll be there with you! I will fight and protect you with all I have! All I ask is that you do the same."
Nepgear leaned closer to her companion. "F-Falcom, what's going on? Is this…?" She asked in a frightened whisper.
"It's another Wraith Manifestation, yeah." Falcom answered calmly, "This is someone else's memory though."
They watched the scene happening with interest, or at least Nepgear did. The Candidate had almost no idea what was going on, but Falcom remembered a few details. This happened right before Hilda stormed the castle, right before Hilda and the Deity of Sin fought against one another. And before Uzume wiped everyone's memories of herself.
"We will march in two hours!" Hilda continued. "They are already expecting us, but they don't know just how prepared we are. Steady, men! Today all of this will end!"
Soldiers cheered as Hilda finished her speech, and Hilda pulled out her blade. Even by just its outline, Falcom recognized the Gehaburn in her hands. The Wraith Manifestation started to end, and because of it the soldier's cheers began to fade out. Soon after, Falcom and Nepgear were the only ones left.
Having no context to what just happened, Nepgear found herself strangely moved by Hilda's words to her men. "I assume this is where it all began… So, what happened after?"
"Hilda attacked the home of your and Neptune's predecessor, killing almost everyone inside."
Falcom's blunt and straightforward answer put a stop to Nepgear's thoughts. The Candidate's face turned pale, imagining the slaughter that had occured. "W-Wha-? What the goodness, that's horrible!"
"Mhm." Falcom nodded in agreement. "Luckily, she didn't succeed in the end. Come on, let's go. We'll probably see more up ahead."
Nepgear perked up and tried her best to follow Falcom, following her footsteps as she jumped from one floating island to another. The gaps between them hadn't grown any smaller, but the pinkette was getting used to the pace now.
In the silence, Nepgear spoke up. "So, I remember you said this was an ability of yours. So you can make these Wraith Manifestations happen anywhere? Like, outside, in the physical world?"
"Yeah. I saw them at the real LAN Castle first, where they happened on their own. After that, a… friend gave me the power to see them pretty much wherever I want. I can't show other people though, not normally."
"That sounds super interesting! Being able to see past events in real time through your own eyes… You'd be the best historian in the world!"
Falcom nodded to the side, considering the idea. "I guess…?" She could technically see events that weren't documented by their predecessors, nor had any other evidence of them happening. If she could somehow show everyone else her Wraith Manifestations, or get evidence of them existing, she could probably revolutionize the history of Gamindustri.
…That actually sounded like a decent plan. If Falcom ever couldn't be an adventurer for some reason, she could work on recording the history of Gamindustri. Maybe Samantha could even help her with the Wraith Manifestation. "That actually sounds like a good fallback plan. Like," Falcom turned towards Nepgear, corners of her mouth turned into a smile. "if I ever took an arrow to the knee."
Nepgear blinked blankly in confusion, and Falcom didn't blame her for it. "Compa or Medic could help you if you ever get injured."
Falcom snorted, the smile dropping a bit. "Fair enough." She turned back towards the castle. "Let's go."
Hilda hated her.
Hilda hated her.
She killed her family, and murdered her own people.
With her own hands, Uzume let monsters invade her own nation.
Hilda couldn't forgive her.
Hilda wouldn't forgive her.
Bearing the sign of the rebellion, Hilda Gehaburn marched towards Uzume's home.
Using the last Blessing her once-called friend gave her, she created a sword capable of penetrating even the most impenetrable defenses. Able to kill those unable to be killed.
And with this sword in hand, with an army behind her back, Hilda Gehaburn rebelled against Uzume.
The world will be saved from the devil masquerading as the divine.
Another Wraith Manifestation so soon?
Falcom frowned, as green again appeared within their vision. How important was this place for so many memories to be here?
This time a massive gate appeared before them, green and translucent. Falcom and Nepgear stopped, seeing armies before them - charging headfirst towards the gate. Out in the front, Falcom could see a battering ram making its way forward. Arrows fell on it from the walls, but the people pushing it were protected by the wooden roof.
Hilda ran next to the battering ram, and with a burst of SP she jumped right onto the walls - crossing an inhuman distance in a single leap. The defenders were caught in a surprise, which gave Hilda enough time for her to cut down the nearest person and then rush at the next target.
This distraction gave the people at the battering ram free reign to proceed. The enormous log loudly crashed against the gate, almost forcing it open. The men manning the ram didn't waste time to reset the log. Hilda fought like hell to protect them, simultaneously fighting off five men that came at her from both sides. Hilda was winning that encounter, and her advantage only grew after she managed to injure two of her opponents.
It took the battering ram three tries to finally pry the gate open. Nepgear jumped back as more soldiers appeared from behind them, charging at the now open gate without fear or hesitation. Arrows and spells were flung at the walls, suppressing the defenders and opening them for Hilda.
The Wraith Manifestation ended shortly after, with the gate of the castle being overrun by Hilda's forces. Falcom was disappointed to see nothing she hadn't known already. Nepgear on the other hand was left amazed. "D- Did she just jump right on top of that wall?!"
"Yes."
"And she fought 5 people?!"
"Yup."
"And she actually won!?"
"Mhm."
Falcom nodded at each question Nepgear sent her, adding to the awe Nepgear felt. "Woah."
It just occurred to Falcom that she actually saw this moment before. The battering ram was the first Wraith Manifestation she saw. Everything besides that however was new. "You know, all of this is kinda exciting!" Nepgear said. "I mean… Wait, how did this all happen? I don't remember reading anything about this."
Was that a growing interest in history? "Uzume wiped herself from the world. She used her power to remove every physical trace of her, and that includes her nation." Falcom shrugged.
"H-How did she do that?"
Falcom shrugged. "She had the power to fulfill any wish she had, she just had to wish for it."
Nepgear's eyes went wide as saucers. "W-What the goodness!? That's scary!" She exclaimed, looking down, trying to comprehend how vast her predecessor's power must've been. The power to grant any wish, to bend the very laws of reality on a whim. However benevolent she might've been, it was inevitable that something would go wrong, just one bad day, one mistake… And with that same power, she chose to rewrite the world and… erase herself. To remove all evidence of her having ever existed.
"...Thinking about this hurts my head."
Falcom snorted and nodded. "Yeah, I also don't really give it too much thought. It's all in the past."
They carried on with their march, reaching the gate of the walls with no trouble. It was the same gate Falcom had seen back when she was in the real LAN Castle. The same one that Hilda just cut in the Wraith Manifestation. It was open, letting the two of them into the castle's grounds. It was a familiar sight to Falcom.
The statue looked different. Instead of the destroyed remains back in the actual LAN Castle, this one was whole. Falcom could clearly make out facial features of Neptune's and Nepgear's predecessors. To Nepgear this woman was a stranger, but Falcom had already seen her before.
Our dear protector and the leader of this nation.
Uzume
Nepgear tilted her head. "Is that her?"
Falcom nodded. "Yeah."
"She looks… nice."
Nepgear tried to mimic the pose Uzume was making. Raised right hand, left one kept at a small distance. Spreaded out legs. Clenched fists. Nepgear couldn't keep it up for long, and not because the pose was something difficult to actually do. "T-This feels silly…"
Falcom chuckled. "This isn't your style. Let's go a bit further, the gates are right there." They reached the entrance to the castle and after a brief glance back to Nepgear, Falcom opened the doors… and stopped.
She had expected to see the same LAN Castle interior as she did in the real version, as logic would dictate. Instead, there was just a room. A single, spacious room illuminated by mysterious light coming from the colored glass. An old red carpet lay in the middle of the room, its brilliant patterns and golden trims faded with time.
On one side of the room was a great stone statue of a woman, eyes closed and hands clasped in prayer. A valkyrie that once made her last stand against Hilda's might. Arfoire, the Deity of Sin.
"W-Wait, is that?" Nepgear pointed at a figure standing before the statue, watching Arfoire with a thousand yard stare. It was a woman with a long blue ponytail and eyes. Armored in leather, cloth and blue steel.
She noticed that Falcom and Nepgear were approaching, as their feet made loud sounds on the checkered tiles on the floor. Despite that, she kept her gaze on Arfoire. "If it wasn't for her, I would've reached Uzume. Given her what she wanted." She said, her voice raised loud enough for them to hear her properly.
Falcom answered without stopping. Slowly advancing towards the woman with Lullaby Song drawn, and held in her hand. "And that was?"
It just occurred to Falcom that they were looking at Hilda. The real Hilda Gehaburn. Back from when she was still alive, and not merely fused with her body. She still wasn't looking at them. She was engrossed with the sight of her former rival. The last opponent she met before Uzume reseted the world.
"Death." Hilda answered. "I knew it was all a mistake. I forgave her for everything… but she still felt bad about it. So bad that her powers went out of control once more - Turning me into this. An embodiment of hate. She wanted me to hate her, and so I began to hate her. And everyone that was like her. I created a weapon to kill her using her own powers, sparked a rebellion, stormed her castle… and ultimately failed to kill her. All because Arfoire, who also had Uzume's Blessing, bought enough time for her and Histoire to do whatever they planned. Reset the world and make everyone forget about her… Everyone except a few people."
She finished her tale, and Nepgear actually felt a little bad for her. Forced to hate not even through her own will. Falcom however was a different story. "Cool story." She said, disregarding everything that was just said. The adventurer stepped forward, grabbing Lullaby Song with both hands and shifting into her battle stance. "Give me my body back."
"No." Hilda shook her head and finally faced Falcom. "I will not stop. My crusade will either be victorious, or I will die fighting for it."
Hilda put her hand on the hilt of the Gehaburn, slowly drawing the cursed blade out into the open. It was perfectly clean, the blade perfectly sharp. An instrument of death with no impurity or flaws. Freshly created and ready.
Sensing the prelude to battle, Nepgear took a spot next to Falcom. Hilda's gaze turned towards her. Her gaze was piercing, hostile and wrathful, but Nepgear wasn't scared. This time she was armed. This time she won't run away.
"No matter how many CPUs you gather, I will not yield." Hilda said. "They may be on your side, but their presence also empowers me."
"Ok."
Then the ground started to shake.
Falcom tensed, steadying herself. She felt a sudden flash of pain in her head, which made her wince. Hilda also felt it, but harder. "Gah!" she yelped, clutching her head. Collapsing onto her knees.
"W-What's going on?" Nepgear asked.
"Your dumb i-interruptions." Hilda answered, sucking air through her gritted teeth. "We've just been hit. Hard."
Falcom chuckled through pain. "Oh, nice. Why do I feel it too?"
"It's still partly your body." Hilda remarked irritably. "Also, we're now unconscious."
Falcom's eyebrows shot up, surprised by the news. They actually managed to knock her unconscious? Who was she fighting with? "The damage was severe. You cannot take the reins back now!" Hilda said. "I can keep your body alive, but only if I control it."
"No." Falcom shook her head, just as the ground shook once more. "Give me back my body!"
"You will die!"
"I don't give a shit!"
They both glared at each other, neither side willing to give up. Falcom's grip on the Lullaby Song tightened, but Hilda was too far. She would see the attack coming.
"Your life has some worth, Falcom." Hilda said. "Don't throw it away."
This just pissed Falcom off even more. She didn't need any of Hilda's concerns. "Then give it back to me."
Hilda closed her eyes and didn't answer. She didn't need to. They both knew each other's stance, and neither one would relent. However Falcom knew she couldn't force Hilda to give up the control, she was too weak to do this by this point.
Then suddenly, Falcom was no more.
There was no warning, nor any sound. She just disappeared out of Hilda and Nepgear's visions. Even Hilda stared in disbelief at the spot Falcom once stood at, just as taken aback as the pinkette who was suddenly abandoned, left alone with her mortal enemy. There was no warning, no residue, and yet, Hilda perfectly knew what just happened.
"They… They actually did it." Hilda said. "They… They've killed her."
Nepgear gasped in disbelief, appalled by the realization that what she just saw was Falcom's death, before she remembered her situation and tried to focus back on Hilda, gripping her sword and preparing herself to be attacked. But Hilda didn't take so much as a step towards her. The tension had been shattered by the sudden disappearance of one would-be combatant.
After a moment of motionless staring, Hilda sheathed her sword back. "...I guess my actions have pushed them to do so." A mirthless chuckle left her lips, creating goosebumps on Nepgear's skin. This was bad. How was Nepgear supposed to defeat her alone? Though, did she even have to defeat her anymore? The will to fight seemed to have left the blue-haired woman.
Indeed, Hilda turned back towards the statue of Arfoire soon, going back to whatever she was doing before. Her expression was unreadable, and Nepgear suddenly didn't know what to do now. She was expecting a fight, but… And how would she even hope to defeat Hilda alone anyway? What should she do even if she defeats her? And Falcom… Was she really…?
Unable to beat just being trapped with her own thoughts anymore, Nepgear found some courage to speak. "So… If Falcom's dead… What now?" She asked, even as she regretted it almost immediately. She had no clue how Hilda would react to being spoken to, by one of her mortal enemies no less. She was lucky however, as instead of going into murderous rage… Hilda just calmly answered her question.
"I promised myself that this would be my last battle using this body… And they've won." Hilda didn't actually sound angry about it. Instead she looked… neutral. As if she expected this to happen. "Now we just have to wait for the next unlucky person to pick up the sword."
"We?"
Hilda breathed in, turning away from Arfoire to face Nepgear. "The Gehaburn gets stronger each time you kill a CPU with it. Their soul becomes trapped, acting like a battery to empower it." Her gaze intensified, starting to unsettle Nepgear. "One way or another, you will remain with me until the end of-"
Neptune cringed when Blanc's hammer connected with Hilda's head. The force put behind the hammer was enough to send the blue-haired girl soaring through the air, before taking an undignified and painful landing.
Blanc put everything she had in that one strike, so the force of that was… oof. The CPU of Lowee however had no mercy to spare for her. She recovered from her attack, shifting back into stance. "You okay?" Blanc asked Noire, as Uni swiftly landed to check on her sister as well.
The 'stabbed' CPU laid a hand over where she should have been impaled, but found no injury save for a hole in her shirt. The sword didn't even go through her skin. "Yes, I'm fine, interestingly enough."
The CPUs waited for Hilda to move. To get up or do something unexpected. The sheer fact that Blanc actually managed to hit Hilda was enough of a surprise, based on records of past encounters. They were ready to activate their HDDs at so much as the twitch of a finger from their assailant… but it never happened. Even the trapped civilians had begun to stop freaking out in the aftermath, giving both the goddesses and the mysterious attacker as wide a berth as they could give. After a few more seconds, Vert was the first one to break the silence. "...I don't think she will-"
Neptune immediately covered her mouth, preventing her from speaking. "Don't! You're raising a dangerous flag, Vert! Next thing you know she's gonna whisper 'Zanzibart, forgive me…' and start phase 2!"
Neptune let her go and Vert didn't dare to speak again. Blanc however gave both of them an exasperated sigh and just walked up to Hilda. Once she was close enough, the CPU of Lowee poked Hilda with her hammer. Once she got no response…
"...Out cold." Blanc declared. Then she raised her hammer.
But she did not swing it down, as Noire grabbed it before she could. "Hold on, is this really necessary?"
"Uh, yeah? Extremely dangerous psychopath that successfully raided the Planeptune Basilicom and stole Nepgear's soul by stabbing her, remember? I got lucky with that. Better to make sure she's not coming back."
Though hesitant, Noire thought for a second and let the hammer go, letting Blanc do whatever she wanted, only for the purple-haired CPU to take the ravenette's place.
"Wait wait wait! First of all, we're still stuck in this weird dark place that she's responsible for, and we don't know if killing her might collapse the pocket dimension on us or anything bad like that! There's all these civvies here too, so it's especially dangerous! And what about Nep Jr.? She still has her soul!"
Blanc groaned and put down the hammer. Without bashing Hilda's head in. "Fine. So what do we do with her?"
"We could tie her up." Vert proposed. "Do we have rope, or something else we could use?"
"Oooh, kinky." Neptune said with wiggling eyebrows, "But I don't think that'll work. She kinda has that whole 'turn into fire' thing."
"Break her kneecaps?" Blanc suggested. "That's gotta do something."
Uni cringed as she allowed her HDD to shut off. "That's a bit brutal. Can we just take her weapon away? That sword is the source of her power, right? Then we can split up; some of us can go look for an exit, the rest will stay here and watch over her."
"That sounds like a horror movie idea!" Neptune chimed in. "Yeah! Let's split up, gang! I will stay here and wait for you."
Noire raised her eyebrow. "You're going to stay with her?" She motioned at Hilda's body.
Neptune fell silent, watching the unconscious blue-haired girl. "Yeah." Neptune nodded.
Blanc shrugged. "Okay, suit yourself."
There was a weird sound behind them, prompting the CPUs to quickly turn around and find a half-naked woman with bright pink hair and a wicked scythe standing there. The same woman that tried to kill them just a few hours ago, once their greatest nemesis, now the most unlikely of allies. CFW Magic was here.
She looked at Neptune, before her gaze snapped to the other CPUs and finally… to the place they were in. A moment later, Heavy appeared with his minigun spun-up. Then Soldier, then the rest of the mercenaries.
Blanc and Noire felt relief at the sight of reinforcements. "Oh, hi guys!" Neptune cheerfully greeted them.
Demoman waved back, putting the Eyelander on his shoulder. "Ay! We're here to have some fun!" He cheered. "Now where's trouble?"
"Knocked out." Blanc said, motioning at Hilda's body. "I smashed her skull, and she's not getting up from that."
"You jokin', lass? Just like-" Demoman's gaze turned towards Falcom's body… From that angle he couldn't actually see the state of her face, but there was the great Goddess-hunting psycho right there, limp on the ground. "...Eh, alright then." Shrugging, he came closer to Hilda to check on her. Medic followed his footsteps, but instead of going to Hilda he went to the CPUs.
"Does anyone require medical assistance?" The mercenary proposed.
Noire raised her hand. "...I suppose I was technically stabbed?"
Without a word, Medic used the Quick-Fix on her. The healing beam did almost nothing, merely fixing the hole in her shirt. The CPU shrugged at the beam's ineffectiveness. "Thanks."
Medic gave an annoyed scoff and turned away, looking for a better patient.
At the same time, Soldier had gone as still as a statue. Absolutely frozen in place.
"AAAAAAAH!"
The merc starting to suddenly yell came to the shock of no one at first other than the Lastation duo and their citizens. Even his teammates grew a bit more worried though when Soldier dropped his rocket launcher and started clutching his head. As if in severe pain, Soldier's hands pressed against his helmet. His head lowered to the ground. This was strange, even by the man's usual standards.
Engineer tilted his head as he drew closer. "You okay, Soldier?"
"GAAAAAH!" Came another one of Soldier's bloodcurdling shrieks. "Nooo! Where? Where are we?!"
Engineer looked at Medic, who was staring at him with a raised brow. "Uh, doc? You might wanna check 'im out."
Medic sighed and approached the Soldier, prematurely healing him with the Quick-Fix. The medical beam didn't seem to have any effect though, nor could Medic get close enough for an examination, as suddenly Soldier threw his body up - lifting his face to the sky.
"Lost. Connection. To AMERICA!"
Before anyone could react, Soldier was beside Hilda… with his hands around her head.
And then he snapped her neck.
The sickening crunch was almost deafening. The sound of the spinal column snapping was nothing Noire or Neptune expected to hear. Soldier on the other hand was shaking, clutching his head.
"Oh you motherFUCK-" Blanc swore before stopping herself in the midst of a face twisted with rage, finally letting go with a sigh. What was the point? The deed has been already done. "Well that's great. I guess we get to find out what happens now."
Even as the CPUs looked around concerned that the pocket dimension might be imploding, Soldier still wasn't done. He grabbed the Gehaburn, wrapping his hands around the blade's handle. Demoman's eye widened, the Eyelander not predicting that the merc would do something that stupid. Grabbing a possessed sword with bare hands, right after the last host's death no less, basically offering Hilda a new body!
Demoman reached out to him, only for Soldier to raise the blade… and smash it against the floor. Again and again. Soldier moved at lighting speed, smashing the Gehaburn's blade against the pillar they were standing on. Practically digging a hole in it. Demoman grabbed his hand, but couldn't even slow the demented man down. He continued to swing the sword while wordlessly shouting. How his vocal chords survived all of this is a mystery.
By this point the other CPUs decided to intervene, grabbing his shoulders or managing to grab his hands, but the mercenary didn't even acknowledge them. Blanc tried to stop his hands, but she was being shaken instead, her divine strength somehow being overpowered.
"What is he doing?!" Blanc asked in exasperation, looking towards the madman's teammates, but even they seemed at a complete loss.
"I…" The Eyelander tried to think. "I have no idea. But at least I don't think Hilda is possessing him. Somehow. I can't really check on him for some reason."
Uni frowned. "Maybe she just doesn't like boys."
Neptune took that suggestion, and did what Neptune did best. "Aw man, I can't believe the final boss is a misandrist! What would the readers think?"
"Probably nothing." Vert chimed in.
"Maybe it's because he's just that stupid?" Blanc chipped in. "I mean… It's Soldier. I know I wouldn't possess him. What if it's contagious?"
The Eyelander had no answer to that. He kept staring at Soldier, who was still pounding the Gehaburn into the ground. To his utter amazement, it was working. The sword was being damaged.
"Anyway… what do we do now?" Noire said, trying to steer the conversation into a more productive direction. "I…" She looked back at Hilda's body lying on the ground. "I don't think she survived that."
Neptune stared at Soldier in a mixture of awe and concern. Concern born out of trying to imagine what sort of brain damage Soldier had, and if it was treatable. "You know, it's fun watching him go nuts and all but… seriously, is he actually, um… okay?"
"It's Soldier." Blanc said.
The purple-haired CPU thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Right, that answers that. So business as usual, then. Alright."
Yup, everything was normal. Soldier just immediately killed a ghost that plagued them all. Who was going to be the final boss of this story as well. "This space should disappear in a moment." Eyelander said. "We should prepare ourselves."
"Prepare for what?" Vert asked.
Demoman shrugged, chuckling as he did not know the answer.
It was at that moment Soldier finally did it. With the final swing, the tip of the Gehaburn finally broke. The loud crack took the CPU's attention, and they all felt the air immediately feeling lighter, as if destroying the blade also destroyed the oppressive atmosphere of this place.
Soldier dropped the now broken sword. "Ahh~ Much better." He said with a satisfied smile, easily shaking off the loosened grips of the stunned CPUs as if they weren't even there as he went and picked back up his rocket launcher.
Scout, and some other mercenaries, tried to comprehend what just happened to their teammate. "Yo, Solly. What the hell was that?" Scout said to him. Soldier turned towards him, frowning.
"What do you mean, son?" The merc asked, briefly glancing at Engineer… who was also mildly disturbed by this whole event.
"This whole… uh…" Scout thought of how he could explain what Soldier was doing. He raised his hands, holding them as if he was wielding something, and pretended to smash it on the ground repeatedly, just like Soldier did. Soldier watched him do it, his gaze mocking, wondering what stupidity Scout was doing. There was no recognition from him at all.
He did not answer, as an earthquake cut them off.
"There it is!" The Eyelander said. "This place is disappearing!"
"Aaaaa!" Uni shouted as she struggled to keep her footing. Noire grabbed her by her shoulder, and the CPU Candidate latched onto her hand.
"Everyone, quickly! We need to-"
Then the ground beneath them disappeared, and they all fell into the endless dark below.
…
A short moment later, the mercenaries and CFW Magic found themselves back in the reception area of the Basilicom. "Oh hey, we're back!" Scout exclaimed, as the rest of his team looked around in confusion.
Spy's foot brushed upon something as he tried to get up. He almost tripped because of that, but Heavy was there for him to use and keep himself steady. With one glance down, Spy and Heavy saw Hilda's dead body lying down on the floor. The Gehaburn was right next to her, its tip in pieces.
The Basilicom Staff was there with them, in various states of confusion and tearful relief. "H-Huh?" The receptionist looked around at the familiar surroundings, and breathed deep. "Oh thank the goddesses, we're back…!"
With his foot, Spy moved the sword further away from Hilda's hands. "Apologies for the intrusion." He said to the woman. "We came here to deal with the… problem." That counted as a problem, right? "It should be safe now."
She looked at him. "Ah. Thanks, I guess, even if you were late." She said. "...Didn't I see you guys yesterday?"
"I-" As Spy was figuring out if saying "Yes" would lead to her kicking them out, the doors chimed and an almost naked girl ran in, wielding a sword bigger than her. It was that Guild member from before.
She paused upon seeing the mercenaries and the Basilicom staff. "Is everyone alright?!" She called out. Through the doors, Spy could see the blockade and civilians and other Guild members trying to see what was happening.
The Guild member ran up to the receptionist "Are you injured?" She asked, giving her a look over. The receptionist shook her head and the Guild member went to check on someone else.
Magic watched the Guild member go, before her gaze moved back onto Hilda and the Gehaburn. Neither of these two moved, and it was starting to sink in that they actually killed her, just like that. "I have no idea what to think of this." The ex-Felon said, a mixture of relief and disappointment in her voice. Her injuries had forced her to stop halfway back, with no choice but to expend all of her SP on a low level regeneration spell to stem the bleeding. Even though it was the most rational choice given the imminent risk of passing out in the middle of nowhere, it had still plagued her with guilt as she feared the worst for her delay. Instead, well… "I was expecting… more."
"I mean, it's fine by me." Sniper shrugged. "It's nice when things just work out sometimes. We take those."
Magic couldn't find a reason to disagree with him. "...I guess?" She still felt a bit silly after all of that building up to just win without doing anything. She was even ready to give her life to secure some minor victory over the revenant, just like Brave did.
Soldier clapped his hands. "It was won fair and square! Hooray!"
And just like that, everyone remembered about him. "And… what happened to you?" Magic asked.
"What?"
"You were acting strange after we entered that place."
"Acting strange?" Soldier repeated. "Lady, did you hit yourself in the head?"
Magic shook her head. "No, you went utterly insane back there. Explain yourself."
"I don't know what you're talking about! Me? Insane? Did someone put lead into your water?"
The mercenaries just sighed. "Nothing you say will work on 'im, girl." Engineer said. No matter how much they pressed, they won't get an answer to what just happened.
The poor receptionist was even more confused than the rest of them. "So, can someone please explain what happened? Who is… was this swordswoman, who are you people, what the hell was he doing, I-I'm so confused right now." She asked, turning her pleading face towards each of them. Eventually she settled on Spy, who sighed and began explaining.
"We have-"
And that's when the doors leading deeper into the Basilicom were opened, interrupting Spy. Neptune and the other CPUs stood in the doorway, and the CPU of Planeptune saw and immediately motioned at the mercenaries. "Look Noire, they're here!" Then Neptune looked at what was lying at their feet. "And there's Hilda… still dead. Oh my gosh what have we done?"
The CPUs walked in with Neptune having a minor freak out that yes, they've just killed someone. Not the first time that's happened. Compa was also there, and to the mercs' surprise her face was red and teary.
Demoman looked over at her "Yer alright, lass?" he asked. He saw no injuries, but it still felt appropriate to ask.
"I… uh." Compa sniffed. "I went outside for a bit. There was some commotion around the road, and next thing I knew this big scary dome was over the Basilicom! I was worried about touching it, so I circled around to try to find a backdoor. I finally worked up the courage to touch the shadow stuff just now, and I saw you guys for a second before everything broke and I started falling… It was scary…"
"Ouh, bad timing… But that didn't answer me question. You doing alright now?"
"Yeah, I'm fine now." Compa answered, getting a nod from Demoman.
"I guess everyone is accounted for now, thank goodness." Noire said as she walked towards the mercs, putting herself into the conversation. "No one got hurt, right?"
The receptionist bowed to Noire and quickly excused herself from the conversation. "I saw some people get injured when those spikes came out. I will go help."
Noire nodded and turned towards Spy. "Can you give me an update on what was happening outside? When'd you group up with Magic? Wait, wasn't there one more? The girl that could control fire. Is she with you?"
"She was fighting Hilda earlier. The fight must've ended and Hilda slipped past me while I had to tend to my wounds." Magic reported with a grim countenance, "Since things are under control here, I'll go-"
A chime rang as the doors slid open. Samantha walked in with Fay following next to her. "Hi, Noire." She said casually. "So, Gray Mann's flown the coop." She revealed to them, "He went back to Earth and apparently left a nuclear bomb behind. Don't worry, I took care of it." It was only at this moment that she noticed. "Did something happen?"
CFW Magic silently nodded and tilted her head towards Hilda. Samantha almost pulled out a gun on her immediately, stopping only after realizing that no one else was afraid, that the dark blue was fading from her hair to reveal the red it once was, and the young woman's head was twisted back in a way it really shouldn't be.
"...Ok, what the fuck did we miss?"
Her gaze swept over the present company while Compa started working on Falcom's broken body. The fact that she was lying here dead answered a lot of her questions, while also sparking even more. "Feels like I just missed a whole season." Samantha said.
Magic snorted. "If the season was a few minutes long."
Meanwhile, Noire pushed her way closer to Samantha after registering that she just said something about a bomb. "Hold on. What was that about a 'nuclear' bomb?"
Samantha took a deep breath and explained. "I, uhh… got information that Gray Mann brought some 'insurance' with him, and left it behind in Lastation when he left. We went there, found it, and disposed of it before anything could happen with it. It's not a problem now, don't worry about it."
Once Samantha finished, she took more time to look at the situation. She was pleased to see that none of the CPUs looked to be harmed, but that might be due to Medic's presence. That was good, in any case. Some of the civilians were spooked, but Samantha didn't care about that.
Vert leveled her gaze at Samantha. "How exactly did you dispose of it?"
"Very carefully."
The answer wasn't anything satisfying, but how else could Samantha explain that she simply brought it into True Celestia? It was the quickest and safest option she had at that moment.
Only Neptune was somewhat amused by her answer. The rest were not. "Where was it hidden? How'd you even know there was a bomb?"
"A little birdie told me." A very irritated little birdie in True Celestia that was done taking chances with her characters' safety and was taking liberties with her non-intervention policies.
Out of the corner of her vision, Blanc saw Compa crouching beside Falcom. "Compa! What are you doing?"
The nurse froze, turning around and looking at the CPU. There was blood on her hands, trying to scoop out and gather all of the mangled bits, putting them together for the Medi-Gun to work. "Hmm? I'm saving Falcom." The nurse said.
This was an answer Blanc wasn't expecting, nor Samantha nor anyone else.
"You're saving- Hey hold on, why?! That bitch just tried to kill us!" Blanc said, flabbergasted and more than a bit concerned.
Compa blinked… and then shook her head. "No she didn't, Hilda tried."
"They're the same thing!" Blanc argued.
But Compa was stubborn. "No they aren't!" She pouted. "Falcom didn't want to do any of this, but Hilda made her."
Samantha sighed and joined the conversation. "Compa, if you bring Falcom back, Hilda might return with her."
"But she won't!"
"And how would you know that?"
"Because you will only get possessed by an evil spirit if you get revived the first time! The second revival is safe!"
Blanc was about to retort, only to think about it and nod, now understanding the nurse's fine medical judgment. Samantha however was just more confused by the explanation. "That- That doesn't make any sense!"
"But it's true!" Medic chirped in before the bewildered Overseer could retort any further.
Samantha looked at Medic, staring at him with no sign of amusement. "Really? I know you work all kinds of weird medical science but that still sounds like bullshit."
"Nuh uh, zhis vill vork!"
But Samantha still wasn't convinced. Neptune looked down and saw Samantha's grip on her weapon tighten, preparing to strike. "Hey, let's not be too hasty here! Why not give Compa a shot? She looks like she knows what she's doing! Heck, didn't you know Falcom before? Don't you want her back?"
"I do, but not if it means risking reviving Hilda with her. We just got rid of her."
Medic snorted in a snobbish type of way. "You sound just like zhe other 'professionals'."
Samantha glared at Medic, very unamused with his quip. The fact he was smirking right at her face didn't help. It took all of Samantha's control, and a reassuring grip from Fay, to not just beat Medic's face in.
She didn't do that however, as the Eyelander spoke up and brought his own argument. "With the host body's death, its link to the possessing spirit is severed. So long as she doesn't come in contact with the Gehaburn again, she will not be possessed again. Moreover, the Gehaburn itself has been severely damaged. It's doubtful it can even possess anyone anymore."
Samantha didn't look at the possessed sword. She shut her eyes, her forehead furrowing as more people came to Compa and Falcom's defense. "No." The overseer shook her head. "The world's screwed me too many times to take that risk. My deal was to protect those that survived until now, getting Falcom back wasn't on the list."
Vert raised her eyebrow, finally gleaning an interesting detail on their mysterious 'benefactor'. Then Samantha pulled out her weapon, and Vert almost stabbed her right there and then. Fay disappeared into the Fury and powered it up - while Magic raised her scythe and alternated glances between her employer and the rest, the possibility of a fight rising.
"I will not allow you to revive her. Even if you're certain Hilda's fully gone."
That risk was too great to commit.
But words were all she had.
Because Samantha wouldn't really stop them. Because even more than them, Samantha wanted Falcom to be free. She put the poor girl through too much. Don't bother her more. At worst she will be in a completely different place, with something else to distract her from what happened to her.
But if they were right… If Hilda was gone, and reviving Falcom wouldn't bring her back… Then Samantha wanted to let her stay here.
The mercenaries didn't know if it was a mere threat, or if Samantha would actually attack. But they knew they wouldn't stand a chance in such close quarters, not with Magic backing her up. They waited for what she might do. Vert gripped her spear tighter, preparing to attack if necessary. Noire quietly motioned for the security guards to back off, as they wouldn't be able to handle this.
After a brief moment of silence, Compa made an announcement. "But I already did!"
And that was enough to shock Samantha from her grim thoughts.
While everyone else had been arguing, Compa quietly went back to work. She finished fixing up Falcom's body, quietly dragged her through the lobby while Samantha took most of the attention, took apart a socket in the wall and kickstarted Falcom's brain just like Mister Medic taught her!
The fact everyone missed a short black out, the smell of burnt hair and the sound of electricity running through someone was purely thanks to Samantha Neikan's oblivious efforts!
Just like that, Samantha stood aghast. "Huh?!" She looked at the spot Falcom and Compa once were, seeing nothing there but some blood stains. They were now next to the wall with a dismantled power socket. Samantha said nothing else.
Compa felt proud of herself just as Falcom began to move. No longer was her hair and eyes the shade of blue. Her hair has returned to its crimson color, while her eyes once more bore the orange. The first thing she saw was Compa - whose back was turned towards her. Then she saw Demoman looking at her. He was smiling at her while keeping his hand on the Eyelander's handle.
Falcom was overwhelmed and confused. So many people she knew surrounded her - their attention on her. Some, like Neptune, seemed happy to see her. Others, like Noire or Sniper, were passive and neutral. Falcom couldn't be sure what they were thinking.
Her finger twitched. She hadn't realized it before she accidently moved her hand. Then Falcom's eyes widened and she raised her palm to look at it. It was nothing special - just some calluses on her palms, born from years of wielding her sword. But how it looked wasn't important. How it acted surprised Falcom.
Because she moved her hand, out of her own free will. She could move again. She could control her own body. No longer was she a mere captive, trapped in some sort of mental pocket dimension. That alone made her feel happy… and scared.
Scared Samantha was there. And she could end her moment of freedom with no hesitation. She didn't hesitate back then. This… This wasn't how she imagined this. She didn't really have a plan for what would happen after getting her body back.
She had to say something.
"U-Uh… hi?"
Her voice cracked at the end, but Falcom waited for someone to react.
She actually didn't need to wait long, as Demoman quickly and loudly greeted her back with an enthusiastic "Aye!" and giving her a small wave. No one else said anything, which made the silence more awkward. All eyes drifted towards the one most opposed to Falcom's revival.
Samantha took a step forward.
Compa and Demoman stood in her way, preventing her from getting near Falcom. Samantha pushed them aside. Falcom could now see her face, and the frowned expression she was wearing. Samantha didn't say anything as she approached. Demoman tried to grab her one more time, but Magic created a barrier separating them. Now Falcom and Samantha were locked in together.
And she was standing right in front of her. The Fury in her hand and active, just waiting to be used.
Falcom closed her eyes and waited, hoping that Samantha would at least make it quick.
"Do you remember what I told you?" Falcom heard her speak. "Back in that ASIC hideout. Right after I told you about us?"
Falcom clearly remembered that day. The lethal part of the Firecracker flashed before her eyes, as she remembered that single moment. Samantha tried to kill her, not even hesitating when trying to shoot. "You've decided it yourself."
She did not open her eyes. She kept them closed and waited for Samantha to finish her off. She lived for only a few seconds… but that brief moment was all she wanted. She did it. Hilda wasn't controlling her anymore. Her friends were safe, and they will find a way to get Nepgear back.
"Yes… I'm sorry."
She felt tears building up in her eyes. Falcom gulped, starting to feel sick in her stomach as this moment seemed to drag on forever. The longer she waited, the less she was fine with dying. Here she was, at the end of this horrible, horrible period of her life at long last, only for her life to end almost immediately after.
Not only that, but her soul won't be resting in peace, will it? Samantha said that she marked her for the same fate she has. Endless servitude to beings much higher than her. Changing and destroying lives at the whims of evil gods. A fate worse than death.
Her hands were shaking, but Falcom didn't open her eyes. She was already scared enough of what Samantha was planning. She just waited for the blade to come down on her, or a bullet to pierce her.
But neither came.
"I'm sorry, Falcom. For everything I've done."
Then Falcom felt something. Not pain, or the sensation of being hurt. Instead she felt something touching her… embracing her.
What?
Falcom opened her eyes, and with a tears-blurred vision she saw Samantha crouching down in front of her. Her weapon lay on the ground, put down by Samantha herself, and her arms were wrapped around Falcom's shoulders. Wrapped in the tightest, gentlest embrace Falcom ever felt.
"Welcome back."
Interdimensional RED-Coded Contract
Break the Circle
