Chapter 13: Reunion
I looked at the young girl in front of me. She was dirty, covered in dirt and God-knows what. Her eyes were watery, as if she could cry at any moment, yet despite that I could sense both seething rage and determination within them.
"You have a choice."
I asked her, those eyes of hers bore into my own, a dichotomy of fear and hope pouring from them.
"You can continue alone, fight by yourself as you struggle to survive and bite back against the hands that once fed, but ultimately abandoned you."
The determination in her eyes withered slightly, but never disappeared, her gaze remained unbroken.
"Or you can join me, as I take my revenge on this rotten world."
As I held out my hand, I saw that those eyes of her were apprehensive, as was the rest of her face. I smiled, it seemed she was not a fool, at least.
"Should you do so, you will have that revenge you so desperately seek. You will no longer be weak either, you will have the power to destroy your enemies. That I can promise."
A dainty, frail hand gripped my own. I smiled once more.
"What's your name, little one?"
Zed POV
"My apologies, but something has come up, could we save this for another time?" I asked the man. "Eh, go ahead. Just let me add my number to you phone first, I'll need a way to contact you should ya ever decide to switch landmasses." he replied. Passing him my phone, he did as he said he would, before giving it back. Checking the name he added to his contact, I was finally able to put a name to the mysterious man. "Thank you, 'Wodan' I shall see you at a later date. Goodbye." with a wave, I had left the warehouse and made my way to the Basilicom. On the way, I noticed something quite peculiar.
Around my destination, was blackened earth. Extending tens of metres around the giant building. Observing where it ended, I saw that it stopped just a few metres away from the many homes and businesses that made up the village. (What could have done such a thing?) the ground being blackened suggested a fire of sorts, but surely I would have noticed such a thing? The sheer amount of blackened earth suggested quite a lot of flames. Choosing to eventually ignore the sight in leu of my original goal, I headed towards, and inside, the Basilicom.
Walking up to one of the members of staff, I asked where IF and Green Heart were. The man simply stared at me, something akin to fear in his eyes. "A-asura..." Asura? (A new nickname perhaps.) (Maybe...) ignoring the strange name, I spoke again. "Sir, I was contacted by IF to come here, she said she had found something important." repeating myself, the nameless staff member appeared to snap out of his trance. "Ah, um, second floor, take an immediate right." he said, sounding nervous. "Thank you." I spoke. Following his directions exactly led me to a door. Opening said door, I was greeted by the sight of IF, Green Heart, her staff, and numerous screens of what appeared to be security camera footage. Ignoring the woman I was not exactly fond of, I began speaking to IF.
"What did you find?" I asked. IF smirked. "As luck would have it, we've actually managed to track down the witch. Take a look." she said, gesturing to one of the many screens. The one in question not only showed a mountainside, something I did not know existed in Leanbox. But also a familiar face. White hair framed a pale face adorned with red eyes. It was Arfoire. "Do you know where this footage was taken from? Is it recent?" I asked the brown-haired girl. Her smile only widened. "Yup the footage was taken from a mountain that's nearby. To make things even better, the footage is live, everything we're seeing now is real-time."
"What do we do now then?" I asked. Sure, we knew where she was, but how could we be sure she'd stay there long enough for us to catch up to her? (What is she even there for?) my previous bout with her had revealed her wickedness, she was not someone to make assumptions of. The danger would be too great. That being said, we had to do something. "Simple, we're sending you." …. what? "Excuse me?" I exclaimed. (That's her plan?) the brown-haired girl snorted in apparent amusement. "of course, there's more to it than that. I'll be here to monitor her position, if she moves anywhere, I'll tell you." she said. "As for Neptune and Compa... I don't want them getting involved. They could do nothing against her last time, not to mention my own failure. You though, you could." she continued.
"Have they not gotten stronger though?" I questioned. Neptune and I had sparred quite a few times, so I knew she had grown from where she was initially. Not to mention Compa's awakening to a new form of power. "Surely, they would perform much better now?" she shook her head. "i don't want to risk it." she said simply. There was no doubt in her voice, she believed her own words completely. "Do you really think them that incompetent?" I asked. Had she so little faith in their abilities?
Suddenly the green-eyed girls' tone shifted. "Do you have any idea the pain she caused us last time? Do you really want that happening again?" there was a primal fear laced in her words. Seemingly despite her earlier resilience to the woman's existence, seeing the witch through even the lens of a camera appeared to affect her greatly. Which confused me. (I thought she had gotten better?) (perhaps you were mistaken?) regardless of the reasoning it appeared IF did not wish for the others to be involved. "...very well." I spoke, causing the brown-haired girl to sigh in relief. I trusted her, and if she wished the others to not get involved, then I would not press the issue.
"Then take this." in her now-outstretched hand, lied a small black object. Taking said object into my own hands, I asked a question. "What is it?" fortunately my companion was quick to speak up. "An earpiece. Through it I can keep you updated." she replied. Now knowing what the object was, I placed it in my right ear. IF walked over to what appeared to be controls for the devices in the room, and pressed a button, causing me to hear things out of the newly placed earpiece. "Is it working?" she asked. I quickly nodded my head in confirmation, causing her to smile. "Good, now here's directions to her current location, I'll update you should she decide to go anywhere, so get going." I did as she said, ignoring any questions I had on how exactly she knew directions to a seemingly random mountainside, as well as why exactly Leanbox had security technology.
(Questions for later, I suppose.)
IF POV
Watching Zed leave, I couldn't help but wonder why I reacted so strongly to the witches' presence. I knew she was alive before now and felt far less fear, so why was I so afraid now? (It doesn't make any sense.) I was fine earlier, scared initially, yes, but I calmed down pretty quick. But now? The fear was almost paralysing, and I didn't know why. (If you cannot handle this, how could you ever hope to face the darkness of the unjust?) Suddenly, an unknown voice began talking to me. Looking around, I saw that everyone in the room was preoccupied. (Who said that?)
"IF, are you sure he can handle things on his own?" Green Heart asked, breaking me out of my concentration. "Of course. As much as I don't like admitting it, he's the strongest out our group." it sucked, I was a veteran adventurer, yet I was outclassed by someone who had been one for far less time. "If you say so..." the goddess replied. Focusing on the screens, specifically the one the witch appeared on, I noticed she began to move. Pressing a button, the same one from earlier, I warned my friend. "Zed, she's on the move." I watched as the white-haired woman enter a nearby cave.
"Are there any cameras in there?" I asked the nearby goddess, who shook her head. "No, we've tried many times, but monsters just kept destroying them." she replied. "Zed, she's entered a nearby cave, but she's still in the nearby area, keep going." assuming the cave worked as a dungeon, there would be only one way in and out. A few minutes later, I was proven right, as the same woman exited the cave the same way she entered. The only difference being the smile that was now on her face. Informing Zed of the changes, I began to think. (Why was she smiling? What did she do?)
I knew the woman to be someone with a sadistic streak a mile wide, for her to smile meant she must have done something!
Zed POV
As I neared closer and closer to my destination, I couldn't help but wonder, why was Arfoire here? (If she already has Green Heart's power, why would she return here?) try as I liked, I could not come up with an answer. What could one with power desire of this place? Especially considering it already lacked its goddesses' strength? Nearing the place pictured on the screen, I laid eyes upon the vile witch that was Arfoire, who also appeared to take notice of my presence. "Oh, it's you." she spoke nonchalantly. "Indeed, it has. What brings you here? To this place, this dried up spring?" in response to my inquiry, the woman only smirked.
"That's none of your business. But it is fortunate that I've ran into you, I need payback."
*FWOOSH*
Suddenly the air around her began to change, as a whitish green aura began to envelope her being. an ornate gold and silver spear with green accents appeared in her hand.
"You will die here, boy."
The pressure she now exerted was far above anything I had ever faced. I could feel my knees beginning to buckle under the weight of her power.
Was this the stolen strength of Leanboxes goddess?
Ignoring the exerted force as much as I could, I attempted to summon forth my triplet of blades, only to face disappointment at the appearance of only one. (What is this?) I was given no answer. "What's wrong boy? Finally realised how weak you are? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that feeling won't go away anytime soon. After all...I plan to take my time." my foe replied, sadistic smirk plastered on her face. As she began moving slowly towards me, I tried to move, to do anything!
(ngh!)
But I couldn't
Despite being able to summon a blade, I could not move a muscle. For all intents and purposes, I was completely frozen. "You know, as much as a detest those filthy goddesses, their power has its uses. You are frozen solid right? You can't move a muscle despite trying oh-so hard~ right?" she spoke. "This is the power of a goddess when in the hands of someone who knows how to use it!" she taunted, nearing closer. My mind was too panicked to think properly, what could I do to escape this situation?
I heard Rex try to speak to me, but I couldn't make out a single word.
Was I going to die here?
They say you see your life flash before your eyes before you die, every mistake, every regret, and every happy moment, every one of my unfulfilled goals, all at once.
A life living with a wife and children, a life of peace and happiness. An outcome I wished for so dearly.
Would never come to pass.
The smiling faces of Neptune, of IF, Compa and Noire, as they lived their lives freely and content. A desire to be by their side as it all came into existence.
Gone.
"Don't be so depressed boy, once I'm done, those friends of yours will join you. So, look on the bright side, you won't be alone for long~" her voice was confident, cocky and sultry.
I could do nothing but watch as she inched ever closer. Her weapon poised over my heart.
(Maybe I deserve this? I did murder Compa's grandfather in cold blood. Perhaps this is a twisted form of justice?) I thought.
Her spear was in range, I felt the sharp point pierce straight through my clothes and touch my chest.
!
Feeling returned to my left hand as it grasped a sheathed weapon, right hand forced by unknown instinct over its handle, pulling the weapon free in an instant.
Everything burned, each and every cell in my body scorching, as I felt the metal in my left-hand shift. A cool sensation temporarily permeated my entire left arm, fingertip-to-shoulder, as a mysterious metal slid over it, before the burning continued. My right arm swung upwards, unsheathed blade flinging a spear out of the hands of its wielder. Before I dashed forwards and sliced the chest of my foe, cutting through the shell of her soul, where the stolen power lied.
"That does not belong to you."
I was driven by instinct, my mind flooded with foreign knowledge.
"I'll be taking it back."
I brought my left hand up and, with an open hand, shoved it deep inside her chest, clawed hand digging deep within her soul, before quickly ripping out, removing the foreign divinity from the unworthy usurper, and absorbing it into the metallic plates that made up the sheathe of the sword.
The thief fell to her knees.
Then everything snapped itself into place, bringing me back to my senses.
(Huh? What just happened?)
Looking down, I took notice of a sword in my right hand, and armor covering my left. I felt a pulling sensation as my right hand was poised to hold the blade horizontally, and my left poised itself over the blade. The metal slid down my arm and around the blade, sheathing it once more. The sheathed sword then disappeared into thin air, leaving me weaponless.
And the burning halted.
Within an instant, I felt the power of Golden Trillion flow through my body, attempting to heal the wounds caused by the burning. I ignored the feeling however, as my eyes were drawn to the unconscious form of Arfoire. Pulling on the responsive and abundant energy of my Septima, I brought forth a more familiar blade.
"Save me a place in inferno, would you?"
My sword descended-
!
(Play Azure Striker Gunvolt OST- Swirling Artifice.)
An unknown force drove me back, and an equally unknown figure appeared next to Arfoire. He had short brown hair and heterochromia, having one eye a light blue, whilst the other was blood red. "You shall not touch her, pawn of Alpha. Now, state your na-" the mysterious man began speaking as he turned his eyes from his ally to me. However, as his eyes took in my form, a strange expression appeared on his face.
Recognition?
Joy?
And anguish?
"Noah? Is-is that you?" he spoke, confusing me. 'Noah'? Why did he call me by that name? "Those eyes, that face. There's no mistaking it. I don't know why you dyed your hair and started wearing contacts, brother. But why are you-HOW are you here?" (Brother? I am his brother?) before I could muster up a response, the man turned and looked at something. Following his gaze, I saw a camera, presumably the same one IF was watching me through. "Ah, hold that thought for a second, I'd rather be away from prying eyes." he then snapped his fingers, and the camera burst into blackish-purple flames.
"Now then, what are you doing here Noah?" he asked. I didn't know how to reply. This man called me his brother, yet he obviously sided with Arfoire, someone who was my enemy. He appeared to know me, and called me by an unfamiliar name, but did that mean I could trust him? "...you don't recognise me, do you? I can see it in your eyes. Did Alpha take your memories? I wouldn't be surprised if it did." He spoke of a being called 'Alpha' but I knew no one of that name. "You do not recognise Alpha either... I must have been right then. At least your allegiance with the goddesses makes sense now, you always were someone who got easily attached."
"...Why?" I asked. Out of all the questions I had, one stood above the rest. This man sided with Arfoire, ergo he must have known about what she had done, and what she had authorised. (All those innocent people...) I wasn't a damn saint, but what they had done was beyond monstrous. "'Why' what, brother?"
"Why are you doing this!? You must have known about what Arfoire was doing. All those innocent people, those so-called 'subjects' WHY!?" his face turned into a frown, he looked anguished. "i did what I must. I do not take pleasure from their deaths, but sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. I...i do not expect you to understand, you know nothing of Alpha, or the sins of the divine." sacrifices for the greater good? Is that what they were? "They were people dammit!" I shouted. How could he say it so easily?
!
There was a sudden shift, and my body began to falter. I suddenly felt an insane amount of pressure. Looking at my supposed 'brother' I saw he was wreathed in a black and purple mist.
"i know!"
The mist disappeared, as did the pressure.
"i know, okay. But there are things out there that are far more of a threat then you could ever imagine. Those people died for a purpose, a cause. Their sacrifices are not something I take lightly, nor are they inconsequential, for they played a role in saving humanity." he spoke, causing me to have even more questions. "What threat is so big as to require the deaths of so many innocent people?" I asked. I was still angry of course, but I could not afford to fight him. If I tried, I would die, simple as that. Whatever that mist was, was something I did not wish to mess with.
"Alpha, the creature that brought me here, presumably you as well. It is a being beyond mere deities. It is the concept of fate itself. You, 6 others, and I were brought here due to its influence. This struggle of good vs evil, of light versus the darkness? All of it is a ploy, a fabrication that it keeps in a cycle for its' own amusement. It is a being of pure evil, but it is also a being no mere god or mortal can fight against." he spoke, giving me answers for questions I had since the beginning. ('Alpha? This 'cycle'? Is done for its' own amusement?) I could not comprehend such a thing.
"In truth, it is the main problem, the 'true villain' in this story, I suppose. But it is not the only one. Those goddesses you have befriended are not what they seem." he continued. ('Not what they seem'? What the hell?) the man who was supposedly my brother, appeared to notice my confusion. "I can see you don't understand what I mean. But I doubt you would believe me if I were to tell you. Instead..." he threw a familiar-looking blue crystal-a key fragment! Catching the object, I looked at my 'brother' in confusion.
"You can get the truth from the fairy once you free her. She has no use being in shackles now. Go to Lowee, brother. There you will encounter an ally of mine by the name of 'Blade'. Triumph over him, and he will give you the fourth key fragment, as well as the location of the imprisoned tome. As the being of knowledge, she cannot lie, not to you, nor anyone else. Once you know the truth, Noah, I will allow you to join me." he spoke once more. Something did not add up, however. "If I am your brother, then why are you asking me to do battle against an ally of yours?"
If we were family, then why was I being told to fight? Surely if we were related, he wouldn't want me in harms' way?
He sighed, before looking far more vulnerable and tired than his earlier display of strength would suggest. "You are far too weak, brother. I...i don't want you to die. You will gain strength through conflict, it's the only advantage beings like us have. Through conflict you will gain the necessary strength to be by my side and survive until the end." as he spoke, a blackish-purple vortex appeared behind him. "For now, brother, I must leave. Before I go however, I will tell you my name." the man stared at me, straight into my eyes.
"My name is Jin. Our shared surname is 'Ordinarius', though such thing is of no use now. For better or worse, it was great to see you, Noah. Goodbye."
the man, now named 'Jin', picked up the unconscious Arfoire, before entering the vortex, and disappearing from my sight. Leaving me alone.
"ZED!"
Now that I was on my own, I took notice of the loud shout coming from my right ear, IF was shouting my name. "Yes?" I replied, my mind still processing the sudden influx of information. "Finally! I was calling you for ages. What happened over there? The camera suddenly went dark." the irate girl spoke. (Did she not hear a thing?) presuming she had not, I replied "I'll inform you once I return, things have gotten far more complex than we could have ever foreseen." what I had learned would be better explained once the group was together. Besides, I had something I had to, begrudgingly, give back.
IF POV
(What the hell?)
The same witch that Zed had dealt with once before, was about to seemingly kill him before a strange sword came out of nowhere. The sight of it was giving me a headache. Despite that, when it looked like Zed was going in for the kill, something unexpected happened.
Out of nowhere some guy appeared and the camera feed went black. "Zed, what happened over there, we've lost sight of you." I got no response, or at least no response to me. Zed was talking, but he sounded like he was talking to someone else, presumably the guy that appeared. Despite not looking as if he was that far away, I couldn't hear a word of what the stranger was saying, only Zed's replies.
"...Why?"
…
"Why are you doing this!? You must have known about what Arfoire was doing. All those innocent people, every single one of those so-called 'subjects' WHY!?"
…
"They were people dammit!"
And so on. Zed must have gotten answers, but whatever they were, I couldn't hear them. "ZED!" I screamed, trying my best to get him to finally notice that I was calling him. I needed answers. "Yes?" the man eventually replied. "Finally! I was calling you for ages. What happened over there? The camera suddenly went dark." I spoke, more than a little annoyed. "I'll inform you once I return, things have gotten far more complex than we could have ever foreseen." he answered, causing me to sigh in relief, at least I would get to know what happened, even if I had to wait a little longer.
On the plus side, I now knew the name of the witch: Arfoire.
...As in, R4, the Dee-eeS pirating software...
….What the hell?...
"Sir, you must leave immediately, this is a restricted area." I heard a guard say, looking back I noticed there was a new addition to the room, it was some old man. Specifically, it was the same one who gave Zed the message from Compa's grandfather. The man looked at the guard before replying "no offence boy, but I'm not someone you can handle. I have a job to do, and I suggest you leave me be." the guard for his part, stayed adamant. Presumably because Green Heart was in the room, and he didn't want to be fired.
"i must insist si-" the guard was interrupted by the old man hanging him up by his throat. "Hey greenie, train your staff better, this one lacks any survival instincts." he spoke, his lack of respect for the landmasses' goddess making me worry.
*THUD*
Thankfully the man eventually dropped the guard, who scurried out of the room the second he hit the ground. "Better." the intruder spoke, turning to face me and a shocked Green Heart. "Now then, down to business. First off, I ain't here to kill you, greenie. I'm here to do a little check-up on the brown-haired midget." he spoke again, pointing at me at the end of his sentence. (Me?) "What do you want with me?" I asked. Apart from his earlier appearance, I knew nothing about him. (So, what could he possibly want?) "Eh, don't get your knickers in a twist kiddo, I won't be staying long."
he replied, before staring at me up and down. "Do I need to call the police?" having an old man's eyes staring all over me wasn't making me comfortable in the slightest. "Pft, as if I'd be that fucked in the head. No, I meant what I said, I'm just checking up on you." "Are you sure you aren't undressing me with your eyes?" "No, kid, now stop accusin' me of shit." his gaze lasted for a few minutes, before he stopped. "You've started to awaken, kid, be careful."
Then he left, leaving Green Heart and I confused.
"What do you think he meant by that?" Green heart asked. "I...don't know." I replied, technically lying, as I had already guessed he must have been referring to that voice I heard in my head. (Not much else, other than that, is new though...) I had been trying to ignore the voice because I wanted to think it was nothing. After all, who wants to admit there's a voice in their head? "Do you know him, IF?" the blonde-haired goddess asked. I shook my head. "Nope." my answer caused her to look scared, presumably taking his presence as a threat. "Calm down, will you? If he wanted you dead, he would have killed you when he had the chance." (Was she always this cowardly?) it hurt to think that the woman I looked up to my whole life was so...uninspiring. Her earlier actions, even if morbidly understandable, didn't help either.
"You try being an essentially immortal goddess for centuries, only to have that taken away, and be taunted for your own weakness, see how brave you are then. You have no right to judge me." she spoke, surprising me with the bite in her tone. "Fine, I guess you have point there." it still felt weird talking to her casually, being that she used to be my idol, but it got easier to do over time. For better or worse.
*Click*
The sound of the door opening got my attention. Turning to see who it was, I was pleasantly surprised to see Zed. The man walked into the room and shut the door. "Took you long enough." I said with a teasing smirk.
Zed/Noah POV
After walking into the room, and hearing a teasing remark from my brown-haired friend, I began explaining what happened. "The man that appeared destroyed the camera, that's why you lost sight of what happened. He snapped his fingers, and the camera was instantly destroyed. To put it simply, he is not a man to trifle with." I spoke, answering the first question. "I will explain everything when we get back to the inn, Compa and Neptune need to know as well." turning my head to the goddess of Leanbox, I continued. "But first I have something to give back."
Despite Terminus disappearing to goddess' knows where, some of the knowledge the sword granted me stayed, so I, conveniently, knew how to give Green Heart's divinity back to her, even if a small, vindictive, part of me wished not to. Focusing on the whitish-green orb of divinity, I brought it fourth from inside myself to my left hand. Holding the precious essence in front of me, I addressed the goddess of Leanbox. "Within my hand I hold the essence of your stolen divinity. I alone hold the power to grant you the abilities of a god." her eyes were staring into mine, shock was evident in her face, and her eyes were pleading.
In all honesty, I enjoyed the look on her face, a little too much. As far as I knew, I wasn't a sadist, so the pleasant feeling I got from seeing her like this was as surprising as it was concerning. (Perhaps you are a closet sadist?) I ignored Rex's voice. Now was not the time. "Worry not, for I will grant you back your power. But only on one condition." I continued. The blonde-haired woman nodded her head. "Y-yes, what is it?" she spoke nervously. "You must promise me that you will do your duty properly. Do your own research instead of acting on dubious information, listen to the cries of your people and aid them as you should. Promise me this, and I will grant you your divinity."
I didn't know much about who she was before she lost her status, therefore I decided to be thorough, despite the fact that she could have been a model goddess, before she lost her divinity-that is, I did not wish to take any risk.
"i will, I promise." she did not stutter, she did not waver. Her words were said with such conviction that I was truly shocked. This was the same woman who cowered before me not long ago. I couldn't help but smirk. "Such conviction, goddess of green. Very well, I will grant you what you have lost." I then placed my hand over her chest, and the whitish-green orb disappeared into her being. Restoring her status as a deity.
I may have still resented her deep down and would never apologise for it. But if this woman was worth IF's defence, I had hope she would learn her lesson. besides, it would be highly beneficial to have the favour of a Goddess. especially considering what I had recently learned. Choosing to ignore the woman, I turned to face IF. "With that done, I suggest we head back to the inn." the brown-haired girl smirked at me. "Miss your 'dear' Neptune that much huh?" in response to her teasing, I decided to go back at her.
"Oh my, jealous, are we? Not to worry, I haven't forgotten about you~" I spoke, poking her nose with my finger. Her face went slightly red, but that was about it, my teasing wasn't nearly as effective as I wanted it to be. "...Just wait until I tell Neptune." my friend spoke, running off afterwards. The smirk I had on my face quickly disappeared. (Dammit...) "Wait!" the voice of Green Heart rang out. Facing her I tilted my head.
"Yes?" the woman appeared nervous, making me curious as to why. "T-thank you, thank you so much!" she shouted, eyes shifting sideways afterwards. "Um...my name is Vert, feel free to call me that in future. For what it's worth, I am truly sorry for what I did. Neptune is very lucky to have someone like you."
"you're welcome, I suppose. Ensure you honour our deal, farewell." I spoke, leaving immediately after, not waiting for 'Vert' to respond.
(Speaking of Neptune, when are you going to confess?)
(Not now, there's too much to worry about. Besides, I will not get in her way, especially when she must inevitably return to Planeptune.)
I was so goddamned tired of all this shit.
END OF CHAPTER
An: apologies for the wait, life has a funny way of getting in my way. Anyways, that's the end of the Leanbox arc. The next arc will take place in Lowee (obviously) and will feature everyone's favourite angry muffin!
It will probably take a while to do, I honestly have little idea on how to actually incorporate Blanc into the plot I have already made up.
Due to being...strange, for a lack of a better word, I can't actually see how many people read my work, so I'm going to have to resort to the basic tactic of constantly asking for reviews...so er, do so if you want?
p.s: here's my first try at a non-cannon omake. Feel free to tell me what you think.
1st Omake: Wasted Potential.
Zed hated Vert, he well and truly did. The blonde-haired woman was a thorn in his side ever since he first encountered her. Attempting to assassinate someone's waifu was an easy way onto their shit list, go figure! However, things had gotten worse ever since he gave the goddess of Leanbox her divinity back.
"STEP ON ME DADDY!"
"NO, AWAY WITH YOU WOMAN!"
...as it turned out, Vert was a closet masochist. And her defeat at Zed's hands awakened something within her. The goddess was usually a prim and proper woman in front of her subjects, guards and staff included.
But the second the orange-haired man was involved; her switch would flip.
"I'm warning you woman, AWAY!"
Even threatening her with weapons did, pardon my language, jack shit.
"Thrust into me with that mighty sword of yours~"
It did the opposite in fact; she had gotten more excited. Causing even more strife for our protagonist, who wanted nothing more than to be away from her. He was a sadist, as he had recently found out, but he hated Vert. Knowing she would take pleasure from his torment of her, he refrained from indulging.
Though some say that somewhere, in the vast multi-dimensional universe, there exists a certain goddess of Planeptune, who weeps in anguish at the waste of a perfectly good plaything. As well as a certain goddess of Lastation, who wept at the fact that her suffering would continue ten-fold.
"Huh, guess I'll hafta cross off greenie from the harem then, shame, we needed her MILF energy." Neptune spoke, disappointed. after all, every good harem had a MILF!
"What are you talking about Nep-Nep?" Compa asked, curious on what her bestie was talking about.
"NEVER YOU MIND!"