All rights are reserved to their respective owners. I own nothing in this work of fiction except my OCs and the story itself.
Boredom plagued the assassin.
His half-lidded eyes scanned the area around him, within the entertainment district of the green city.
Citizens went about their day, enjoying the celebration that was in progress due to the day after what could only be described as reality overdosing on too many jojokes. He should've been happy with the outcome that his efforts, alongside Vergo, Nebula, AL, Domio, and the other Makers, Commanders, and Leanbox military did to keep the nation afloat, but it left him idle.
The cup of coffee gave him the will to live, yet what he chose to do with said mental constitution was undecided.
He strolled the city of Leanbox, post-rewind as his face was recognized by the public for the most part due to what he'd done.
"Look, it's him! The guy that did the thing!" A pedestrian pointed, his face in clear view as the sun shined in just the right place to illuminate his features.
"Yeah, that dude totally did it! He saved us by using the object!" A teenager said in an exaggerated, laid-back voice.
"Thank you, kind sir!" A small boy gave the hitman his gratitude as Gris looked down at him, his face bright with happiness. "You saved my Digcraft account!" He grinned.
The last praise did incite an audible exhale through the nose, knowing that it was something his acquaintances would surely be rumored by as it subconsciously made him internally laugh at the thought of the boy's words.
"Hey, big boy." He heard a coy voice beside him as his eyes trailed to gaze at the individual who he heard it.
It was a group of ladies, the centermost one boasting the largest assets out of all three as she gave the silver-haired male some bedroom eyes as she walked over to where he'd be in 5 steps or so. They all had on some sort of cosplay from popular series that he noticed, being a sailor scout, a kunoichi, and a succubus.
"The three of us really appreciated how you saved the day." The leftmost woman spoke out as she batted her eyelashes at the temporal CPU.
"Why don't you follow us to our hotel room?" Offered the rightmost lady. She leaned up onto his arm, grabbing it before pressing her bountiful mounds into them.
"I promise we can make it worth your while..." She whispered the last part to him as his expression remained stoic. Her fingers caresses his exposed arms as she pressed up against him as well, making that two of the three ladies that approached him.
'Ahh... Leanboxian women. Bustier than their northern counterparts, that's for sure.' His eyes looked up as he registered the thought.
Some leisure with these women did seem like a way to pass the time. They were above average, showed interest, and even went out of their way to approach him in the middle of the street. It seemed almost too good to be true for most men in Gamindustri for such circumstances fo fall into place.
And it totally was.
Suspecting that something was amiss, the manslayer simply went out of the way to not turn them down, but rather kept them at arm's length instead. Besides, the last thing he wanted was to be called or worse yet walked in on during some intimacy. Be it simple status-seeking or piqued lust, he made his decision.
"I'm terribly sorry. I'm very busy at the moment, but if you ladies like, I could get your numbers, and we'll continue this conversation another time? I'd be delighted if all three of you were up for some group activities." He took out his phone.
"Sure, darling." The succubus answered as she typed in her contact. "Be sure to call us, okay? We're just dying to thank you." She cooed.
"Don't depart from the living too fast, now. I'm dying to see myself on top of you as well." He smiled, his voice dipping into a deeper, accented pitch as he possessed a playful yet daring gaze that looked into the woman's eyes, their faces only a few inches apart.
"O-Oh, my!" Her face became red as he could see the comical steam that poured from the girl's head as she wasn't expecting an answer that matched the energy she came to him with.
"Take mine, too!"
YANK!
Some perversion crept into the tone of the kunoichi as she suddenly became pushy, grabbing his phone from her friend's hand.
An arched brow made its way to the man's face as he observed the mannerism of the woman as she quickly typed her number and name into his phone, before giving it to him.
"Call me first." She mouthed to him, to not alert the other girls of the unfair advantage that she was vying for.
"Shut up, Fukiko!" The sailor count chastised her friend after seeing what she did, being the last girl to take the phone and put in her digits. "He said all THREE of us!" She hissed.
"Hey, don't get mad at me for trying to get ahead. I mean, just look at him!" She emphasized as Gris took the opportunity to showcase a swaggering grin as he looked towards the two.
"Sorry if I'm causing you girls trouble with my devilish looks. As I said, I'm rather occupied at the moment so speeding this up would be very helpful." He ushered the two, not wanting to let the butting heads fester. The more they fought, the more they'd compete and might cut down the numbers he received.
"O-Of course! Here's my number!" She handed him back the phone. The numbers were registered and the assassin slid the device back into his pocket.
"I'll be sure to text you ladies later, alright?" He unwrapped his arms around their bosoms and walked away while facing them before they waved back at him.
"Please text or call! We'll be waiting!" The kunoichi pleaded as he moved on.
They sure will. Because he ain't calling none of them.
His walk continued as he looked through the store windows of the sector, noticing the dramatic difference it had from not only night and day, but being destroyed and untouched.
Mostly untouched. He still saw the occasional graffiti on the side of it. Gave the buildings their personality in his opinion.
People were generally enjoying themselves as they should which came across as a refresher, while still productive wasn't overly so like Lastation's working population as they still retained the leisurely and hospitable air, especially with the nationwide sale.
A small smile crept onto his features, the vibe unconsciously lifting his mood a bit, mixed in with the interaction from the girls just a minute ago, and the fact that he was being praised, a rare view of Gris' genuine happiness was shown in the smallest of uptilts as the corners of his mouth formed a very, very faint smile.
You'd have to know him for years to see it through.
But alas, not all things could last forever. His eyes took notice of a suspicious figure that wore colors that he was starting to get all too familiar with. Dark grey clothes, with black shoes, gloves, and a red and yellow broken heart could tell any alert individual what they needed to know about this particular person.
ASIC.
They weren't alone either. Some kids, a small girl and a boy of the same height were following him as this stirred some suspicion within the edge lord's mind. Why were the children following him? Where were they going? What was going to occur once they reached their destination? Curiosity rising as his boredom dissipated, the assassin waited a bit before the group was about twenty steps ahead of him before picking up the pace as he used the traffic of bystanders to his advantage.
Blending in with the crowd, his eyes kept a close watch on the three, the children to make sure they were affiliated with the member and not just eerily close to him, and the person themselves to monitor their path.
Gris also had to keep watch of what was ahead of him, to not walk into a lamppost or bump into anyone, which would create a small commotion and disrupt his trailing and put unwanted distance between him and his target.
Them, alongside the kids, were unaware they were being followed at the moment, making the process simple enough but one mistake, and that would soon change.
They took turns and headed in straight lines, their trajectory becoming more and more predictable as the silver-haired assassin sleuthed behind them. His little mission carried him right out of broad daylight, surprisingly enough, and soon saw the small group insert themselves into a less visible area, besides a sizable building.
Upon the CPU looking up in their direction, it seemed to be a shabby parking lot, desolate with few cars as it was mostly unkempt as the spaces themselves had some trash and the paint was starting to fade and become weathered by the elements. The faded aesthetic mixed with the lesser visibility and the air that the lot possessed for exchanges and trades of that manner made it appear to be a hotspot for these kinds of deals.
Exactly where someone like the person he was following would find himself doing these types of activities.
JUMP!
LAND!...
Not wanting to be seen by the three, the hired killer took to the roof of the building that the parking lot belonged to, being an equally shoddy apartment supermarket that appeared to be a 7/11.
SNEAK!
Slowly moving to the edge that the three happened to be under, he conditioned his breathed and opened his ears to the conversation below as he tuned out all other unnecessary noise. His eyebrows slightly raised as he pulled out something from his pocket, brandishing it to the children he had taken along.
"Want some mods, kiddos? I got all the best cracks for the newest games." The person showcased the syndicate branded chips to the two as they looked on with marvel on their juvenile faces.
"Yeah! I heard you got the infinite V-bucks hack on Fortnight! I can't wait!" The boy gushed as he imagined the problems of not having his default skin being made fun of fade into the wayside as he took the desired chip from the dealer.
"I can't wait to get all the coolest items in 4GO with this mod! All my luck stats are gonna get boosted so much!" She fantasized as well, tired of only getting subpar items from the game thus far.
The hidden assassin's brows furrowed. So they pulled in children by using something that many gamers had problems with, manufacturing their chips to directly deal with the problem and trade with them in sketchy areas to avoid the public eye.
Their technology seemed to even work on the most recent releases as well since the former mentioned title had only been out for a few weeks, and ASIC already managed to produce the hardware capable of directly tampering with the game's mechanics to such an extent.
"How much we gotta pay you, mister?" The girl asked, fishing in her pockets for some change.
"I got some twenties and a limited edition Pocket Monster card." The items were shown to the illegal chip dealer as he shook his head.
"Don't worry, you two. I don't need any cash. Just pledge your alliance to ASIC and you get them, free of charge. You have my word." The chip dealer knelt to their height to emphasize his genuine intentions, making his face-value claim more believable to the children as their eyes sparkled with intrigue.
"F-Free?! No way!" Squeaked the girl. She never expected it to be so cheap, not in a million years.
"Sweet! And we just gotta pledge to ASIC!?" It seemed too good to be true in the boy's mind.
"How about it? You even get honorary ASIC merchandise! A free cap and necklace?" They pulled out the items as he now had his hand full with the contraband.
"Alright!" The pair of kids cheered, about to commit a felony unbeknownst to them. But before they got their hands on the items...
BFFT!
"Huh?!"
The chips suddenly disappeared!
Even the merchandise, that the person was about to give the children had miraculously vanished in an instant! Like they never pulled them out in the first place! Both kids became suspicious of the dealer as they took in what happened.
"What's the big idea, mister? Give us our chips!" The boy became angry at the adult, assuming the dealer was pulling a fast one.
"What just happened? Wait a minute... He took them back!" Accused the girl as both of their brows furrowed in a comical yet upset manner.
"H-Hold on, you two! I got more!" They opened their coat, exposing more of the chips as they were on the verge of overflowing from their pockets as he dug for some more chips.
BFFT!-
"Look!" He pulled out what was thought to be a pair of the desired chips, before opening his palm to reveal that he possessed no chips.
"Hey, do you think we're stupid?!" The little girl asked as her eyes narrowed, glaring at the empty pockets the member was showing the two.
"I knew this guy was just playing us. We should've listened to mom. ASIC is just a bunch of liars!" He threw a fit at not getting his wanted piece of hardware as he tried to deny their claims.
"W-Wait! I still got the merchandise! Come on!"
DIG!...
BFFT!
"See!... WHAT?!"
Desperation reared its sweating head as the person tried to pull them back in, going for his merch within the other side of his coat, but even that turned out empty as he was completely shocked with the lack of any products whatsoever on his person.
"Let's get out of here. This guy's a loser." The boy grabbed his fellow child's hand as she reciprocated the course of action.
"What a jerk. Scamming kids is mean!" She yelled, the two of them walking back to the city. The ASIC member had failed in the most mind-boggling way possible, and it confused him to no end.
He reached out to the kinds before looking back at his inventory. His face swiveled between the two several times before slumping in defeat. Utterly baffled, he slid down the wall into a dejected seat as his rear slammed into the ground. How could this happen to him?
"How the hell... I haven't sold any sales today..." He moped. "Ever since that damn broadcast, people have been refusing me. And the one time I do get customers, I got no freaking goods!" He shouted, his mood dampening.
"Sounds like you're having a bad day," Gris told the man.
"You bet. It's pretty shitty, pal..." He sighed.
'Hold up... Wait a minute... Something ain't right.' Before his brows furrowed in confusion. He was here alone. How the heck was someone else speaking to him right now?
He looked up before his soul almost left his body, the hired killer appeared without a sound. His head blocked the sun in the view of the ASIC member, darkening the front of his face, making his appearance seem more intimidating than normal. Especially from the sitting position that he took after being dejected by some kids of all things.
This trait mimicked a certain student council president, albeit more fear-inducing than intended.
Unbeknownst to the dealer, the hitman was breathing heavily under his breath as his face was in a light sweat.
'Those consecutive time stops seem to be putting a number on my body... I also feel my chest tightening a bit... I'll have to limit its use to remain able to fight. Better to learn about it now, than in the heat of battle.' Gris thought to himself as he stared down the member of his least favorite organization.
"W-What do you want?! I-I don't got any c-chips on me right now, man! Y-You're gonna have to wait until tomorrow-"
"I don't care about any of your stupid hardware." Spat the manslayer. "Those clothes you're wearing, and the chips you were going to sell... Your people even have the gall to invest in the merchandise as if you're some sponsored NepTuber. ASIC has hit a new low." He looked down both figuratively and literally at the dealer as he snarled.
"So what! Who the hell are you, anyway?! Some sort of private investigator? I'm not spilling nothin'!" A vehement response left the lackey's mouth as he got up, hostility becoming apparent in his tone. He may have failed to sell any of his chips, but one thing he wasn't going to let happen was getting hustled by some pretty boy with too much time on his hands and too much money spent in Cold Topic.
"Bold of you to assume so." Pointed out the assassin. "How about you show me if you're not just all talk, no chip." He referenced, causing the member to recognize what he was talking about.
"No chip... It was you! What's the big idea, you fucking asshole?!" He was getting played by some guy he didn't even know, and he wasn't just gonna stand there and take it. Nobody messes with an ASIC member without repercussion.
"Same reason you guys hired that hitman to assassinate the blue-haired man. I'm simply returning the favor for the trouble your organization put them through." He told the dealer.
"Who gives a fuck about that guy! We just used him anyway, like the punk he was. Not my fault he can't do his job." Cursed the aggravated goon, casting an equally irate gaze at the assassin which earned him a slowly depreciating look that was brewing with ill intent.
"You'll do well to take that back." Warned the cleaner as he clenched his fists in suppressed indignation. The nerve of some bum that can barely pay for his food, unable to sell his illegal products to people whose brains haven't even fully developed, rubbing salt in the wound for his failure did NOT sit well in his mind.
"Or what? You'll call him for me? Yeah, right-"
GRAB!
SLAM!
"ACK!-"
The wind was forced out of his throat, having been choke slammed into the brick wall of the supermarket with such force that he audibly hacked from the force his windpipe was put under as the surface behind him spider cracked from the pressure Gris exerted onto the ASIC dealer.
His eyes widened as his body slumped from the lack of air momentarily before he regained his bearings.
"... Gak... Urk... Agh..." Sounds of struggle and difficulty breathing ensued as he was held up against the wall as the vice grip that the hired killer had on his windpipe did not falter. Instead, it tightened as he started to turn purple from the oxygen deficiency that was occurring as his assaulter clarified some very vital information.
"I am him." Words were spoken.
RELEASE!-
THUD!
He dropped the member as he caused and coughed for air, his throat sore and bruised from the man just gripping it as he felt it was moderately difficult to breathe normally now. But once he got ahold of his intake and outtake of air, realization dawned on his features as he tried to back away as he sat up, looking at the hitman in fear.
CRAWL!-
BUMP!
"Where do you think you're going?" An arched brow with an amused smirk was met with terrified eyes as the member turned around to see a content Gris starting down at him.
"E-Eek!"
SPRINT!
A high-pitched sound escaped the fearful dealer as he turned around to run. Today was going great for him, first no sales and now no lifespan.
What could possibly be better than this?
BIFF!
"Wrong."
"Unf!"
SLAM!...
Grunted the low-ranking member as he ran into Gris' outstretched fist right in the eye socket, sending him to the ground as he fell onto his back, wincing in pain with the sensation of pain on both sides of his body.
"MMMMMMMMMF!"
ROLL!
ROLL!
ROLL!
A muffled scream escaped the member as he writhed in pain, covering his face as he rolled around suffering from the injury he sustained. The assassin simply observed him, bemused by the entertainment of the fool before he was acting out from a single hit.
"Get ahold of yourself already. I didn't hit you that hard, did I?" He goaded the goon, as he removed his bands from his face, revealing the black eye he sustained.
"Shut the fuck up!"
PULL!
STAB!
Infuriation seeped into the once cowardly dealer as the rest bad had been knocked out of him, replaced with blind anger as he took out a knife from his pocket. He attempted to drive its blade right into the hitman's shin as he was stepping on his chest.
BFFT!-
SQUEAK!
"?!" Surprise resurfaced from the chip dealer's face as his eyes became comical saucers upon seeing that his once deadly weapon had been miraculously morphed into a yellow rubber duckie. His reaction was so great, that it caused him to freeze frame for a couple of seconds.
"DO YOU TAKE ME FOR A FUCKING JOKE!" Wrath projected from his lungs as the dealer was tired of everything he wanted to do being thwarted by the assassin, in the most humiliating way possible.
"Yes. Your mother should have swallowed you while laughing her ass off." Gris agreed with the grunt's question, a cunning smirk evolving into a cruel grin as the ASIC member took major offense to the retort, extreme indignation bubbling over.
"STOP TALKING!"
STRUGGLE!
He wailed, throwing his limbs around in anger as he thrashed under the weight of the killer's appendage resting on his chest cavity.
"I'll comply when you stop bleeding." Offered the hitman.
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm not bleeding." Denied the member of the syndicate.
"Are you sure about that?" Questioned Gris as he looked to a specific area of his victim's body as he was very much witnessing the loss of blood take place.
"If I'm bleeding so much, then tell me where it is, wise guy!" Disbelief prevalent in his tone, the book refused to acknowledge his enemy's words.
"Look to your left."
"...Oh. Fuck."
The chip dealer's shoulder had the crimson substance leaking from an entry wound in droves, his weapon plunged hilt deep into his shoulder as he registered the wound's existence.
"It's just a flesh wound. N-Nothing I can't handle." Adrenaline numbed the sensation of pain as he was feeling the constant sting, but nothing more as he glared into the hitman's grey analyzing eyes, trying to keep a tough image that was failing spectacularly.
STOMP!
"AAAAAAAAARGH!"
"You're not that guy, pal. Trust me, you're not that guy." Pressured Gris as he administered force onto the sternum of the dealer, before listening to the set sounds of suffering that the goon made, whatever insufferably cliché tough guy mask becoming shattered upon the action.
KICK!-
TUMBLE!
CLATTER!-
SKID!...
A blitzing kick sent the body of the dealer to the middle of the parking lot, his person tumbling as dust collected on his clothes with some being pushed away as the knife stuck in his should somehow dislodge after the seventh tumble. It skidded after rattling on the ground a few feet away from him.
GRAB!
STAND-
CLUTCH...!
He scrambled for the blade before grabbing it and getting to his feet as he clutched his shoulder, the pain starting to set in after a devastating blow to his side that was still aching even as he stood up, a large bruise and some broken bones at the very least around the area struck.
"A-And you are?" He stuttered.
"Absolutely."
ドドドドドドドド!
Sniggered the assassin as he approached the man, his walk reminiscent of a crusader as he put a hand into his pocket and sauntered with confidence. There was not a single thought that permitted the idea of getting hurt, let alone losing in Gris' mind.
'This guy... He's... He's built differently!' Fear gripped the heart of the goon as he instinctively stepped back, not wanting to be in any proximity that was near the walking manslayer.
"Be not afraid. Your death will be swift." Forewarned the hitman as he was closing the gap between the two of them as the grunt wasted no time retaliating, not waiting for his funeral service to meet him.
RUSH!
"Not if I kill you first!" Screamed the chip dealer, throwing his body into the stab as he aimed for the chest, hoping to stab the hired killer right in a vital organ.
STAB!-
WEAVE!
GRAB!
CRACK!
"keemstar scream meme-"
CLANG!
An obnoxiously loud shriek escaped the dealer's mouth as he staggered after getting his wrists broken by Gris's grip as he bent it in a direction it wasn't supposed to go, rendering it disfigured with an audible crack.
PULL!-
BOOM!
WHOOSH...!
"Hokuto Shinken: Furieki no Ken!"
"Agh!" Wind being ejected from his lungs, the goon was struck in his plexus with a shuddering amount of force after he was pulled into it, the impact sounding as if a grenade went off. His body felt the punch in ripples, the force revealing throughout his person, as a ring of dust expanded from the two males.
GLOW!...
The ASIC chip dealer glowed a white aura as he stood there, winded and stunned as he could not move from the pain he felt currently. It felt as if it shut down all of his nerves from his body, his very process of thinking slowing down as time went on.
"Omae wa mou... shindeiru."
RIPPLE!-
EXPLODE!
"ARFOIRE DAMN IT!"
REVERT!-
SQUELCH!...
Screeched the grunt as blood spewed from his body after it rippled and fluctuated unnaturally, his musculature warping into disturbing and graphic depictions of suffering before settling back on a normal, yet bloodied member.
"Or so you thought. You're not quite dead, although if not for that aura I placed on you, you'd wish you were pretty soon." Conversed Gris as he started to explain himself.
"Don't tell me you're gonna spout about how strong you are, and how I should be thanking you or something. If you're thinking about that, better you kill me now."
Replied the goon, not willing to hear an inflated exposition on his enemy's ability.
"So eager to die, I see. Then again, I wouldn't really suspect someone like you having anything going on in their life. Or were you just bored and decided to join out of idle thought?" Inquired the assassin.
"To be honest, you're not wrong... I don't have much back home, so it seemed like the smartest thing to do. Green Heart's been gone for so long. And ASIC has so much more benefits, not to mention being worldwide and giving the people what they want. The goddesses left us, so why should we even believe in them." He listed, as Gris' features remained stoic.
The general public was unaware for the most part that the CPUs had been captured.
But what was more striking to the deity was that not even their members knew the state of the goddesses, despite working directly under the people who captured them. If that was the case, then ASIC's situation was worse than he originally thought, as something that would shake Gamindustri to its core if it were to find out was kept under wraps even to those affiliated with the perpetrators. Although, it did make sense to instill that course of action when it came to moles or those who simply couldn't keep their traps shut within the organization.
His defeated tirade only raised more questions as he spoke, knowing that he did not have long left on the mortal plane against someone like Gris.
"You saw those kids, didn't you?... They had problems, just like you and I. ASIC wants to help them... Can't you understand that? The system isn't the best, and they wanted workarounds... Just like me, selling it to them. Or am I just some lackey to you...!" Shouted the dealer through his blood-stained teeth.
ASIC not only used their influence on young children to directly let the populace consume their products in a way that proved extremely effective, but they also enlisted the less fortunate in society to spearhead the process in the form of the low to working-class citizens.
The incentive may come from the benefits he spoke of. The basics he could direct from ways to get easy money deals to settle debts, and promising talents used for the criminal underworld instead of the betterment of society. But something told him that it was more than just that.
"I am, aren't I? You just go through life as an assassin who mercilessly kills people on the dime, nothing more, nothing less. Someone like you could never understand those kids, let alone my struggle." Coughed up the mook. "So when you pull that trigger, remember that you're no better than I am. Especially since both of us worked for ASIC at one point." A dry laugh escaped his mouth, content with his perceived leg up in terms of the self-awareness of his morality toward the hitman.
"If you're expecting me to feel bad for you, it's best you save your breath." Finally responded Gris as he looked on with an unmoved expression. "Or even sympathize with your situation for that matter." Scrutiny adorned his facial features. This, however, only resulted in the dealer retaining his triumphant smirk.
"You don't even have anything to say against me, so you just ignore me. Typical. You're just gonna avoid the problem." Superiority oozed from the downed opponent as he closed his eyes, his face becoming even smugger as he lay on the concrete in his own blood.
"No need. I don't state it because it does not exist." A monotonous reprimand made its way from the hired assassin's mouth. "Since you're feeling philosophical today, let me ask you this. Do you really believe that ASIC has your best interests?" He asked.
"Of course they do! They gave me a job! They put clothes on my back! I can eat and sleep somewhere because of them!" He vied for the organization. "And even if they didn't, why go through all the trouble of even offering these expenses to make us more comfortable?!" A fierce response escaped the goon's mouth.
"Because eye they're lulling you into a false sense of security. Even pigs at a slaughterhouse are well fed before being killed. If you truly believe that a criminal organization hellbent on the domination of the people and directly opposed the individuals that kept humanity safe for centuries on end, you'd be better off with a 9x19 Parabellum shell between your eyes. And even in that regard, the wool over them is so thick, the bullet might not pass through." A point was made as the assassin broke down what was going on behind the scenes.
"Bullshit! There's no way that's right!" His denial became aggressively vehement. His ears refused to tune in to what the silver-haired cleaner was telling him.
"You don't even know where the CPUs are, yet you preach about them abandoning humanity." He brought up, causing the downed member to raise his voice as shouted a response.
"And you do? Believe in whatever sparkles and rainbows fantasy you want, but I like to work with what's rooted in reality. And from what I could tell, nobody has a rat's ass about where they went to. Even the governments refuse to tell us what's going on, but I'm pretty they just don't want to say that they're none the wiser. I wouldn't blame them, either. After all, how would it look telling your citizens that you don't have a rat's ass on if they're alive or not, let alone where they are." Emotions circulated as a mix of anger and acceptance, with sprinkles of remorse in his voice as he spoke his opinion on the matter.
Gris felt some hidden understanding for the position the goon saw himself in, and how he looked at the world. It was not all sunshine and rainbows, a basic truth even a child could understand, given the right circumstances. In a twist, he was probably the closest to these circumstances he spoke of, yet in most cases that would be considered the exception rather than the rule. But there was a clear difference between speaking about what could be assumed to point towards the most plausible version of the truth, and what it actually was. This conversation created the need to distinguish those two concepts, and the assassin decided to make a point in telling the random chip dealer the opposing characteristics between the two, pertaining to the current topic.
PILLAR!
TRANSFORM!
"W-What?!" A blinding light caused the member of ASIC to wince as he looked away before focusing on the now transformed Edge Heart. His figure going from tall to towering and voice deepening a couple of octaves, the dealer was shell-shocked to his core to something he'd never expect to see in a million lifetimes.
He was in the presence of a CPU.
And a male one at that.
The chances of this happening naturally were as good as winning the lottery ten times over, getting struck by lightning forty times over, being able to find three unmarked oases in a large desert, landing without a scratch in a skydive on concrete, and managing to grope Green Heart's breasts all within the same lifetime. It seemed like an impossibility, through and through.
Yet he stood before him.
"I... I-I... You-You're... No w-way..." Whatever retort he had fell flat on his face into a million pieces as the dull glare the god sent him made it difficult to speak anything, let alone the member's brain still trying to comprehend the so-called reality he was referencing just a moment ago.
"You speak of facts, you say? In that case, the fact of the matter is that you speak from ignorance and act in delusion. The corporate lie you've been spoon-fed has proven to control your every thought, placing you in a state of perpetual servitude. Like a moth to a flame, you slave around to all and any of their beckons without even the slightest iota of self-awareness in the deeds you commit. And here you keel before me, beaten and bested as you try to convince me of your struggle's significance with nothing more than fabricated lies that they offer you to keep you and your peers obedient and pathetically easy to marionette." What could only be described as the beginning of the end of his opponent's philosophy as he continued.
"T-That's not true! We don't know where they are!" Defended the chip dealer.
"YOU do not know the location they reside. Or rather, where they are held captive. Do yourself a favor and get off that weary ass you dub a high horse and be enlightened. The very people you work for have your goddesses in corded bondage as we speak, strung up and held prisoners for the past three years in your Gamindustri Graveyard. Right under your noses, and your headquarters is situated there of all things. Your government knows this, although only recently, accredited to myself." Edge Heart revealed.
"A-And what evidence you got to support this claim, huh? You think I-I'm just going to accept your words at face value, after you told me the people I've believed were f-full of shit?!" Resistance persisted.
"Reflection to avoid responsibility after being told your original point was lacked any substance beyond simply believing in the words told at face value does not demean my own point, due to flipping its contents to try and regain any semblance of an argument unto I, without the component that destroyed your reasoning in the first instance, being concrete evidence supporting it through my transformation. To put it into even more perspective, think about under these pretenses. If ASIC was willing to hire one of the most dangerous hitmen on the face of Gamindustri only to inevitably scam him for all he's worth with a second thought or any compensation whatsoever, what in the concept art of the Deity of Sin could give you the implication that they'd treat you any better, as I'd be objective superior to you in every front." Remorselessness filled the CPU's tone as the unrelenting truth smashed into the member's brain, no way of filter something that was simply correct.
"...W-Well..." Whatever he wanted to say, felt weak in comparison to what he was being told as his retort died in his throat. Every point he could've come up with in the heat of the moment had been retroactively or previously answered, rendering him speechless.
"Wake up to reality. If a CPU such as myself was turned down, a man of your stature has no hope. I truly hope you realize the truth now that you've been given the proper knowledge. At this point, I concur that self-reflection will be the best for your mental state in this current point in time. Once you've recollected your thoughts, alongside accepting the facts and informing your fellow members about this, it will be appreciated."
REVERT!
Edge Heart spoke before reverting. Gris' cold eyes glared down at the chip dealer before pulling out his handgun, the Glock 17's barrel staring down at the ASIC member's skull.
"I-I thought you said I was supposed to reflect on my thoughts! I can't do that if I'm dead!" The dealer's voice trembled with realized fear.
"Sure you can. I'm sure some ancestors are willing to have some one-on-one sessions with you."
PULL!...
Smiled the assassin as he pulled the slide, preparing for a cinematic shot.
"P-Please! I have a family!"
"P-Please! I don't care!"
SLIDE!-
BANG!
"MOMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"
The shot echoed through the parking lot, sounding much louder than on average as the lack of anything to congest the area let the sound travel much further as the chip dealer screamed for his mother.
The round ended up inches from the goon's head, his ears ringing from the proximity of the bullet as he truly assumed he had passed on to the afterlife.
Yet his crotch felt warm, and moist for that matter as he opened his eyes after bracing for the release of death. Surprisingly enough, he was not dead and opened his eyes before sniffing for something.
"Why does it smell like... A dog pissed on my pants...?" His question was as ironic as it was oblivious. Gris, being the asshole he was, was quick to answer.
"That bitch must've been holding it in because half your pants is wet. Lay off the N-FUEL, bud. Your washing machine will thank you." Poked the hitman as he pointed his pistol.
With the direction to his crotch, the chip dealer witnessed his wet patch that encompassed most of the crotch of his pants, signifying that his bladder had betrayed him. His senses flared in embarrassment, he came to the realization that he made a fool of himself in front of his would-be-killer.
"Oh, c-come on! Really?!" Realized the goon, his moist pantaloons giving away what he did, his face red with humiliation.
FADE...!
"Potty training was a suggestion to you, wasn't it?" Laughed Gris. "I know that guns are scary and whatnot, but a bathroom break would've been nice don't you think? I really hope you only needed to go take a piss because I might actually shoot you if I have to smell the back door." His face fell to seriousness as the aura faded from the man, and his body returned to normal. His injuries were temporary, but his piss was eternal. The shell and bullet returned to the weapon as if nothing was fired at all.
"Now scram. The feds are gonna be here quicker than you think. If you don't want to get laughed at AND arrested, I suggest you leave." Gris warned. "And take note. If you think you'll just go back and continue being obviously evil after this, I'll personally wait until you're taking a whiz in a public bathroom before turning you into an R-rated adaption of Spongebill." Threatened the hired killer.
Chills went down the member's spine, visualizing his death at the hands of a mystery man in a gas station bathroom in the dead of night. Some scenarios were not meant to be seemed out.
GRAB!...
"H-Hey! That's my knife!" Protested the ASIC chip dealer.
"WAS your knife. Do you really think I'd waste my breath before arming you right after, defeating the entire purpose of my point? Sayonara, Pushing Pee. May your brain cells rest in piss." Gris bid the nicknamed grunt farewell.
BFFT!
Picking up the dealer's weapon, he sent a two-finger gun sign, to the member's ire before instantly disappearing in a distortion of sound.
"GO FUCK YOURSELF!"
...SIRENS!
"... And that's my cue to leave."
"A little more to the left."
ICE MAGIC!
FREEZE!
...MELT!
A can of Doc Tear Popper was propped atop a short pole as an ice spell flew forward. It made contact with the can, grazing it from the side as the entire can was flash-frozen with spikes of ice being created facing the right side. The sculpture melted almost immediately after being struck as it barely had any contact with the can.
"Regulate your output and shift to the right."
MELT...
ICE MAGIC!
FREEZE!...
...
...
MELT...!
Another spell was released, its shape know resembling an icicle construct rather than a stereotypical magic blast, as it zoomed to the thawed can. Upon contact, instead of being flash frozen, the can was within a coarse, yet box-like space of ice that was around an inch thick which coated the beverage. Frost could be felt from the block of ice as it remained for a slightly longer duration than its unpolished predecessor.
"Now focus. You'll have to picture the shape you want your target to be entrapped within. Being able to control the output of SP is one thing, Domio. But knowing what you want to execute will require an amount of imagination that is crucial for your proficiency to increase." The voice instructed as she took the can before opening it and taking a swig of the chilled drink. "Magic is complex, and understanding the balance between the science and the arcane will bolster your development."
ICE SPELL!
ICE BOX!
...
...
...
Domio's third attempt resulted in a cloudy, yet perfectly cut cuboid that suspended the can. It persisted, not thawing out for several seconds as the frigid air surrounding the iced can remained unmoved.
...
...
...FALL!
CRACK!...
SHATTER!
The object fell from the small surface area that was the pole top after sliding marginally enough for its balance to be offset by the weight of the ice tilting it to one side more than what horizontal equilibrium would allow, causing the can to fall over and fracturing the icy prison before it completely shattered into a million pieces, the can itself being reduced to metal scraps and a pool of cola.
"Oh no! I broke the can!" The boy exclaimed, his face becoming surprised as he showed concern for the destroyed can of Doc P with his same spell-casting arm reaching out in alarm.
Domio's original winter goggles were back on his head, with a faded dark grey long-sleeve V-neck with a pair of light grey trousers that was held up by a dark brown leather belt that possessed a silver buckle, within some equally dark brown hunting boots with light brown fur on the ends. Brown gloves with fur on the ends that shared the same color scheme as his shoes fitted his hands as the rings he was given were being worn underneath them, with a white short sleeve overcoat that went down to his lower thighs with black buttons, collar, and cuffs with the trim on the bottom having the same color. The Loweean's neck adorned his star necklace as he reached out. All in all, his apparent tutelage under MAGES. caused his wardrobe to morph into something reminiscent of her, yet unique enough to still hold his personality within his fashion.
"Be not afraid. Your unrefined spells made for an excellent drink." Responded the Mad Magician as she took another sip, audibly sounding to the boy as he looked at her. "I can only imagine how refreshing it would have tasted had it not fallen." A solemn look clung to the magician's features.
"I'll do it again, Miss MAGES.!" Domio offered, his hand glowing with the cold element ready for use. "We'll get you that perfectly frozen Doc Tear Popper!" He vowed, his tutor giving him a thankful smile.
"...What does this have to do with training his magic?" A confused look was etched onto the half-elf's features, the premise of the exercise lost on her features as Taleia felt as if she was missing something that pieced the context of the scene before her together.
The group was in a public park not far from the intersection of the sectors, not quite out of the view of bystanders, yet spacious enough to practice magic without much risk of any uninvolved people being injured in the process. Taleia and Nebula stood a couple of meters away from the two as they observed the instruction of the senior magician to her junior as they worked on the cans.
"Aren't you an elf?" Questioned her ex-boyfriend, as Nebula had a surprised, yet smug response to make as a brow raised that totally didn't hide a suppressed laugh behind it. "I thought your race was a magical Nepsie Roll?" Assumed the adventurer.
"Shut up. I picked up a sword, not a wand, Neb. If I wanted to learn magic, I would have." Dismissed the hybrid.
"And why didn't you? I could've sworn your father wanted you to be a witch." Remembered the CPU as he cupped his chin in thought.
"I like being able to take a punch, Nebula." Scoffed the swordswoman. "You of all people should know this, considering your class of combat." She looked him up and down, before poking his rock-hard chest.
"Fair enough." He agreed, understanding the decision that Taleia came to, becoming a swordsman instead of a magical practitioner. He knew the arcane arts were vastly powerful, yet it usually left its users vulnerable to most attacks when it came down to it.
"Do not believe everything you see at face value." The Mad Magician interjected, taking out another can. "Mages such as Domio and myself may look physically unimposing, yet we are privy to some of the most powerful spells, be it defensive or offensive." She boasted of her class' effectiveness as her eyes met with the adventurer's.
SET!
"Yet you rely on items to keep yourself afloat knowing that the second you run out of SP, your goose is cooked." The elf lineage swordswoman pointed out as she stared back at the magician. Her eyes were a mix of confidence and condescendence as she believed her point.
"Which is why said items were made in the first place, independent of our SP pool. You truly think that wizards, witches, mages, and magicians are so far back that simply depleting our magic source will render us powerless?" Asked the Mad Magician in earnest.
"I mean, buying items for Domio's development already proves me right, since that would mean that he's not able to compensate for his statistical weakness in a natural format," Taleia explained.
"Your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness; the reliance on magic. It being your main path to power is one thing, being without it resulting in your demise is another." She compared it to MAGES.' interest.
"You speaking as if you don't rely on those words of yours. If they were to be damaged or even outright shattered, what will you do in response? Isn't that also similar to our so-call overreliance?" Presented the mage as her smile formed on her lips with a counterpoint present.
"You'd have a valid point... If I used a bow. I use blades. I'm a part of the military, and CQC is mandatory. When my swords dull, my knuckles crack. Your use and lean on one skillset when I am trained to branch out my own." Taleia rebutted, gesturing with her fingers with the difference between the number of ways to fight they possessed.
"So that means I'm wasting my time...?" Domio questioned as he stopped. His friends arguing about the way to utilize their skills made him self-conscious about his own power set. After all, what could he do besides use ice magic?
"No, Domio. It's never a waste of time to improve yourself." Nebula walked towards him before stopping as he looked down at the boy. "It's just that Tals thinks MAGES. is a one-trick pony and that it'll rub off on you as you learn." He simplified the problem to the child, who took in the context of the issue. "Magic and science are my forte. He'll become a brilliant mage under my wing, without a doubt." The blue-haired magic-user ensured to the others as the swordswoman was still not convinced.
"If that's the case, mind explaining what the point of making him freeze soda cans is? I doubt it had anything to do with his actual development in the arcane." Taleia was skeptical, and she wanted answers.
"Everything. This exercise is simple in its goal, but from his ability to freeze the can, the result is shown and I can observe and tailor his skill to improve from the last attempt." She explained, before gesturing for the child to go for another attempt.
ICE SPELL!
FREEZE!...
Domio sent another spell, the icicle-shaped projectile landing squarely on the can of Doc P, the cubical shape of ice returning. Frozen to a standstill (If the can wasn't sitting still already, but assume the liquid is now also frozen), the object within the ice was slightly translucent, being able to see a vague silhouette of the canned drink within its icy confines.
"Such as his distribution. He shows the ability to aim at a decently far distance, and can control how much SP he dedicates to his spells fairly well. One of his problems, however, lies in his oversaturation of magic that causes his ice to mostly cloud up, not being able to tap into it's true destructive capability of spell, which can be seen on the spell itself." She analyzed. "For example, the cloudiness of his ice once cast. When sharpened, he should be able to see his target without the slightest hindrance." The Mad Magician further revealed the ideal version of his spell.
"But what about my ice armor? When I froze DIO, I could see him clearly. What's the difference between then and now?" Asked the student.
"Your armor most likely increased your overall mastery of ice magic unconsciously, automatically bypassing the problem, which only led you to assume you didn't have it at all." MAGES. told the preteen. "A very dangerous mindset, wouldn't you say? It makes me wonder where you'd be without my wisdom, Domio." A small grin graced her lips as she felt glad for being able to point out the otherwise hidden mistake that may have built itself up over time.
"Oh..." The learning magician took in her words. "W-Well, Thanks for telling me, Miss MAGES.." His gratitude remained as thanking his master was the go-to response. He ever got this friendly of a training experience with his uncle, back when he was still under his abusive wing. Yet he felt much more willing to absorb the ways of the cousin of 5bp., her entire persona by comparison infinitely better experience.
"Not a problem. An easy mistake some can make, although most sort them out before they reach your level of magical output. It is not something that is easily solved, but with my guidance, you'll persevere." She gave the boy hope as he gained a rosy smile from the words of encouragement.
MELT...
"You're a wizard, Domio." A goofy voice escaped the CPU's mouth as the boy was reminded of a certain giant, the can melting back into its normal state.
"I feel like I've heard that somewhere before..." Pondered the half-elf.
"Now get to freezing. I have an entire case of Doc P in my inventory that needs chilling." She ordered. "You'll have to freeze one extra as well since that one shattered." She reminded, the Loweean.
"Alright! I'll do my best!" One could see the comical fire lit in the preteen's eyes, getting ready to use his opportunity with an experienced mage to hone his skills.
"Now try an SP Skill. I want to see what effect your special spells have on targets." Instructed the Mad Magician as she stood patient, yet anxious to evaluate. This mixture of experimentation with elementary frozen Doc Tear Popper drinks and the study of her student's magic was highly intriguing.
SHINE...!
...DIM!...
...MAGIC CIRCLE!
"A magic circle?!" Nebula and Taleia reacted with surprise as they saw his silent process as his eyes contained a pointed glare to the can of soda.
A light blue light reared its presence to the practicing mage as he channeled his SP into his hand. He pictured the appearance of his spell, shifting it into more of what its namesake was deemed, the picture of a frosted lightning bolt of ice magic being the de facto decision within the magician's mind. Secondly, he took the advice of his tutor to try his hand at capping the level of mana that was required to execute the spell as the oversaturation that MAGES. spoke of, as the spell slightly dimmed according to the level of magic he put into it, the brightness shifting as he tried to sift out the closest to the exact level of SP required to cast the attack. Once he decided on a suitable average, the spell's wind-up gained a simple magic circle, not much detail beyond a few glyphs yet was wrought into existence.
"Cold Bolt!"
ICE SPELL!
CRYSTALIZE!
SUSPEND!
The bolt of ice was launched at full force, hitting the soda can with a force that caused it to be punted from the pole that it rested upon. Ice was all over the metallic casing of the drink as it was clear enough to see a faint silhouette of the object as the frost that encompassed it resembled a crystal of simple design as only some smaller ones emerged from its corners as the biggest one housed the beverage in its dead center.
"!..." The caster himself was taken aback by what he had created. He never expected his spell to take such a form from the irregular freezing inducement it usually inflicted on his foes.
"Interesting... You've managed to suspend the Doc P can within a crystal. Was this your original intention?" She inquired to the boy.
"N-No..." He couldn't help but stutter, his awe still present in his demeanor as he answered MAGES..
"But I think that was what the spell was supposed to be. IT felt like if I was doing the right thing, even if I had no idea what was gonna happen." He explained to the wizard.
"Hmm... I suppose that could be accredited to the level of your experience mixed with your subconscious shaping the spell for you, since you had your ice armor to perform a comparatively superior version, causing your body to fill in the gaps being the most likely explanation. Or at least, my educated hypothesis on the matter according to what you told me about your magic." MAGES. spoke, her intelligence in the field of the arcane shining through. "Also, was this your first time using a magical circle?" Another question was asked.
"Yeah. I never actually got to make one until today. It's my first time doing something like this, as well." He admitted.
"You told me you were born and raised in Lowee, correct? How can you perform magic yet not know the fundamentals to such a drastic extent? Perhaps you were sheltered?" She assumed. It was very odd how someone not only semi-proficient in casting spells as well as having originated from the country known for magic was so ignorant about the subject. Understanding that he was virtually sheltered for most of his life, it still seemed odd, especially when he told them that he was around other ice mages.
Did they not tell him?
"I was taught how to use magic, but my teacher before you wasn't the nicest." He put it lightly. "I couldn't learn anything from him that helped me a lot and the other mages made fun of me for it instead of trying to help me." He remembered the times he asked them for help, only to be frozen as a response in a cruel gesture of mockery. "I'm sorry for my lack of knowledge." He apologized.
"Again, no need to be sorry. I am here to help you, young one." MAGES. cast his sorrow aside. "How about we apply this principle to some of your other spells?" She asked him.
"Gotcha. Let's see..." He closed his eyes.
"How about your Frigid Boxing?" Taleia recommended to the child. "It's both magical and offensive. I'd say it's valuable to polish that one as well." The swordswoman commented her opinion to the others.
"You're only saying that because you want to prove your point that solo magic build users are inferior." Snorted the warrior.
A comical tick mark formed on the forehead of the half-elf as she gave him a snide glance.
"What was that? I could have sworn you said something." She tried to intimate him into being quiet.
"I just did."
"Hm? You said something about my money?" She brought back up the amount that Nebula owed her.
"Nothing at all." He backed down, not wanting to wind up the elven woman about the payment. It would have surely been a painful sight for his wallet...
Repeating the same process, the preteen began the process as he stuck out his hands. He imagined the gloves on his hand as they usually manifested, but instead of the usual irregular golem gauntlets he possessed, he pictured a more refined version. Upon giving a rough mental estimate for how large his hands were, he was prepared to summon the gauntlets.
MAGIC CIRCLES!
GLOW!
FREEZE!
"Frigid Boxing!" Shouted Domio.
"!" His eyes almost fell out his eyes as he saw the quality of his new equips.
...GLOW...!
Visualizing complete, two magic circles appeared and ran through his forearms as they coated them in a light blue light. Ice froze in his limbs near instantly, as his arms now resembled medieval gauntlets as he opened and closed his hands. His armor had a soft glow, the SP being projected from it as magical properties were at work.
It went to show that a little knowledge could go a long way in one's development.
"They never looked like these before...!" Observed the user as the child ogled his own creation.
"Domio's gloves are much more detailed now. I can even feel some power radiating off of them... Is this all from him following your instruction, MAGES.?" Nebula asked the Mad Magician. Her response was to look at the fighter with confidence in her craft before beginning to speak.
"Of course. I did not earn my title from here say, Nebula." Smirked the magician. She then averted her gaze from the pair of adults and turned to the child.
"I mean, technically you did since insanity is usually something diagnosed, rather than self-reflected." Taleia jabbed.
"Anyways." She brushed it off. "Now then, why don't you dispel your ice crystal? I'd really like to taste test that Doc P drink." Pointed the magic mentor, her intrigue for the experimentation raising to meet her duty to teach the boy.
Said student approached the crystal before his hand touched the cold surface as he used another spell.
"Thaw."
MAGIC CIRCLE...!
ABSORB!
A large magic circle appeared underneath the crystallized beverage as the boy uttered the spell before the concentration of solid water was absorbed into the boy as his body felt the increase in magic energy.
MAGIC CIRCLE!
FREEZE!
Yet another circle came into existence as it started from the ground around the child before ascending as the inner area of the shape coated his body as it rose. It started with his legs, sabatons, and greaves freezing onto it that were more detailed than his original incarnation. His thighs were covered in icy armor that crept up his body in parts as it closely trailed the circle.
It reached his eyes before they turned into the familiar glowing sky blue as his helmet materialized shortly after, much more stylized than normal as he grasped the can in his hand before it fell. After taking it up, he handed the chilled to perfection drink to his tutor, an unseen smile on his features.
"Here." He brandished.
"Why thank you." She popped the tin, snowflakes emerging from the drink's opening as the smell of carbonated liquid graced her nose.
After sipping it, her eyes were starry as her tastebuds were blessed with frigidity and carbonation combining in tasteful bliss.
"Mmm~... An achievement for science...!" She celebrated the fruits of her labors as a teacher paying off with a remarkable drink to boot.
"For science!" Cheered the child mage. Her enthusiasm was beginning to rub off on him in that regard.
"For glory!" Shouted the half-elf.
"For the big booty bitches!-" Cheered the CPU.
BIFF!
"Ow, that was funny!" A slight proved expression was gained as he glared at his ex. Narrowed eyes and comical wide lips were stapled onto his face as he looked towards her.
"Pervert." She sighed.
"A healthy love for the opposite gender is never perversion!" He folded his arms in abject objection.
"This seems like a conversation I want to be a part of." A voice made itself known, belonging to a member of the five-man band. Upon turning to see where the voice came from, the smaller group was met with the larger collaboration that consisted of the Lowee twins, Nepgear, 5bp., and the burnt chicken man himself.
"AL!" Both Domio and his foster father yelled with surprised facial expressions. Their hot pocket ally had returned to them, fresh with plot importance to this comically informative scene!
"Big booty...-"
"Awawawa! Rom, don't copy him!" Planeptune's CPU Candidate tried to dissuade her fellow CPU Candidate from continuing on with her statement. At the very least, her innocence must be preserved.
"Oh, come on! ONE swear word and the entire PG brigade pulls up." Nebula moped.
"Your luck was particularly rotten." Commented the Mad Magician.
"MAGES.!" The idol cooed, happy to see her cousin as she gave the mage a friendly wave. She reciprocated by using the hand that did not hold her staff to return the favor.
"Wow! You look like one of our ice figures back home!" Ram told the armored kid as he stepped back a bit from her, as she appeared to zoom towards him, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Can we keep it!" She asked Nepgear.
"Yeah. We want it...!" Echoed the older sister, as she looked at the armored boy.
DISSIPATE!
"Hey! I'm in here!" He complained, a comical tear in the corner of one of his eyes. His upset attitude was looked over as the pink sister of the cold simply dismissed his protests.
"Ugh. The doggy's in there. Get out so we can keep it already!" She demanded, getting all up in the boy's face as she stepped into his personal space being the more confrontational of the twins.
"IT'S MINE!" He argued.
"NOT ANYMORE!"
MAGIC AURA...!
Ram went on. She pulled out her staff, a threatening glow coming off of it as even someone as inexperienced as the Loweean orphan could felt the
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
SKATE!
"GET BACK HERE!" The voracious sister yelled
He immediately fled from the scene, sliding at incredible speeds to escape the prepubescent girl hellbent on stripping him of his magic, as she managed to just barely keep pace with the newly ice-clad mage at a light jog.
"You do realize your son is getting bullied by a 9-year-old, right?" AL held back some laughter as he said the observation. It was a rather entertaining sight to look at the CPU Candidate lukewarm on the boy's heels as he exerted much too plentiful effort to evade his pursuer. "Don't you think some intervention would be necessary?" A further inquiry was stated.
"What do you want me to do about it, AL? Some things kids just have to solve for themselves. Like how to deal with aggressive CPU Candidates trying to run your pockets for all they're worth." A sigh escaped his lips.
...
...
"Shut the hell up." A deadpan crossed the fire user's face, causing the CPU to groan as he was already in the hole for the unprepared curse.
"Fine, but if I get yelled at for this, you're falling with me." He gave his best friend a side-eye. "He's your kid, Neb. I don't gotta fall for nothin'." Was the dark-skinned warrior's response.
STRETCH!
"STOP RIGHT THERE!"
GRAVITY!
Both juvenile parties halted, as Ram felt herself jolt to a stop before having a flashback of the PTSD from the factory encounter. Domio was pulled back from crashing right into a wide tree as his face was mere centimeters away from smashing into what would've been splintered for days. Both children were brought before the corresponding CPU responsible for the stoppage of their momentum.
"Ram...!" Rom gasped.
"Woah! I guess we're aware of the gravity of this situation." 5bp. commented about what was happening between the two.
"I warned you what would happen if you did anything like this again, Ram..." Growled the god as he looked down on her, an orange eye eerily similar to her sister's appearing. Even her original victim was slightly disturbed by the amount of foreboding that was housed in the adventurous CPU's voice as his eyes were drained of all that made the meme lord approachable. What was left were the cold, unforgiving eyes of a parental figure.
"N-No!" She cowered, true fear present from the remembrance of the consequences that she'd have to deal with. Not something she'd like to relive, thank you very much.
"Please Mister Nebula! Not the spin cycle!" Rom begged for her sister.
'"W-Wait!" Intervened Nepgear, finally putting her foot down as everyone looked at her. "Before we do anything drastic, I got a call from IF." She explained.
"It's about the Mascot."
She clarified, causing the air to go from comical to serious.
"What's up?" Taleia asked the lilac-haired goddess.
"They're resting as we speak. They already encountered some powerful ASIC members that gave even Cave and Uni trouble. They want us to rendezvous at the entrance of the cave for a numerical advantage compared to their numbers now. They speculate that the people in the cave are much stronger than those outside." Briefed the eldest of the CPU Candidates.
"So basically what you're telling me is that they're requesting backup after barely beating some guards? They must be some tough cookies." Folded his arms as the blue CPU assumed the most realistic scenario. "No wonder they want us to join. They're unsure that they'll be able to catch lightning in a bottle twice." He speculated.
"That's exactly what they're saying." AL agreed. "We should probably leave as soon as we can. The longer we take, the more time ASIC gets to use the Mascot for their own gain." He warned.
"So we should get going as quickly as possible, is everyone ready?" Nepgear looked around to see everyone's state.
LOWER!...
LAND!
"You got off lucky this time, kid. But try to pull a stunt like that again and the G-forces will have no mercy on your soul." Threatened the CPU as he gave one last look of warning to Ram before reverting to his normal, laid-back persona.
"...Y-Yes, I'll make sure." Some sweat formed as she nodded, Rom holding her hand to give her some support after the near punishment experience.
"Make sure and remember, Ram..." Her sister reminded her, not wanting a fate like that to befall the youngest goddess of Lowee.
"I-I wanna go." 5bp. volunteered. "To let the people hear my songs as they battle for all of Gamindustri would be an honor!" She gave her gratitude to the opportunity that rose.
"Right on! Your music is top-notch, so you being our bard is sure to give us busted buffs!" A thumbs up from the afro-wielding warrior was given to the blue-haired idol.
"I will also lend my assistance. Supervising my student will be something that is necessary to gauge his growth." MAGES. spoke as she put a hand in her pocket as she twirled her staff with the other, standing next to Domio. "And making sure that 5bp. doesn't get into too much trouble is also a priority while I'm in this dimension." She added.
"Good, good. A senior mage is great for us. We'll be able to combine magic and unleash devastating spells on our enemies!" He got pumped from the potential.
"You speak as if you're a wizard as well." A sweat drop formed on the swordswoman's head as she looked at her godly friend.
Everyone else was already on board, having been on previous adventures up to this point. With that being said, the group wasted no time heading out to meet up with IF and the others at the entrance of the Underverse cave entrance.
A/N:
Heya there, reader!
If you're seeing this, this is a rewrite of the chapter, just to correct some repetition, fix some spelling errors, and improve the spelling quality, especially in the earlier chapters.
So remember, italics and bold is going for gold.
And done! Another chapter is completed.
This one was a bit heavy on the character interaction and worldbuilding as compared to other installments as the lack of action per se was replaced by the relevance of what some characters had to say on top of the power system being further explained. I'll go into further detail concerning the two scenes in this chapter.
Firstly the interaction between Gris and the chip dealer. Honestly, I was going for a more interrogative-style scene with the assassin holding the dealer hostage and offing him after gathering the required information after it's given. But then I asked myself; What would be the point of that? If he was just going to die anyway, that's the equivalent of killing an enemy NPC in an open-world RPG. No significance whatsoever, on top of the fact that around half the chapter would've been wasted over a scene that would have performed better.
Instead, I decided to use the space given to argue philosophy. Why the average person would join versus the truth behind them doing so. Since Neptunia never really goes into depth with these things, and to be fair their usual demographic doesn't focus too much on the matter when it comes to it being brought up. With that being said, I thought I'd use the opportunity to detail both sides of the argument as a person who just wants to survive in times where their patron goddess has seemingly disappeared which could insinuate a variety of things from simple MIA to flat-out desertion, most would be charmed by lucrative deals ASIC could possibly offer. One hand extending to pull you from the ashes is better than being left to the winds of chance, for most.
On the flipside, once exposed to what could possibly be the organization's real intentions, even going to the extent of working with/for them, and then being lied to about your payment even at such a valuable status would not be most favorable for those lower in the class system regardless of reason. No one is exempt from this rule, and they are told that they are to lower any suspicion and anxiety on top of lulling them into a false sense of security with many luxuries to the point that they'd prefer their new crime-ridden lifestyle over their old less fortunate one. Especially those of working class or lower as their bracket was much more vulnerable than those more fortunate.
Both sides could be argued, but if you read the chapter, you'll know who eventually worn out who.
On the flipside, magic being expanded upon opens the playing field for both established and newer characters with its execution in terms of how it is cast. Looking at the games and the back onto my fic I decided to use some fundamental mechanics. The first being imagination, second being mathematics, and the third being the actual capacity required to cast said spell. Once these three points are met, most simply to intermediate spells are able to be applied, and more complex spells and incantations are open to be used as a whole to the magic using population of humans, elves, and any other race capable of the manipulation of SP.
More will be added over time, but for now the basics will be stated for Domio to be the example of this showcasing to highlight the difference between a magician unaware of the requirements and one that was familiar with the rules set to create proficient spells that do significantly more damage than their unrefined counterparts with the correct execution alone. Not to even mention magical items, artifacts, weapons and other boons capable of increasing one's magical potential through the ceiling if the correct ones are gathered. Even the very clothes that a magic user wears may or may not be increasing their stats!
With that being said, I'll take my leave. Make sure to like, favorite, and comment. Don't be afraid to leave a review!
Arrivederci.
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