Despite how it may have seemed to many, Linda herself was an excellent judge of character. Many times she'd been made a fool of, thrown aside, tricked, and other forms of humiliation, however the one thing she was never wrong with was discerning a person's type and quality.

For example, we have this wonderful woman walking towards her. The stride, the arrogant smirk across her lips, and the way she badgered her goons told Linda much. This stripper wannabe was egotistical, yes, but she also had the moves to back it up. She knew how appealing she was to her minions, and despite her lithe figure she was rather deceptive in her strength. All of this may have seemed obvious after the fact, but Linda could tell these features before the woman got off her ass to fight. She wasn't lazy, but clearly their current foe saw both Kurome and her as beneath her; not worthy of her efforts.

And so it was this bitch made her approach, hips tipped and swaying gently, just a little too much to be natural. This was not the type of person you wanted to mess with, as while her attitude was so narrowed and predictable, she was visibly of her right mind. Usually most people say the deadliest folks are those out of their minds, because they are unpredictable, and yet Linda disagreed. Those with sanity intact can predict and plan, and their wrath and response is not so easily circumvented as the insane; they know what they want, and know exactly how to get it.

Yet it wasn't this cruel lady that Linda found herself worried about; no, that honour belonged to Kurome.

Now, seeing her friend apparently taken down in one blow had been a fright in and of itself, mainly due to the discount goth's strength. Kurome was the type of woman who didn't care to put in extra effort if it wasn't needed. Like that of a lazy teen being lectured, Kurome had an aura of 'IDGAF' permeating her very being. Even so there was emotion hidden within her, a sense of... longing in the way she relaxed, and a tad of excitement when things go her way.

The honest smile of the Kurome walking her way now was anything but that.

Linda was an excellent judge of character, able to read just about anyone, and yet, looking at her friend, Linda couldn't see a thing at all. Similar to skimming over a different language, Linda couldn't translate anything about the girl at the moment; even her walk was... wrong. Gone was the carefree, almost pet-on-a-leashed type movement, now replaced with an unsuspectingly standard approach. Had people possessed a default walk cycle, then Kurome, at this very moment, was a master of it.

Worst of all were the eyes; void of emotion altogether. Before there had been at least some life in them, even if it was a life begging for sleep. There was just... nothing at all to them, and Linda couldn't grasp a damn thing from it. Kurome's expectedly flat-tone expression was pasted over with a mild smile; like someone who's just come across an old friend. Most would put this combination of aspects together and assume Kurome was a serial killer, but all Linda saw was a practiced gray, free of personality and soul.

Effort on her part was seemingly false, and once that deep violet haze began to shift around her, Linda knew it was over.

"Tell me girl, will you be as weak as your friend back there?" The cult leader's hand caressed her cheek, and Linda swallowed hard.

"U-um..." Linda was having a really hard time focusing on the lady in front of her, and it seemed the stripper knew that.

"Hmm?" She turned back, and subsequently found herself gasping for air as she was pushed down to her knees. Linda stumbled back, watching with wide eyes as her friend's hollow orbs pierced the woman choking in her grasp.

"Weak... is that what I was to you?" The stripper coughed out an attempted retort, choking instead; apparently Kurome tightened her grip. "Funny... I could say the same about you. Weak... you're so, astronomically, weak."

"I-I-" Her choking was violent now, and her body shook; still Kurome didn't seem to care, as her hollow eyes lay flat an emotional void.

"Weakness was not something I even humored the pathetic people of Gamindustri like you would ever label me with. Ironic really; you're so outclassed that you don't even know it." Finally Kurome let go, and their shared foe dropped; clutching at her throat as she sucked in the precious air previously denied. "Now then, what shall I do with you?"

Kurome paced around the cultist leader, and Linda felt a disturbing shiver shoot up her spine as the darker girl tapped at her lower lip with her index finger; arms crossed in thought as she supposedly brainstormed. The haze around her was strong, and yet it completely vanished when crossing over her, as if it wouldn't dare obstruct the view of its master.

"Perhaps I can isolate you; give you the same treatment you worthless masses gave me decades ago." Another loop was made. "Or, I can strip away your soul, keeping the meat doll as a puppet; you might make an interesting plaything." Another loop, only this time Kurome lowered her arms. "No, I don't think you're quite worth the hassle of maintenance." And then she stopped. "How about..."

Linda watched as the enemy tried to move... well, actually it was more of a dash towards the girl next to her. What followed was the most brutal response Linda saw coming a mile away. Kurome pulled back, clutching and releasing her fist as she stretched out her fingers.

"There, now isn't that a lot more fair? Tit for tat."

The woman was on her knees again, clutching her chest and heaving. Square in the ribs, and right between the oversized sacs of fat. Linda had been hit in the chest plenty of times in her long years as a criminal, mostly by the goddesses, and even they had been holding back. Kurome would probably be on par with them, and unlike the do-gooders who pulled their punching, the struggled gasps followed by the disgusting bursts of near clear vomit made it obvious Kurome held nothing back. Linda almost felt bad for the cultist queen, and then she remembered it was this crazy weirdo who stole their truck, and so her mercy was lowered.

"Poor little thing. Unfortunate how she couldn't take what she gave."

"Y-yeah." Linda cautiously offered, doing her best not to stutter. "So... um, are we going to get the truck and leave now?"

"Yes, we will. After all, we have that delivery to make, don't we?"

Linda simply nodded, and so the duo began the long trek through the empty halls of the underground castle.

.

.

Kurome wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel. Usually the power of delusion was duller than this, then again that was from a time where it sustained her, meaning she might have simply grew sick of the forgotten flavor; not now though. Part of her wanted to worry about its sudden return, but seeing a familiar sight after being... temporarily withheld from their task was relieving. Even now she could feel as the thirst for chaos slipped away.

It was almost completely exhausted, especially now that they could see the truck up ahead, and luckier still the crates looked to be untouched. While she couldn't make heads or tails of how the vile power came to be in her grip once more, Kurome could most certainly tell what triggered it.

Hatred.

Unlike before where it became a necessity for her own survival, this power was nothing more than a parasite now, a disease or infection that needed to be cleared up. The girl couldn't quite feel share energy, but she knew at least some of it was flowing into her all this time, otherwise she'd have felt extremely drained all the time, and most certainly would have lost her strength entirely.

The delusion was different, more akin to an aftertaste than the main course the shares now provided; even if she couldn't feel their taste them in full. Kurome set aside these wonderings as she hopped in the passenger seat of the truck, hearing Linda shakily speak up.

"So, um... you doing good?"

"I'm fine, now drive."

"But-"

"Drive, Linda..." She leaned back, shutting her eyes as the waves of exhaustion nearly overcame her. "Just... just drive."

"Alright." It was a deafened retort, and Kurome wanted to say she didn't care, but stupidly enough she did. Like it or no, her delusionary powers were back, not in full, but enough to activate when the time came. Even worse still was how it seemingly wrapped itself around her anger, altering its strength dependent on the emotion.

Worst of all she still had no clue where her other half really was, nor how to bind with her again. Linda and Warechu had been a stroke of luck, and begrudgingly she had to admit it was because of them she didn't have to worry about finding food or sleeping on the streets. She could easily keep up a mild search, and always have a place to call home for the time. This of course meant she needed to keep in the good books of the pair, which wasn't all that hard, but with that moment back there... Kurome wondered just how much damage to her rep she'd done in Linda's eyes.

And then she froze.

Hold on... She didn't actually care about what Linda thought... did she? It was bizzare in a sense. Kurome was using them to find Uzume, so all she needed to worry about was whether they were about to kick her out or not; their personal opinions didn't matter if they wouldn't kick her out. Shooting a quick look to Linda she saw the girl's face hold an almost agitated expression, however it was one of legitimate worry, rather than ire.

Looking at it opened up a pit in her stomach.

No, no, don't be like that! Kurome couldn't let her mind get side-tracked; there was a mission on the go. Perhaps she felt a small sense of regret over the scenario, but none of it was worry for Linda. Rather, Kurome was furious she couldn't get herself out of their capture immediately. Yes, she'd fallen asleep, but once upon a time the mere presence of any change in the air would have her on her feet. She should have awoken from the scent of the gas alone; the odor being anything but normal should have triggered an alarm.

Looking out the window at the rapidly passing landscape, Kurome questioned if she'd be susceptible to other instances of danger, wondering if she'd lost her edge in these scant few days of peace.

.

.

"Hello there girls." Noire offered a quick wave as she walked up, looking over the group with a keen eye. "Are we all set to go?"

"Noire!" Cried Nepgear. "We didn't think you'd show up, aren't you busy?"

"A little." The woman admitted, brushing aside one of her twin tails with a smirk. "But it's nothing I can't mitigate to my staff. Helping Uzume however is something I can only do on my own. She's helped us through so much, so it's only right to lend our hands during her time of need."

"Really?" Neptune popped up with a shifty grin. "Are you sure you weren't just lonely again? My my, Noire, are you looking for excuses as to why this isn't just you wanting to be praised?"

"Nope." Noire held a hand up. "I won't be letting you get to me today; we have work to do. Come on, let's head inside already." She started off towards the entrance of the ruins.

Neptune looked to pout, but in the end they all filed in without complaint. Rather than being wrought with the usual green moldy stone of ordinary past works, this time the mold was purple. Not exactly the most exciting change of the status quo, but interesting enough to be noticed at first. The interest in the off-color fuzz was quickly abandoned as they set their sights on trudging deeper inside.

Each brick, despite being cracked and broken, pressed firm into the dirt. This should have had them worried about how deep the walkway would sink, but regardless of the potential danger of quicksand - Noire would argue it a sinkhole instead, but Nep wasn't having it - the girls ignored the absolutely miniscule chance they'd sink and die. Their eyes and minds were drawn to the carvings along the shattered rock, so elegant in their stick-figure glory.

"Heh." Neptune pointed up. "That one looks like Noire."

"And just what do you mean like that?" The aforementioned questioned. "It's the same as all the others."

"See how it's alone and away from the pack." Nep motioned over to the previous image of a collected group of stick people. "Just like you."

"Don't you have any better material today, Neptune?" The much more reserved goddess asked with a huff. "You've been repeating these same 'jokes' since we've arrived."

"Well I would if somebody didn't forget to pack the appropriate amount of snacks for the trip."

"I don't follow." Noire was then answered by Nepgear who sighed in an acceptable amount of disappointment.

"She ate all the pudding on the way here."

"I shouldn't even have been able to do that!" The smaller, yet somehow elder sister scratched at her head in rabid madness. "Come on! You've never packed too little before... okay, at least not usually!" Neptune cast hurt glances every now and then to Nepgear, who was doing her best to avoid showing how guilty she felt.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think you'd go through them so fast. I packed at least a weeks amount, and we've only been traveling for less than a day." This drew up Noire's attention, as well as the eyes of everyone else. However none were more let down by this revelation than IF, who quickly threw in her own opinion; loudly.

"Geeze Nep, how is it you keep hitting new lows?"

"Nep wha-!" The verbally assaulted cried in disbelief. "Iffy, don't go turning on me! You know how hungry I get."

"Yeah, and you don't even have the common courtesy to put on weight. If any of us ate like you did we'd be in hospital beds by now."

"Nonononono Iffy, this is a good thing. My goddess metabolism allows all that energy to go towards building up my muscles, and make destroying our enemies easier. You can't be jealous of me when all my efforts go into defending the people."

"What, like how your brain is jealous that every other part of the body gets food aside from it?" Iffy delivered the sentence with a single peaked eyebrow, only serving to shove the insult into her friend's throat further. "Nep, you wouldn't even need half of your power if you understood the word 'restraint', but sadly enough I've yet to drill that notion into the steel ball you call a noggin."

"*Neps in betrayal* Iffy, why?"

IF rolled her eyes, paying little mind to the goddess. Rather the guild scout opted to observe the carvings along some of the ruins. A series of little stickmen performing various actions all along the supposed tomb of ancient abandoned tech. However her wonderings fell to confusion as she noticed something particularly off about them, and she voiced her concerns aloud.

"What types of carvings are these?"

"What's wrong IF?" Nepgear popped over as IF explained further.

"Usually ruins have carvings of stories related to what's inside. These ones though..." She tilted her head, a queer mask twisting her features into a crusty look. "They have next to nothing to do with what Histoire told us from Noire's report."

"I'm right here you know, and let me see..." Noire stepped closer, her eyes settling on a pair of carvings who were apparently locked in sword battle... or, she thought they were - the art wasn't very good. "It appears to be a duel."

"Way to go detective Noire." Neptune called, walking up with a smirk. "It's not like the author already said that."

"Quiet Neptune!" Noire shot back. "I can't focus with you ruining the immersion."

IF sighed, with Compa offering support at her side in the form of a mild pat on the back.

"Whelp." The often self-proclaimed 'wind of Gamindustri' allowed to tumble from her lips. "It was nice while it lasted."

"At least they behaved for a little while." Compa comforted, though it had little effect. While IF was in the middle of debating her life choices, Uzume wandered over to another set of carvings, with Big Nep whistling as she eyed a particular few. The two took an interest in a certain set of images, actively choosing not to mention aloud that both had snacked on at good chunk of the pudding reserve each; the others didn't need to know.

"Look at that." The taller of the Neps said, a smile of wonder slipping over her face. "That one kind of looks like little me, but tall." She looked over. "And there are two little versions of me." Big Nep grew bashful at the next sight. "Aw, they're hugging now..." That look twisted into worry. "A little too close together now... are they, kissing?" Big Nep leaned back and whispered to Uzume. "Are... are we allowed to show what I think this is in a T-rated story?"

Uzume raised a brow as she looked over.

"It looks more like they're melting together than anything else. Besides, I thought only Nepsy was allowed to mention and talk with the readers?"

"I'm a Nep, so by default I get a free pass."

"Do we get a free pass too."

Big Nep chuckled at that, and turned towards the others.

"Sorry girls, this is a right exclusive to protagonists and their derivatives." Looking back the taller girl noticed how all the others simply gave looks of reserved confusion, all aside from Neptune who let out a tiny 'wut' in show of her lack of understanding. Big Nep blinked, and looked to Uzume. "Hey, uh, who asked that last question?"

Rather than speak, Uzume just waved to the wall, and looking over Big Nep saw the stick neps wave from their place. Part of her mind was about to shut down at the supposed impossibility of what she saw, but then she remembered just what dimensions they frequented, and realized this was mostly par for the course.

"Oh... I see."

"So can we?" Both stick neps asked with all the hopefulness of toddlers.

"Uh... no." For what it was worth the woman offered an apologetic look as she scratched her cheek. "Sorry, but like I said this is only for protagonists and the protagonist-like."

"Oh, you won't let us?"

"No."

"But we want to." The stick neps cried.

"But you can't." Big Nep threw out again.

"Says who?"

Big Nep never got the chance to speak before IF came storming over.

"Says me!" She crossed her arms. "We already have two Neps too many."

A small hum echoed out as the nep drawings looked to think, and then an exclamation point burst over their heads. Instantly they slammed into one another, molding as the lines undid themselves. Moments later the changing settled, and there stood a single more detailed nep drawing.

"How about now?" Before anyone else could answer IF shouted again.

"I said no!"

"Fine! We'll do this the hard way!"

A loud rumbling could be heard throughout the ruins, and in a bout of shock the trio before the wall of nep dove aside as the drawing leapt out of the wall. Landing on the grass the mostly two-dimensional being started to shake, and almost immediately the ruins began to crack. Everybody dove to the ground as low as they could at the sight of what was happening. All the stick carvings from all the walls were ripping from their places and flying towards the new physical nep, and as they met with it the creature grew larger and more detailed.

By the time the shaking settled and all was said and done, the nep drawing had evolved into a nep statue; completely nude at that. It lacked the more biologically naughty features, making it more akin to a plastic doll, especially with the articulated stone joints. Its face appeared to animate a bit, taking on an expression of competitive need.

"Then we'll just get rid of those who say we can't!"

Both Neptunes looked towards IF, and the little one spoke.

"Way to go Iffy, you pissed it off and nearly cost us our T-rating... Iffy?" It was then the two noticed the manic smirk on IF's face, and subsequently the pair backed away.

"Oh dear." Compa let out. "Iffy's been in a bad mood all morning, so I think she's looking for something to take her frustrations out on."

"Bad mood?" Noire and Uzume questioned, with the latter having landed by the nurse during her dodge.

"Her newest cell-phone had a bad update, and now she can't use her favorite apps until the next is released."

Noire made an 'O' with her lips; a show of her understanding. Uzume recalled how Nepsy spoke of her friends from time to time, and while dimension hopping had allowed a greater exploration of the worlds, it didn't afford much time to get to know her buddy's buddies well. She did recall IF being said to hold a particular love for her cellular devices, but Uzume never expected it to be this extreme.

The girl was flaming; yes, literally flaming.

"You may not be my Nep," IF cracked her knuckles, the fire surrounding her burst violently in response. "But thanks to that I won't have any bad feelings when I obliterate you."

"Ha! Fire doesn't beat rock." The nep statue puffed its - surprisingly accurate - small chest, a strange sight since it was taller than everyone there, but more in the sense of being a larger copy of the small original.

"Trust me, by the time I'm done..." The flames grew bold as IF whipped a pair of serrated silver claws. "You'll be nothing but a puddle of magma!"

With that IF charged.

Author's note.

...

Hey, back again.

Yeah, took a bit more this time, mostly because I was low on the old motivation. But hey, we're back again, and what a chapter.

Linda was given a first-class seat to Kurome's darker aspects, and IF got to unleash her hidden fury. Things are often bound to be weird in this series, so stay tuned for the next exciting episode: When artwork attacks!

Catch you later.