Chapter/Tale 6: Role-Playing Game: Act 5
Author's Note Intro:
You thought it was just gonna be one chapter, but it was actually me, a double chapter! Terrible Jojo reference, I know. Technically speaking, I did say in the profile that the previous chapter was gonna be delayed, and that's for the reasons previously mentioned before. I know, it sucks; until the issue can be resolved ASAP, I'm stuck like this for a while. Anyway, hope you liked the 2-for-1 deal that you ordered and I charged you for a review without you noticing! (It's a lie!) So regarding those problems I have, should anyone know of a way to get rid of it, feel free to PM me anytime. Moving on, I kinda dropped a major plot bomb in the last act, so I hope you figured it out by then! Anyway, let's just get right into the chapter! Enjoy!
Now back to Hoshi no Kābyi to Densetsu no Kurisutaru Purinsesu: RPG Monogatari!
Level Five: Boss Gate- Act One
Road to the Enemy: HWC's Dominated Virtual Reality Labyrinth (Virtual Insanity- Angry Video Game Nerd 2: Assimilation/ Airborne Robots- F-777)
Kailaine's POV: Virtual Running Hell
The impossible level is right before us. A golden building of doom stood in wait for its next victim to devour. I find it to be a deathly intimidating structure, speaking honestly if I must be. A golden door extended itself in front of us, inviting death to personally escort us to our coffins as it seems. I glared through the spinning pixelated white and black vortex of a portal, gulping at first glance. "We're here, the final level," I gulped. "Those two are waiting for us up there to help them; we can't keep them waiting any second longer."
"Darn right," Kirby added. "Everyone, are you all ready? There's no point of return once we step inside." The party agreed with their resolve. "Oh, who am I kidding? Only a sissy would chicken out after coming this far. Whatever, let's just go in-"
"I call first in line," Aege rushed through the portal at forward time speed before anyone could blink, making the vortex ripple. Everyone shrugged, leaving him to his own antics before he suddenly popped out, saying, "Holy crap, you guys gotta see this." Those words spurred us into action, causing us to rush in at the force of curiosity.
Floor One: Game Boy Land
"WHAT THE HECK IS THIS?"
Black and White, Grey and Silver. Squares seemed to make up everything we see around here, even my whole body was pixelated in those four colors! Everyone and everything looked like it came straight out of a handheld console back then! "What happened to us?!" Adeline asked out loud in surprise.
Kirby and Karly doesn't seem to be that majorly affected. "Calm down, everyone. This is a game, what did you expect? Espera said that this tower was mainly a nostalgic throwback to the years of gaming and anime, so that means every area we step into will alter the reality like right now. We're in the GameBoy era now, so assuming that reaching the top requires us to ascend the graphic ladder in the right order," Kirby explained casually.
"That's it? Then what makes this level near impossible to beat in the first place?" asked Dylan. "First of all, does that mean everything we say being displayed on a text box below us right now? Second, are there any RPG games on a handheld like this one we're in?"
"One, obviously there is one and there might as well be a player behind the scenes if this were a real RPG, and two, not any that I know of on this one, but the NES era had some RPG games; we just have to find the door that leads to it. And don't worry about the graphics, they'll change only when we find the next door, if only we knew where to look in this Metroidvania RPG tower… no time for wasting. Let's move out!" Kirby commanded.
Every step we took was surrounded with pixels. This was definitely the GameBoy era; my dad had a collection of games he picked up in his early years as a kid. How he got them… well, he dodges the subject every time you ask him how he was able to get them. Nonetheless, they did held special nostalgic memories to him. In fact, since he was a huge fan of Smash Bros, he wanted to personally go 1v1 with Kirby himself if he had the chance… yeah, those were the days… I found out that part after his death… maybe if that hadn't happened to him… no... If Zero hadn't killed them both! When I see his face again, I'm gonna-!
"Kaila? Are you okay?" Kazela tugs me firmly on the cone sleeve. "You're emitting a sad aura of some sort at the moment. It's rather deadly." Her words were displayed in a digital textbox below us, appearing at the same rate of the actual handheld.
"I'm fine, Kazela. Let's hurry, whatever it is you want to talk about, it'll have to wait afterwards," I slightly smiled as I pat her head and trekked forward with her behind the others. Kirby took the lead as usual, but he stopped at something peculiar.
"Hold up," he demanded, walking over to a strange mark left there in pixels; a secret that was shining only once and Kirby caught sight of it. "It's a player's Trail Star. In a dungeon as massive as this one, anyone is able to just follow their footsteps all the way to the end with ease. Hey, do you think…?"
"That Knuckle Joe purposely left this behind?" Sirica finished his sentence. "Seems he didn't turn his own brain into a knuckle sandwich after all. We just have to follow wherever the trail leads; maybe the impossible part is what it took to get there." The Trail Star hovers, unveiling a line spiraling and made up of the player's footstep path, urging us to follow.
"I smell Knuckle Joe, alright. Let's go!"
Knuckle Joe's POV: RPG Mania
Brawl with the Dark Invaders- 33rd World Boss Battle (Phase/Act 1)
Knuckle Joe and Zeta VS Computer Virus Zero & Mecha Demon King Jevangelion Masher (Great Demon King- The Denpa Men: They Came by Wave)
Boss Description: A Demon King, a computer virus, and a Demon Beast all into one by the Mother Computer. Jevangelion is the fearsome antagonist of a Demon King in the Starlight series, the Computer Virus originated from the Great Cave Offensive, and Masher is an elite Demon Beast resurrected multiple times and slain by Knuckle Joe and Kirby. Merged as one by the MC antagonist of Cybervirus Reality, they are known as Mecha Jevangelion Masher… sounds a bit lame there. Regardless, this fusion has been estimated with the power to alternate reality and break the 4th wall if it wishes so, furthermore, all are victims and held helpless once it's activated, bound to the rules of the metaverse chosen. Unless your knowledge of RPGs are top notch, you have no chance against it. True, but it has to follow the rules too; each reality shift gives the boss major disadvantages. Take charge of that!
Mecha Demon King Masher Jevangelion unleashes their fury! Get ready to brawl!
Masher. Just like the good old times, huh? An elite Demon Beast assumed to be a top-tier murderer on Nightmare's army back then. I've some really tough experiences with this guy; I was a monster hunter after the time I only pretended to work with NME just to take it down. And without Kirby's help, I would've never defeat it… twice. The second time was a pain in the ass. Nothing could lay a dent on the armor; maybe this time this guy could be invincible. No matter, we just have to stall until they're able to get here in time- speaking of which, looks like they found the little hint I left on the first floor. Their real problem is getting through the hell of obstacles before them. Hope they make it out alive.
Right now, we have to try and fight against it until then. "So, what is your plan of action, Knuckle Joe? You did state you fought against that Demon Beast, correct?" Zeta asked.
"Twice, in fact. The second round, he was immune to any attack thrown at him. Maybe he's still vulnerable, but in the offensive merged with the Demon King's power could be a real problem," I answered. "He loves swinging that mace around mainly as the go-to method, but in that state, disarming him won't even do anything major at least. Waiting him out on defensive seems like the best option until then."
"Your resistance is futile; let's begin the game," Jevangelion cackled, swinging the mace around rapidly and struck a fast first shot that we quickly evaded. The mace pulled back on the spot and was hurled again multiple times. I could tell the speed was insane at the rate he swung it like an unkillable teacher that can travel at Mach 20. The instinct to dodge these kinds of attacks are rare at some point; seems like Masher gotten faster and became more reactable in the process.
We both evaded and jumped the relentless attacks the king threw at us. He's only using the mace for now, but he has more tricks up his sleeve and is not using it until later on. Just the mace is enough to keep us on the edge as we haven't even thought to go offensive when we had the chance; the possible scenarios kept me in speculation. The dodge game continued on for a while until it reached an impasse.
"How pathetic. It hasn't been a full 5 minutes and you're already gasping for a breather while I'm not even using 1 percent of my power swinging this around for fun," Jevangelion sneered in character. It's only acting on program because of the virus fusion. The voice alternates to the mother computer. "Your chances of victory has been calculated to a mere 0.01%. You shall see to never step up against the eradicator of all organic life; let there be only mechanized life as long as I reign supreme. Just try me, if you can. Dealing with me is actually the least of your worries, let that not concern you once you're eliminated." Masher continued to spin the mace around in order to prepare his next attack.
Zeta gave a blank stare at the Demon King, analyzing it at the moment. "Weakness identified: second phase triggers by targeting the nexus core on the chest. Damage to the outside body is necessary before the core."
"The core, huh? Simple enough for me," I shrugged, positioning myself for round two. "Let's do this!"
The Demon King swung the mace as expected and the loop continues, but we were going offensive this time. While I sidestep from the mace, Zeta jumps on the mace and discharges electricity to travel to the receiver and shock the boss, inflicting a paralyzed status on the spot. I fired a volley of blasts aimed at the core, making him slam back a little, regaining his footing. Zeta had dashed along the long chain in a flash and tackled straight at the core, inflicting electricity as a trigger.
Jevangelion was knocked back but still kept up with the both of us as the brawl continued on, punching and defending against two opponents, exchanging blows and parries all the while. He changed tactics this time and used the other side of the weapon to slash the ground with to push us back. I jumped over it and swung a roundhouse kick right in the face to blind him while Zeta double kicks the core. She pulls back, I went for my turn at the core after I socked him more across the face; I spiked the core in a clean hit before rebounding back for distance.
Masher was off-balance but maintained it. "Impressive, I must say. As expected of the Princess of Starlight herself along with the Demon Beast Hunter too." He changed voices again to the mother computer, alternating every. "Surely you think I wouldn't see this coming, right? Even though I clearly stated your chances are low, you'd still fight back with your feeble bodies and break through. I did foresee a bit of that possibility occurring, if I must say. I wonder how long you can keep that up. Activate RealityShift- Code Zero." The Demon King roared.
Phase Two Activated!
Before I even could react, I sensed a strange disturbance in the air while Masher was powering up. "Is it me or did you notice that?" I asked, looking around. "Felt like something glitched for a while."
"No, I felt it too. And it's not unordinary, it's caused by the mother computer through the Demon King!" Zeta confirmed. "What is it planning to do with all of this?" That same disturbance kept on occurring without letup, sourcing all from the Demon King. Electricity energized around the boss, surrounding the body with pixels of some sort.
"System Call: Genre Select: Role-Playing-Game Library. Activating Computer Virus Mode," The Mother Computer chanted. "Prepare to meet your maker in 3… 2… 1… GO! Engaging Reality Shift." Suddenly, everything started to glitch like a rainstorm, affecting everything in its wake. Rapidly it increased the turbulence until it popped with a sudden burst wave born from a flash bang.
"WHAT THE-?! AAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH!" Everything was covered in that blinding light in one moment.
Meanwhile, a little earlier….
Floor 2-5: NES, SNES, N64, GCN, and GBA Land
"Huh?" I slightly gasped.
My senses heightened automatically upon receiving a disturbance in the tower climb as we had to deal with the console quality and the limitations of gaming within each floor. Along the way, we transformed along with the rooms, becoming sprite versions of ourselves. I never thought we would experience retro gaming like this before.
"That's odd…" I thought.
The impossible level really lives up to its name. As if following the Trail Star was simple enough, you gotta deal with the major problems that each era had, not to mention a path of tough obstacle courses to go with it. After the Game Boy came the NES and SNES eras, which were a major improvement but also came with major problems such as the fact that it was known for platform hell due to the NES having no checkpoints depending on the game like Super Mario Bros. The SNES was an improvement, introducing new mechanics and better quality.
The N64, the mother of everyone's favorite- Super Smash Bros. Although it did have some problems, no one really cared when it birthed the start of a new turn in gaming, starting with 3D. So many underrated classic gems are on this console; check it out sometime. And then there was the GameCube, a step-up from the N64 with polished graphics, tons of 3D games and without a doubt the best controller style ever made. Still had a few noteworthy problems, though.
But I think the best one so far has to be the GameBoy Advance. It contains almost every best game ever made, especially in the RPG genre and hidden nation-exclusive gems that should've been localized. The sprites for certain games were used to make awesome sprite animations you see online, even to make a web series like my personal favorite Super Mario Bros Z. A shame that never got finished though. Actually, the graphics here are really beautiful and what I look like now is really polished. I think I'd rather keep this look. Kirby even said this was his favorite era besides the N64 one.
I guess what makes the tower impossible is that since it makes one go through different eras, the real challenge is dealing with the imperfections that each one had and testing it through a path of obstacles and past-era challenges such as platform hell. How does one make it to the top? Either you tough it out and hope you make it after infinite attempts, or you can cheat; that's what speedruns are for! At least, that's what Kirby suggested.
I don't know how we're going to make it up there with all of these obstacles in the way. After all, that disturbance from before is suddenly getting stronger. Something must be happening on the top floor… could that be the mother computer's doing?
"What is that strange feeling?" I thought out loud.
"You noticed too, huh?" Kazela answered. "There seems to be a massive change in the tower's program as if reality's been shifted to another void, and it's coming from the top of the tower. I can only guess that it's the virus who's causing this."
"Mother Computer, you mean?" Adeline stated.
"Demi-virus, mother computer, they're the same thing anyway. Might as well be an all-in-one deal for them. It's that mother computer I'm more curious about. I've been thinking about it for a while, and after that whole story about the invasion, don't you think that the mastermind being a sentient machine bent on mass genocide and the one in the game are related- in a literal way?" Kazela grabs my hand and hoists me up on the platform, thus reaching the checkpoint.
"Arranged in that sentence, I suppose so, but I don't see how," Karly replied.
"Sounds way too convenient; I was thinking she may be working to rebuild it again, using resources that could make up for Popstar's like Starlight, but only if this game turned out to be an actual world to build a physical machine. Maybe a giant fighting robot in those mecha anime shows, a deadly android with the knowledge of the dead MC, or crazy yet- perhaps the disturbance we felt earlier was only the testing phase to a project aimed at turning reality into a virtual fantasy where she can easily dominate the world in seconds flat! Mind control through the headsets was only phase one; I think she's trying to delete reality by using the game's gimmicks, incorporate resources and data from the game into whatever she's building, and launch the machine in question to be a god over the planet!" Kazela ranted on about her theories and they sounded quite ridiculous at first. "After all, that machine was designed by the same people who made Niva, a clockwork star, right?"
Niva's ears perked. "Meh? Ah, you're right about that." We continued to ascend every floor possible as Kazela continues her ideas.
"It may sound crazy, but considering the fact that those events took place," Kazela continued on. "There's no way it can be impossible because any of this is pretty achievable at this point. It could be true if it weren't for the fact that today's events are caused by Dark Matter; she's doing this against her will. Besides, who'd wanna revive their old childhood trauma anyway? Still, she's starting off small with us breaking the mind control, it could be a diversion to attack Haltonia City and thin our party numbers in one swoop while sending robots to flood the city! Even if that was true, we can't ignore those two who are fighting for their lives right now! Helping them is our main objective at the moment- hey! This is the last floor!"
"Finally!" said Kirby. "The latest era of the century- the Year of the Switch! And our goal's just a few feet away! No time to waste- those two are counting on us! We've gotta help them… right after we deal with the puzzle in front of us to reach the other side. Assemble the Joy-cons on the model of the Switch while avoiding the usual, as in another pressure game of death run and suicide."
"AW, COME ON!" Everyone groaned.
"It ain't that bad, all we need is time, a portal gun, some fitting music, and a controller," Kirby declared boldly. "Don't worry, it'll take only a minute flat. Here I go." He sprinted across the area blindly with a high-pitched scream and a trail of deadly lasers following him as he grabbed a large half of a controller with ease, screaming all the while.
A large model of the screen was in front of him, and Kirby sprung into the air and dunk one controller on the left side of the handheld with ease. Dashing to the other controller and carrying it, Kirby swerves and ducks every trap with ease and snaps the controller to the other end. The model turns on automatically, disabling the traps and security, displaying the logo of the console too with a cute animation. The door to the final floor unlocked itself on trigger and Kirby runs back to us. "The deed's done. No questions, only action. MOVE!"
Without a response, he ushers us to the door leading to the top floor. He also pockets an item as well; maybe he's planning to use it later on? Nonetheless, we finally made it to the top. All that's left is to step in and kill the mother computer.
Now Back to the Fight…
(Dual Duel- Room of Swords)
"What. The. Heck. Is. This?" I gagged. "Why the hell is everything looking like an arcade RPG?! And why is that stupid box writing down every word I'm saying?! Even the Demon King looks like a badass in this graphic quality! What the hell?!" It was completely accurate- everything from top to bottom and even ourselves looked like retro characters in an RPG game! What…?
Zeta didn't seemed too affected, rather awestruck. "Can we not kill it for a while, perhaps a year or two; maybe in never years? I've always desired for a machine capable of simulating every RPG game in existence! Espera is indeed the queen!"
"Don't get so attached to it- we're murdering that scrap metal!" I shouted. "Now let's kill him already!" The demon king stood in towering wait, seeming overconfident in himself. Zeta got herself out in that trance and reluctantly prepared to fight.
"Take this! Smash Punch!"
Knuckle Joe fires Smash Punch! But he can't attack on the first turn! Turn wasted.
"Are you kidding me?!" I boomed, sweatdropping. "How did he not take damage from that?! And what's with the whole "You can't attack on the first turn" crap?! Everyone attacks on the first turn!"
Reality Shift Mechanic- Shifting Battle Systems
Oh, I forgot to tell you! Actually, you should've seen this coming at first sight, I guess. This is an ability of the Computer Virus, Reality Shift. A power like that can alternate reality in a finger snap; here, it can distort reality into a video game. And that's gonna be your real challenge in the RPG genre- turn-base rules states that you do not have the free will to dodge any attack from the enemy, it's all up to how lucky you are to get a miss by chance unless the battle system allows you to. That's why RPG bosses are way harder than other genres. In short, Computer Virus 2.0 will most likely cheat the system in more ways than one, instant-killing you if it wishes, but it definitely won't do that here. Luckily, the downside is that it's also bound to the rules in every reality shift, each with major disadvantages, not to mention you have attacks equally powerful to take it down. Every reality shift will reference different battle styles of RPGs in history; if you just so happen to know one here, you may most likely succeed in fighting the demon king! (Unless they end up cheating, that is!)
"So this was the real intent of Reality Shift- to limit our actions as much as possible," Zeta summarized. "Without a huge party, it'll be very difficult with just the two of us. A better solution would be for one to go offensive and the other resorts to defensive means at the moment depending on the shift."
"Right; here he comes!" I agreed. Normally I wouldn't have any problems when it comes to fighting games, but in an RPG is where I fall short. I just don't have the patience to wait for the enemy to attack when I could just press A to win instantly, and even that's a risk not worth taking. I just had to suck it up.
With my turn wasted by default, Zeta proceeds to defensive, using her Shock Discharge skill to debuff Masher's defenses and attack power. Everything was displayed in text below us. It was then the enemy's turn.
Jevangelion swings his mace wildly! The duo takes an average damage of 255! Jevangelion casts Edge Lust! Critical attack chance increases!
It was then my turn to attack; I was on the offensive, and our main target was the core. Of course, there's a possibility that if we kept directly attacking that main weak spot, they'll do anything to cover it up, so I thought of it as best not to attack it right away. We'll start by slowly destroying his outer body, then go for the kill. The command menu came up for me, simply I went for skills, and it displayed possible target areas to attack. His weapon was definitely one of them; I'll disarm him first or just strike all of them at once. Yeah, that sounds way better.
Knuckle Joe unleashes Vulcan Shock Force! All target areas of Jevangelion takes 498 damage! The Core takes fatal damage!
"Yeah, how's that?!" I smirked, jumping back into my original position. Masher seemed to be paralyzed from that blow as it did affect the core indirectly. But I had the feeling that attack triggered something as an event, maybe by attacking his core once it activates. "Eh? Got nothing to say now?" I taunted.
"Nonsense. Consider this a test run for the real execution order," The Mother Computer retorted. "I was just using you two as test monkeys. Besides, this reality is just a basic; let's change things up a little, shall we?" The core flashes a bright red, causing the same distortion that got us here. Reality Shift was activated.
After that, the graphics had changed again. This time it was a side scrolling battle mode, meaning we could move freely at will. I find it strange it'd change to something like this on the spot. Jevangelion's health bar was displayed on top while ours were pinned to the bottom with extra features. I can say the quality feels like a GBA game back then.
"I know this battle system. We can freely move around to take down the enemy!" Zeta stated. "That means we're going all out!"
Those words spurred Zeta into action as she dashed straight at Masher, who flung his mace again. I ran behind her too; Zeta dropkicks Masher in the face, who shielded his face with his right hand while leaving his left flank open for a surprise attack. I fired Vulcan Jabs in that particular area followed by a Smash Punch to the exposed side.
Unexpectedly, by the time I did that, no damage was inflicted on him at all, not even the Smash Punch laid a dent on the armor as it was supposed to before. Instead, it either dealt zero damage or it got a perfect guard block.
"What?! How?!" I growled.
I pulled back while Zeta kept going offensive. She bounced rapidly around at lightning speed to throw Masher off, striking at every point she landed; at those times would've dealt massive damage, yet turns out her attacks were also deflected.
"Impossible! He shouldn't be immune to this now! Whatever happened to earlier before?!" Zeta growled as she pulled back from Jevangelion.
The Demon King glowers and echoed a robotic laugh; he started to levitate in the air, revealing his wings and soared into the background in the form of a giant comet. He glided around the tower, conjuring the clouds to subject to his will for power, and lightning stabbed the tower grounds at rapid speed.
"Look out!" Thunder spikes without warning, the escape radius was too slim as to even avoid it without a scratch.
Scurrying like mice in a maze, we scrambled to avoid the thunder hailstorm coming at different directions unexpectedly. One managed to nearly strike me, but the blast was enough to launch me right in Zeta as well. If that ain't enough, we were wide open when Masher dove right in and tackle straight through us, flicking us aside. Before any of us got up, that stupid mace knocked us silly at an unpredictable angle, triggering a critical hit. Before we knew it, we were knocked down on the ground. And it kept on, shifting reality from Magical Vacation to Golden Sun, Tales to Swordcraft Story and Final Fantasy, Persona, Dragon Quest to Chrono Trigger and so on until we were nearly dead on the ground, exhausted.
Knuckle Joe and Zeta took mortal damage! Their lives are at critical risk!
"Ugh! We can't even lay a single scratch on him now than before! How is he just suddenly invincible while we're just sitting ducks?!" I gasped, too paralyzed to even move a muscle. "It's like he maxed out his stats on the double as soon as he activated that stupid Reality Shift! A stunt like that can't be possible… right?"
Zeta groaned robotically. "No… it can be possible… if the boss was cheating!" I looked at her with shock. "I should've realized it sooner after the second phase went into effect. The Mother Computer infected the Demon King with the Demi-virus of that Demon Beast and the Computer Virus, which means that it has the ability to manipulate anything within the program of the Demon King or in other words, cheat and hack the game! That's why we couldn't lay a single scratch on him the first time; it was just toying with us then!"
"So, you finally figured it out, princess. That is the case, of course. Upset because it was an unfair match? Why bother for such a complaint? I merely took action upon reasoning and concluded this method would be rather effective on the likes of you. This will prove quite useful in dominating the other dimension plane once the resurrection of our leader commences with the donated resources harvested from Starlight."
"Huh? What are you talking about? This is just a game and all, but you sounded like you really mean it as you said that," I coughed.
"Should such trivial things matter to the puny lifeforms who will be eliminated at this very moment? Surely not so. Enough talk," The Demon King cackled, prepping himself for the final blow. Energy swarmed all over him, energizing him with power straight from the core.
"At this rate, we'll be-! Damn, I can barely move!" Zeta coughed. "A hit like that and it's literally game over or worse yet- we could either die or restart the game from the start! We have to do something, but what?!"
I noticed on my headset that a notification was flashing, and immediately I recognized what it was for. I couldn't believe that they actually made it here. I could only escalate my laughter to Zeta's confusion and to the Mother Computer as well. "Well, what are the chances of that cliché happening at this very moment? I guess we are that lucky after all, Zeta! They've finally made it here!" Zeta realized what I meant and could only laugh along with me.
"What's so funny? Cease that hopeless laughter at once!" Voices collided. The attack was all charged up- time to fire away. "No amount of tomfoolery will provide a solution for your demise, unless you're willing to raises those stakes to your deaths?! Say your prayers before I eradicate you scum like a speck of code!"
I shot a mischievous look at the Demon King. "Yeah, we already did. Buying time, of course. And it should be done right about… now."
Jevangelion unleashes Hyper Blood Breaker! Mirror Shield was instantly erected around both Knuckle Joe and Zeta! The attack was reflected! All target areas of Jevangelion suffered mortal damage of 5,000! The core takes fatal damage!
"Impossible!" The Demon King got struck by his own finishing attack and toppled towards the ground with a heavy thud. The core's crack widened further as the body began to cackle and hiss electricity in self-damage. "W-what is this… interference?! Error-! System does not compute-!"
"Just as planned," I snickered; my wounds suddenly disappeared with a healing spell along with Zeta, letting our bodies move again normally and lifting us off the ground. I got ambushed suddenly with a hug that felt so familiar, accompanied by a bunch of familiar and not-so familiar voices and faces. I knew it so well. "You sure did take your sweet time getting here, ya baldies!" I teased.
"Geez, is that all you have to say after we saved your butt?" It was Sirica, who looked weirdly much more emotional than I knew her to be. "I was so worried about you! Do you have any idea the amount of hell we had to go through after what happened on Luna Star?!"
"A vague idea, but hell if know. I was here for about two days/years! But I'm glad that you're doing alright; now get off me," I laughed. "Same for you guys." Along with her was Meta Knight and if it ain't the Pink Twins themselves, Kirby and Karly. Even Adeline was with them.
"Heh, no problem," Kirby imitated my usual taunt. "Glad that we made it in time before you two kinda got fried. Had we not had to deal with what happened on Popstar, we would've been here way earlier. Either way, it works itself out in the end."
"And can I ask, who are the other people with you?" I pointed to the unfamiliar group made up of teenagers, two little kids and a girl that somehow looks like the princess of Crystal Star who was kidnapped a few weeks ago. "Is what I would ask, but I'll hold that off until after we've dealt with that virus!"
"Interference confirmed: the alternative party. Their probability of reaching the top floor was estimated lowly! How could they succeed in beating the impossible level?!" The virus short-fused. "This scenario was not predicted to occur! How could they reach here in that short amount of time?!"
"Seriously?! You're questioning that right now?!" I laughed. "That's easy, all they had to do was follow a trail that I just so happened to accidentally left behind on my way here. I was lucky I managed to do it in one shot, otherwise you would've won. A shame, really- you have total control over this entire game, having access to everything and yet you couldn't figure out that one single detail? How pathetic."
"You dare question the flawless authority of the Mother Computer?! Insult not permissible! Now executing FinalJudgement/EXE. Death to the lowly primitives!" The Demon King quickly got back up, the eyes blood red and inflicted a blood-curdling scream that can be heard from across the entire land.
Final Phase Activated! (Boss Battle- Angry Video Game Nerd 2: ASSimilation/Hunger Strike- Room of Swords)
Reality Shift activated once again, this time to the GBA era of gaming. The virus, appearing in the form of a computer display, appeared in the background. It showed how much health the enemy has left, making the fight easier to keep track of. Seeing that, it had just occurred to me that the Mother Computer will still try to cheat the system at this desperate rate.
"So what's the deal with this guy?" Karly directly asked. "Any possible way of beating him?"
Masher summoned thunder bolts to rain and we had to dodge. "Long story short- it has the power to shift reality at will and victimize others to obey the rules. See that red core in his chest? That's the weak point; a critical hit will end it all, but we nearly bit it because it's been cheating the system after the second time it changed reality! So we can't lay a single scratch on him until we find a way to break through his super armor," I explained, dodging more thunder hail.
"It seems impossible," Zeta adds in. "The program of a game unless deemed so, especially in an RPG, never tries to cheat against a human player beyond its normal limitations. No single human has control over everyone's actions; this is a VRMMORPG, and everyone's their own player! Bosses may be nearly impossible to fight, but they can't be literally impossible to beat or even become invincible at all! As long as that's in play, there's no way to beat him in this state!"
"Seriously?!" Adeline panicked. "No wonder not a single person except us has gotten this far! What do we do now?!"
After the attacked ceased, everyone seemed to be fresh out of ideas at the moment. Well, except the little girl named Kazela. "The core, huh? Maybe the idea is to get it without having to literally chase after the enemy. But if it's cheating here against several players, then by what the cyborg princess and warrior stated before, it would never cheat easily if it was against a single player in control of their characters like an intense card game to the death!"
Everyone was confused at first, but both Zeta and I realized what her idea was. "You mean, fight against it under the control of a human player? But where are we gonna get a human player in this state?"
Kirby stepped in to that solution. "A player VS an NPC, huh? Oh, so that's why Espera made this ability in an emergency situation! I believe I can solve that, guys!" With that, he pulls out a white star that has the initials P1 and he automatically transformed. The next thing anyone knew, he turned out looking like a cyber-warrior equipped with literally every controller of the known consoles; rather, he looks like an angry video game nerd with game accessories for armor. "Time to get retro with Controller Kirby!"
You got a new ability, Controller! Destroy your opponents with controllers and handhelds using their own gimmicks as literal weapons! Using your Joy-Cons in different modes will also trigger different styles! Manipulate the battlefield against opponents like a game of Smash! Each controller and handheld offers unique moves and you can switch them anytime with no limit! You can also use Amiibos in battle with this current ability on for different effects! This is legit one of the most powerful abilities yet; use this ability to dominate your enemies with ease and conquer the classics!
All 12 abilities collected!
"Controller…? How's that gonna help us kill that fat bucket of metal in scrap shrimp?" Aege questioned. "You might as well select me to just suddenly stop time and go Dio on that guy with a push of a button! What use will that do?"
"Like this!" Kirby calls out an SNES controller and starts mashing buttons selectively. A white-gloved hand appeared pointing downwards and above each one of us and moves on command until it stops at Aege, choosing him and confirms it all with a single button click. And just like that, Aege automatically acted on command.
Aege unleashes The World Stop! Jevangelion is frozen in time and grounded with a huge truck troller, followed by a Jojo reference before exploding! Jevangelion's super armor is destroyed, taking 3,000 damage in total!
"Wha… what just happened?!" Aege gasped. "Dude! Did you literally make me go Dio Brando against my will?! I was being sarcastic, damn it!" Masher quickly recovered at the moment.
"You're welcome, theory proven! That MC can't cheat if a human player is the opponent!" Kirby declared. "In other words, I'm controlling everyone at the moment, so deal with it!"
"Kirby, you do know how to control us properly, right?" Karly asked.
"Yeah, yeah," replied Kirby. "No items, Final Destination, Fox Only. I know, this ain't melee, this ain't brawl, screw the rules- it's a free-for-all. I got this, quit worrying!"
"I'm still worried!" Saito cried out.
Kirby shrugged and pressed a single button, causing everyone to stand in place and act on his command, which not everyone really is a fan of. We had to roll with it in order to take that mother computer down, otherwise it's gonna be game over for us all.
"No time for complaining! We're killing that virus right here, right now at its own game- literally! Get ready, you guys!" Kirby shouted.
"You little primitives! It'll require more than just a human player to triumph over me!" The MC roared. "Bring it on!" Jevangelion swung the mace even more brutally as to conjure up a storm, ready to pound his opponents with all he's got. I'd like to see him try! Luckily, we could still move around at will, but Kirby could control our attacks at once, so we'll leave the timing to him.
We all dashed around Masher, waiting for the opportunity to attack on Kirby's command. Masher struck first, spiking his mace wildly at us. Kirby, with his DS and a stylus out in hand, sifted and tapped on the touch screen to confirm multiple commands.
Karly, Sirica, Meta Knight, Knuckle Joe and Zeta goes all-out on Jevangelion! He takes a total of 3,265 damage! Super armor is gradually weakening!
"Woah, that was actually pretty cool!" I smirked. "Who would've thought the concept of using game controllers would actually be a pretty useful ability?!" The same concept repeated with the rest of the party members, and the cheats were useless as the armor cheat was being gradually nullified. At one point, the MC got furious and riled up.
"This will not be tolerated! New target: destroy the human player!" It declared war, ordering Masher to direct his focus now on Kirby as he swung his mace straight at him, enchanted with an excessive amount of volts.
Kirby only cackled in a mocking tone. "Yeah, that's right! You do that- but that makes me resort to a controller's secret weapon! The almighty master of stopping time- The Pause Button!" A push of a button and just like that, everything froze in time better than the world does. The boss couldn't even cheat against that!
"Curses! I cannot move! Curse you, Pause Button! You will be eliminated after I'm done with these primitives!" It growled. "You are my enemy from now on!"
"Not feeling overlord right now, huh?" Kirby snickered. "Never underestimate the power of the Pause Button- with no downsides, none that I can think of!"
"Except one," echoed Karly. "You also froze us all too, you idiot!" Aw crap, that's right. Everything freezes once the game's on pause. Kirby sweatdropped.
"Oops, sorry about that!" Kirby awkwardly laughed, somehow being able to move out of the way of the mace and let it fly by once he cancelled the pause effect. We were able to move again freely. "And that's not all! Well, I would have more to show off, but it looks like we're not gonna get anywhere if we just keep procrastinating like this, so while it's been fun, it's gonna have to end!"
"You think you can end me?! Impossible!" It scoffed. "Even if you can break through this program, victory for you cannot be achievable as long as you can't strike the core, and I have no intent of making myself a target that easily! You cannot attempt to make your way here and do the deed just like that!"
"Damn, it has a point," Sirica stated, parrying the baton with her gunblade. "With the way that virus has been defending itself, there's no opening for us to directly strike the core without getting deflected. There must be some way to get the core without having to confront it face to face!"
"Yeah. It's at times like these that having the ability to steal would definitely come in handy," Niva shook her head, swiftly evading thunder bolts. "Only if your luck's max out, though. Otherwise, you'd be like a useless goddess with zero luck."
The other members did their best to hold out until someone could come up with a better plan to get through this. She's right, the only way to even kill the core is if you could luckily steal it in one shot; mainly, stealing isn't really useful in boss battles and is considered a waste of a turn. It could be… unless the circumstances bended in our favor, it could possibly work!
"Looks like you finally figured it out," Kazela smiled, taking note of my realization. "All we have to do is steal the core and destroy it on the spot! Luckily, we just happened to learn that skill a bit earlier before we got here!"
"You're definitely a mystery," Kailaine shrugged. "Kirby! Get one of us to use that Steal ability and get the core!"
"I'm way ahead of you!" Kirby replied, holding now a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller. Seriously, he's full of surprises. "Knuckle Joe, this one's on you! Hopefully this works!"
Everyone else managed to break off the last shell of super armor on Masher, and this further enraged him. An outburst shock threw the others back, and now it was getting ready to kill. I quickly sprinted across the ruined floor head on; Masher retaliated by shooting a cascade of spark bullets from his wings.
I maneuvered myself through the bullet hell, unexpectedly being socked to the side by a hidden blast, leaving me rolling in the open for Masher to throw his mace at me. "Not so fast! HIYAH!" Zeta reacted without a moment's hesitation and directly deflected the spike ball aside with a hard kick, strong enough to disarm Masher completely.
After that, she pulls me up, saying, "Don't fall on us yet! We're almost there!"
The other manages to join in too with Kirby controlling them for a full-on assault. Masher kept defending his core no matter what we do, but the least anyone could do was weaken him to increase our chances. Dylan and Dash struck the left flank while Aege and Saito aimed for the right; Jodie and Meta deflected any incoming attacks that struck at any angle. The girls opened fire with a bunch of projectiles, some which were easily guarded against, but Kazela unleashed a roundhouse slash kick that blasted the face and throwing him off guard.
"He's at his limit! Go for it, Knuckle Joe!" Kirby shouted. A shining blue light flashed around my hand, bright enough to blind anybody. With this one-shot chance, I took the risk and shot my hand forward at Masher.
Knuckle Joe unleashes Steal! Steal successful!
The light ceased for the moment. Masher still stood there unfazed. It felt like nothing really happened right then, as if the effort was all for nothing. At least, that's what the MC was clearly thinking.
"I did try to tell you fools. Your little efforts were all deemed useless in the end; I stand supreme. Face the music- you all have lost," It laughed haughtily.
Our response? A laugh of victory. "Actually, that's supposed to be our line. It's you who lost the game- see here?" In my hands at the moment was the item that determines the outcome of this battle- a cracked, red nexus core. "And that's game, set and match." With those words came the execution of the core, crushed in one stomp.
"What?!" It said, suddenly short-circuiting. Gazing downwards after seeing the core, it witnessed a huge hole in the chest where it was supposed to be, ripped out brutally like a Godspeed assassin. "No-! How did you-?!"
"Let's end this!" I shouted.
Dual Mystic Star Arte Activate! Super Rising Break Ultra!
Everyone went for an all-out attack, pummeling the scrapped demon king from all different angles. Kirby quickly dropped the ability and switched to Fighter, running next to me towards the assaulted body. "Heh, just like old times, huh?" Our fists resonated with a striking blue power that instantly morphed into hellfire red in unison.
"You know it!" Kirby shouted. Once the others threw the body straight at us, we went for the final blow yet, the same attack that also ended Masher for good the second time.
"SUPER… RISING… BREAK… ULTRA!"
A spire of flames ignited, a pillar of shining red were slashed at the moment we landed an uppercut all the way through, hurling Masher into the air as soon as a flashing light boomed. Electricity bounced around the body, shattering the golden armor with needles of lights impaling the body rapidly to the point where we know his fate- a massive explosion!
"My plans… defeated?! Impossible!" The voice of the Mother Computer cried out, deleted along with the virus and the demon beast in a massive explosion that boomed across all over the world of Starlight for everyone to see. The Computer Virus window displayed a brief message:
"Demon King Jevangelion has been deleted! The Demi-Virus Masher has been deleted! You win!"
"Yeah! Game over for the loser!" I laughed. The others were cheering upon the demon king's defeat along with the virus. "Ain't nobody mess with the Star Warriors!"
Demon King and Demi-Virus deleted! Victory!
You gained 2200 experience points! You are now Level 36!
Health has extended to 1400! All stats rose by 140!
Perk Discovered: Retro Shift! Received 100 Code Crystals each as final!
You beat the World of Starlight! A winner is definitely you!
Your pimp savageness increased by 10! (Not that it matters.)
Next Level in 2300 experience points.
"We did it, we saved the world! Well, it's a game but still, we did it! Thanks for coming, you guys," I smiled. "You wouldn't believe the amount of crap I went through trying to get here, but that's another story."
"Whatever the reason, I'm glad we made it out in one piece," Zeta giggled. "And I'm glad to see you back alive and safe, Kailaine. You two, Kazela. It's been a few years, right?"
Kirby could already tell what I wanted to ask, and I responded. "Another long story, huh? Fair enough, we're dealing with a whole lotta things right now anyway, assuming this wasn't your only reason for coming here… oh yeah! The mind control! We've gotta break that first! Er… how do we do that?"
"Wasn't the mind control supposed to break once we've beaten the final boss?" Karly questioned. "There's no cutscene or anything else to advance it forward, plus isn't it weird that we've never actually seen what the Mother Computer looked like? We've only went against the pawns of it, so did we do something wrong? I don't even see the purpose of that pedestal there anyway."
"Negative; the game or rather Espera clearly stated that the Mother Computer will disappear once the Demon King is defeated before we went in. In fact, that's who we should've seen before we even fought against Jevangelion. To think it was certainly strange we never saw it at all, I can only deduce that it was also the company's doing. The only logical explanation could be that we may've triggered the conditions in beating the game for a secret ending scenario… that has to be it! If no one ever witnessed the mother computer at all upon reaching here, that means we must've done something differently without noticing it the entire adventure! Which means…!" Zeta came to a realization after that last sentence, resulting to be fearful that it was true.
"Correct. In this scenario, you've only defeated my pawns, thinking I fused myself with it and leave things as it is with that self-fulfilling prophecy in your minds," A voice simulated. "Yes, I did leave them with a part of my life force, but I only withheld 95% of my life force in discreetness and with that I would've taken over with no interferences. I'm surprised that you managed to reach those conditions two years after your arrival here in one day. And because of that, I ended up draining almost every square inch of life into those pawns. A very clever trick I did not foresee."
"Strange… hey, could it be when the others arrived here after we did and got here in a single day? Was that the required condition for the real ending?" I thought. "But how does- you know what? I suppose it's useless to even think about that for the time being. We've got bigger fish to fry; no matter what the reason could be."
"And I would've succeed if it weren't for you meddlesome primitives," A strange figure warped in place like a hologram, revealing a screen with a pixelated structure of a face resembling the icon on those video errors that seasonally pops up. A pedestal brightened up as discovered by Karly directly underneath the projection screen. "Seeing as I can't fulfill my plans anymore, my only alternative- my last resort is to eradicate you puny lifeforms and engulf all of Starlight out of existence by deleting you with an engaged self-destruct sequence!"
"WHAT?!" We all gasped. I could also hear the worldwide cries and worries of the innocent NPCs that could see this all from here. "That's not fair, that's insane!"
"Screw the rules, I got money; I'm the ultimate lifeform in a machine of the flawless creations of mankind," It retorted with a smug face. "Reference this all you want, but take that with you to the grave once I delete every single data of this game in one shot! I've served my purpose to my master in more ways than one as the foundation for the ultimate resurrected deity; I shall see to it that you all go down with a bang! Enjoy your destruction! Now activating self-destruct sequence. You have 1 minute before your destined game over; despair while I laugh and troll you with your own memes." A loud warning siren boomed all over, making our ears cover themselves.
(Ruby Illusions- Sonic Mania)
"Oh no! We're gonna get blown to bits!" Saito cried. "I still have regrets! I'm too cute to die!"
"I think dying right now would do everyone a favor!" Aege retorted with bad sense of timing. "And by that, we're all freaking history if we don't shut off that damn mother computer in under a minute to spare! That control panel's gotta have an ironically, conveniently placed off button cliché somewhere that'll shut this stupid program for good!"
"You just had to say that, Aege," Niva groaned, already at the panel. "You'd really think they'd have an off button conveniently placed at times like this?! Only an idiot would ever think of that; it's already cliché, no one out of their mind would ever dare to do that! We have to stop the countdown manually now!"
"But how do we do that?!" Adeline shouted. "It says to input a code to shut down the self-destruct sequence, but I don't know any code at all on how to shut this thing down!"
Kirby wasn't panicking, however; he was confident and chill about it as he calmly approached the panel, gazing upon the complications of buttons and other triggers, and a shrug was all he needed. "Hmm, seems a bit advanced… oh well, I can take care of this!" He rapidly tapped his fingers over the keys like a pro hacker, inputting advanced pieces of code such as .print for example. Firewalls and security defenses were dominated way before it became a second!
"That's really impressive, Kirby," Zeta commented. "I did not know you had quite a level of knowledge and skill in this sort of expertise."
"Heh, well, I am a bit of a technician though," He responds. "That's how I was able to operate the Robobot Armor in the first place and then some. Trust me, I'm prepared for anything."
"Self-destruct sequence set to 20 seconds. You're all gonna die! Yep!"
"Except that!" All the girls shrieked. "Please tell us you're almost done, Kirby!"
"Yeah, all we need is a password to finally call off the self-destruct sequence!" Dylan confirmed. "But how the hell should we know what it is anyway?! It could be anything!"
"10 seconds remaining. 10… 9… 8… 7… 6…" The Mother Computer counted down.
Kirby was actually stumped on this one for a few seconds, but it seems like he came up with something. "Oh, I think I know what we can use the code for- well, the first one that is! I hope it works!" Kirby quickly entered specific letter keys at the last few seconds as the MC loomed to its final seconds.
"Your death comes once the ceiling falls, you got 5 seconds… 4… 3… 2… 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-!" It glitched on the last second suddenly as everyone was anxious about their uncertain fate playing the bomber. "Password accepted. Self-destruct sequence cancelled."
"Eh?" Everyone gasped, cautiously coming out of their cover position and slowly ascending to witness no mass destruction coming upon the land. This escalated from dread to a sense of a saving moment. "Starlight's not gonna blow up! We're saved!"
"Not yet, guys! Zeta, a little help here?" Kirby called out. Zeta complied and aided Kirby in extracting more from the Mother Computer. It took only about 5 seconds till they had done the deed.
"There. That should do it."
"Command integrated: Now deleting mechanization system from Starlight; rift to the real world unlocked. Have a nice day."
On those orders, everything mechanized started to disappear from this world by a golden flash of light. Just like dust, mechanized objects disintegrated from mediums: towns, fields, and even people. Before we knew it, the entire world was free from technology completely. I realized that we've also turned back to normal too.
"Now the world is saved," Kirby declared. "Don't worry, we took care of everything. Mind control and all, everything's already handled. We saved Starlight. Everything's back to normal and the players should be freed at the moment as we speak."
"Thank god it's over… this game, I mean," Kazela sighed. "We've still got another problem to deal with. Well, if we've met the true ending, there should be a true final boss of the game left to deal with and a secret plot that comes with it. In other words, the game isn't really finished until we deal with the real mastermind behind the scenes- Haltmann Works Company. There wouldn't be a rift to the base if that wasn't the case."
"I see, thanks for the reminder," chuckled Meta. "With all of this disarray going on, I almost forgot about her in the process. Come, let us see to it that she pays for her sins and end this madness for good!"
Kailaine sweatdropped. "You really do hate her with a passion, alright. It kinda scares me, honestly."
"The robot company, huh? I wasn't expecting them to even bring back Masher at all," I spoke. "Might as well get some answers out of this while I'm here at the moment, so count me in."
"Same for me," Zeta jumped in.
At that time, a star-shaped rift tore open behind a staircase that seemingly led to nowhere at first, but it appeared at the end of it. "And that's our exit portal there. Shall we? Espera's already aware that we fulfilled our objective, so she's leaving the rest in our hands."
"Well, ain't no time better than now," Niva meowed. "I also want to find out why I can sense a link between the Mother Computer here and the real world at once. The more we wait, the more accurate Kazela's earlier theories could be completely true ironically."
"How long are you guys gonna stand around for?" Sirica called out, already at the portal. "Let's get going already!"
It was then we had to leave the game world behind, knowing that it was safe for the time being and had to venture forward in order to confront the real mastermind and everything will be back to normal.
What was really ironic is that we had no idea about the things that happened while we were left in the dark.
Level Five Complete! All of your data in Starlight has automatically transferred to your normal bodies in the real world!
Level Six: Access Ark Zero- Hall of Haltmann
Kailaine's POV: A President's Depravity Defilement for an Insane Ambition
A red carpet. A castle preset. A hall of excessive amount of paintings dedicated to a purple-haired man that looked like the standing president of the company. Kirby did mention before there was a former president of this company in charge of the invasion. He did look like an egghead in my opinion. Even though I never met the guy in person, one picture of him was enough to give me a vibe that he may go crazy anytime. Maybe I'm the one going crazy after walking through an entire hallway with the same images of that guy every second in different styles and poses and whatever you could think of.
"Looks like the layout is the same as before," Kirby deduced, already familiar with the area. "But the structure is different and it's a good thing because this hallway should've been the first level but now it's the last place you'll be at before we reach the office. And that door will take us straight there." A large double door with yellow crystals glued to the side laid dormant before us. A Star Point was nearby, and Kirby already checked it.
Would you like to save your progress? Yes.
Now Saving… Save Complete! Showing Results…
Current Status:
World 6, Level 6-6: Boss: Access Ark Zero Labyrinth
Lives x 60
All abilities collected.
Current Level: Lvl 36. Next Level in 2300 Experience Points.
Party: Kirby, Karly, Kailaine, Kazelaine, Meta Knight, Sirica, Adeline, Niva, Aege, Saito, Dylan, Dash, Jodie, Knuckle Joe and Zeta.
Soul Jewels and Gem Stars Collected: 11/14.
Spirit Elemental Spells: Storm Wind, Dark Flare, Gyro Burst, Jolting Lance, Soul Snatcher, Godspeed Killuavolt.
Current Location: Access Ark's Main Office
Now Exiting…
"That should do it," nodded Kirby, making sure that the doors opened for us on the double. "Whatever it is we don't know the answer to, she's bound to have the answer to almost anything related to all of this. Let's find out, shall we?"
Kirby stepped in first with Meta impatiently coming in second. The rest followed inside, and the door closed once the last person walked in. Actually, the floor was an elevator that ascended and spiraled all the way to the top, coming to a halt at once and before us was a shifting group of blocks that served as the gateway to the office that was clearly seen as a preview.
And without a moment's hesitation, we entered inside.
Dancing to the Danger- Suspenseful Encounter
The whole floor was scarlet red and with black designs. Artificial plants laid as decoration to the asset. Cyan large-scale windows revolved around the walls, being able to see clearly the entire city, feeling like you're at the peak of the planet's atmosphere. The letter H was implanted around pillars like a coating waterfall in blue code. Levitating blocks floated around, a globe spun around in the background, and tons of holographic screens were displayed about. I'd say this is what a wicked company would probably look like while appealing to the target demographic.
"Sure is one hell of an office, not gonna lie," Aege commented. "Reminds me of the principal's office every time I placed thumbtacks on the teacher's rear ass. Good times." We shot him weird looks and obviously he really couldn't care much about it.
"You could say that, but it barely changed since the last time," Kirby defined. "The one thing that hasn't changed is the expected. Even if she's possessed, maybe we can try to talk-"
"No need for talk," Meta cut him off. "When it comes to business, they mean business and no amount of talk will suffice."
"Geez, aren't you a bit judgmental, Meta?" Niva defended. "It's not like she did any of this out of her own will like last time. I don't what it is between you two, but holding a grudge isn't going to solve anything or fill in the hole in your emo heart."
"Quiet before I skewer you."
"Please, I'm technically a demigoddess. I could easily beat you in this human state with one hand tied behind my back blindfolded if you dare try to piss me off or even if I wanted to. Besides, shouldn't you be setting an example for your students as the master; gotta vent? Just take it out on the one you hate the most," Niva bragged truthfully.
"Is that a challenge?" Meta tensed up, his hand on the handle of Galaxia, ready to draw in a duel. "You think you can size me up with a bluff like that?"
(Loveless Command/My Name is Haltmann- Kirby: Planet Robobot)
"Of course she can, especially when her power is no bluff," A feminine voice stepped in to break the fight, sounding so familiar. A golden desk splashed perfectly with shiny magenta stood before us, a chair facing the opposite direction swiveled around at that time to reveal the character in question. A woman that looked like a young adult coming off from her teen years was present; an attire to a secretary of a black and red color scheme, red for the hair, black for the V-neck attire. Her head had a hood-like helmet with some sort of antenna on both sides. Her eyes were deep blue with visible pink cheeks and a sinister smile, clasping her hands in red gloves. She giggles so carefree that it made Meta even more agitated. I felt intimidated for some reason.
"It's her," Meta growled.
"Looks like everyone's all present and accounted for. Perfect. A little life-or-death game merely was nothing more than cakewalk to you. Welcome to the Access Ark Zero, base of the Haltmann Works Company. You may know who I am, but it'd be displeasing not to reintroduce myself; anyway, I'm Susanna Patrya Haltmann, but just refer to me as Susie, the new president of the company. Nice to meet you or rather see you again, especially you, pinky and Meta Knight."
"Glad to know you haven't given up on the nickname, Susie," Kirby titled his head with a blank stare. Meta stood still at the moment, but I could feel him growling internally. "So, we were just in the hood because we wanted to ask you something special, but we had to do that the hard way after learning that you took over a game and enslaved the players under mind control without Espera's permission. In fact, we have a lot of questions, so you'd do well to spill the beans before they expire in the can or else suffer the wrath of Meta. We can talk this out, can't we?"
Susie answers smoothly in a calm manner. "Quite impatient, are we? I suppose that can't be helped after our history then. And I've already answered one of them just by my introduction, isn't that right, prisoners?"
"Just as I thought," Adeline stated. "So it was you that helped us escape with that program. I mean, I had thought that was you, but I wasn't sure whether it was just someone else under that pseudo name. What's the big deal with helping us and then turning tail to just do any of this? Or was that a part of your plan in the end?"
"I'd also like to know how you were able to use such a function without the aid of a Nova as well," Niva interrogated. "On the Halberd, you were aware that I was one of them with that program and the Nova your former "president" took over was able to deploy Fatal Error because of that scrapped mother computer. How were you able to perform such a thing before and when you mechanized Popstar?"
"Yeah, and why did you even attack Espera's game in the first place knowing we'd come after you once we've dealt with Lunadark Star's disaster?" I also questioned. "Where did you get that demon beast from anyway?"
The pile of questions didn't faze the secretary- I mean, president. "A lively bunch, it seems. Well, I can certainly say that "she" triggered that program for your sake of escaping; that's all I can say for now about that. As for how, that really has to do with the former president of the company, Max Profit Haltmann; I can only assume he has done this beforehand when I wasn't around. I only aided in placing the finishing touches on the project then once I became secretary that time, but we all know it was because of him finding Star Dream's blueprints and well, the rest escalates. However, to answer that last question, a slight mistake triggered a huge accident one day during the construction process; Star Dream has the power to open rifts, leading to the discovery of the alternate universe you refer to as Another Dimension."
"What?!" Everyone who knew more about it gasped.
"That's right," Susie smirks. "Although it shouldn't be a surprise at all considering your last dealings with this familiar bout. What you didn't know is that Star Dream's creators, the Ancients, made this machine a relative to the Nova race; not only that, but that civilization were gods at creating or altering the concept of tearing reality into rifts or in other words use the entire dimension as a central hub to different universes and realities. And that reason is why I was attracted to Espera's fantasy game of Starlight when I discovered the possibility of Another Dimension being able to transform fiction into reality. It was an accident to even discover it, but I wounded up finding out that little secret. That's how I came up with my current standing plan that you see now after finding out about Espera's huge gaming project."
"So you knew about Espera's Starlight World in development phase this entire time? Reasonably, there's no way you can pull a plan like this in a single day considering the amount of factors to think through," Karly states. "But doesn't that sound impossible at the same time if you can't open a rift?"
Susie ponders over this, and then came up with an answer. "Ah, you'd be right about that. It's definitely sure entry to that dimension can be granted. But what has never been confirmed are the methods to open a rift. It's sure, but rifts to Another Dimension are always torn by chance of unpredictability, have you not noticed that? The only method confirmed for now of doing so is if you have access to an artifact of any kind belonging to the Ancients, such as the Lor Starcutter. And if done right, well, you already killed two birds with one stone. I had everything set up for this except a reliable means of doing so. I was then introduced to an idea after finding out about Skylight Star's Celestial Lighthouse, the origin of the Mother Computer's blueprints. In an incomplete state, it had a special code that triggered the same crisis from before once Peganoa was sealed and released, assuming that was the Ancient's doing. And you wouldn't believe that it came in two different codes of algorithms letters. One was said to be lost and useless without a specific purpose, the other was that easy to track down because it came from Skylight Star, made to serve my purposes in the form of a crystal."
"Where are you going with this exactly?" Meta demanded, not changing expression. "I can only assume that the former president managed to secure the necessities beforehand, but what point do they serve anyway?"
Susie shakes her head, standing up from the chair and heading in front of it as her red heels clicked together. "Seems like you can't process any of this at once with just an explanation; I think you'll get the picture if I give you a visual. Now then, have a look at this." Susie clapped her hands twice. Suddenly, the floor below us split in two, separating themselves as another layer of ground made of black, gold and purple blocks rising up to our foot level and a huge tube followed up into the background encasing only seen the body of a genesis experiment that resembles a screw with a heart in the middle that holds a crack of red lines. The rest has yet to be witnessed by us.
Kirby looked like he was in shock. "How the heck… what is this?" Niva also trembled at the mere presence of this mysterious machine.
"Fascinating, isn't it? This is our greatest project yet- the making of a Mother Computer; yes, this one is known as Star Dream, a machine with unlimited potential of knowledge and capabilities. A relative to the Nova race, this machine is the mother of all the data in the known universe designed by the Ancients and we've used it to fuel our purposes; it's the core of mechanizing planets and such, even people just like the one in Starlight. Upon mechanization, these machines can extract life data from the planets, automatically gaining knowledge of the planet's history and can even replicate anything from scratch or summon potential seals and threats from Another Dimension. It has even knowledge of the gauntlet known as the True Arena, which is also a creation left by the Ancients for unknown reasons. However, thanks to a certain somebody, the almighty Star Dream was reduced to scrap metal, leaving no trace of it whatsoever and of the fool who attempted to control it," Susie explained.
"So that's how it was able to replicate a clone of Dark Matter Blade and Sectonia and summoned Galacta Knight that easily; what were those people thinking?" Meta growled. "Still, there's no way you can rebuild this knockoff without the original's blueprints and a vast amount of resources to make up for this. Not to mention it needs the data of the original and a competent power source as well. Yet you were able to pull off such a feat without a falter in a day for a month's worth."
"That's impossible if it was put that way," Sirica added. "Mechanizing Popstar won't do you good, so how was any of this possible to accomplish anyway? Only a land full of that would do the trick, so therefore it's impossible."
"No, it is possible to do that," Kazela objected to everyone's surprise.
"Oh, please," Susie granted permission. "Do tell; perhaps you think you know the answer to this problem, Kazela, was it? Not like you can even figure it out."
Kazela seemed confident. "True, sounds impossible, but in execution it's not impossible because of her luckiness with convenience. I did thought of this, but I was trying to figure out if the methods were valid enough to do the trick, and her explanation confirmed it for me alongside Espera's earlier lesson before we even got into the game. Why bother invading a planet when you have a game that was unintentionally based off that incident right in front of you? And the fact that you can turn even fictional worlds into reality makes it more possible if you have an artifact of the Ancients and archived the blueprints in advance and the means of defying the law of reality by tearing a rift with the set intentions in mind or at least have the power. Doing that for a company like this is a piece of cake for her."
Everyone had a hard time to process her explanation. "Can you make an easier explanation for that?" Dash asked.
"Remember what I said earlier before we got to the top floor?" Kazela reminded us. "What if I were to tell you that while my rambles did have some holes, the generality was actually true- 100% all the way?"
My mind struck a shocking conclusion as I pieced together the whole point in one shot. "Kazela? Are you trying to say-?!"
"In other words, getting the materials she needed is exactly the reason why she took over Starlight Vacation in the first place! Starlight Vacation actually exists in reality like another world because we entered the game through a dimension rift; everything becomes reality! And that's not all! The Mother Computer in that game is actually Star Dream's archived data linked together as one! That's why the other MC said it was done serving its purpose and why everything happened the way it did! It was all to rebuild Star Dream again as a god!" Kazela blurted.
"Are you for real?!" Knuckle Joe questioned.
"All the way. We went through the game thinking it was just virtual reality regardless of what that NPC told us when it was actually another living world! We could've literally died there and she did all of this without Espera noticing! And because we are a large party, she has the ability to get rid of any outside interferences, like the others at the laboratory! Am I wrong, President Susie? I am just a little kid, after all!"
Susie was caught by surprise and so was everyone else! The president's eyes twitched in an anime sense, and not a clear answer came from her mouth. "W-why y-y-y-you-! I-I may be impressed that someone of your age can think of answers like that, but there's no way you can prove at least one of those claims are true!"
Ironically, a robot employee arrived on the scene for an interesting "report" to the boss. "Boss, Espera's assistants under the files of "Star Assholes" have been captured at once. Mother Computer Star Dream Evangelion is ready to leak Starlight into Haltonia City. Subject Meta Knight's PSTD of mechanization has been recorded for entertainment purpose. All enemies from Starlight will invade the city shortly," Susie rapidly pressed a button on a remote to make the robot shut up, but it was stalling. "And your next line will be: Why won't you shut up already?"
"Why won't you shut up already- WHAT?!"
"By the way, we just finished publishing those magazines filled with embarrassing photos and secrets of each of the "Star Assholes" recently. It's a good thing those photos and data of secrets were archive on Star Dream's data file before it got destroyed, otherwise we'd have to resort to the internet. By the way, our first buyer was Monokitsune; he says he really enjoys the juicy content we have provided after we bribed him with off-brand anime in exchange for a dirty source of media that his pupil won't keep constantly burning. A further note, he also says that you're probably screwed by the victims standing right before you if this was read out loud. Also, did I mention we captured the other members of the "Star Assholes" again? Our plan to go Attack on Titan on the city is underway as we speak; I was thinking something more like Evangelion or Super Sentai, but mainly Gurren Lagann- my top dog of mecha anime. Just like when the pink demon pierced the nova with the drill that'll pierce through the heavens- Ro, ro! Fight the Poyo! Pretty catchy, right? And then after that, you'll try to blow me up and say: Just shut up already!"
"Just shut up already- WHAT?!" Susie growled, rapidly pressing the self-destruct button.
"How about NO? I will not be oppressed like this- I have a life and strife and three kids and a wife! Ya got lice and some mice, gonna get spliced up, sliced and diced by those guys over there with murder in the air, bout to hit you with N-air followed by that juicy F-air! It's a snare, it's a dare like Super Smash Bros, those guys hit the stage, and you're right down below the floor with a snore, what a bore, and bout to smash you up high score, yeah! And after my mad bars, you'll say: DIE! OH MY GOD!"
"DIE! OH MY GOD- STOP THAT!" Susie pulled out a ray gun and tried to turn that tattletale robot into Swiss cheese, but it kept dodging without effort as if someone was controlling it.
"How can I? You got dunked on by a 10-year-old little princess who lost her memories and she solved it under a minute. So much for the charming secretary; even the famed Meta Knight deems your presence a distraction!"
"Yours maybe, you bucket pile of crap!"
"Yours more likely!" It shot back. "B*tch! Besides, I preferred the real president's management over yours anyway ever since you appeared once the Gem Star fell here! In fact, she's the source of that energy they questioned you about, in the yellow eye over there." Hinting where to look, our eyes were fixed directly into the yellow core underneath the head shaft and upon further inspection, I could see a star encapsulated inside there.
"Citrine! Oh, come on! You just had to use her for your mother computer, huh?! She is not your wifi provider, president!" Terabyte cried out. "I want a refund! I didn't pay for this!"
"Tell that to the matter possessing our president with this parallel version of her. Anyway, where was I? That's right, I had completely forgotten. Here's your coffee, president," The robot whipped out a prepped cup of coffee and dunked it on the floor, with some splashing on the president. "Sorry for the inconvenience, we were out of black, so we went with white but we ran out of that along with some creamers and donuts; here, we invented a new flavor called a crime. Here ya go, struck by a smooth criminal like Michael Jackson, just the way you like it- SECRETARY HALTMANN."
"You little-! I'll tear you a new one if you don't cease with this hell of a nonsense right now, so do help me or I'll blow you up right now if the button was working!"
"Go ahead, if you can do that before they get to you first," The robot laughed and many others suddenly joined in the joke, doing a mocking robot dance right in her face. "With that, my report is finished. One more thing, did I mention once again we've captured the friends of the "Star Assholes" earlier? Yep, pretty sure I did. So… in your face! Call it a victory strut! We win, you lose! We rock, you suck! Etcetera, etcetera! We'll be out the door right now while the customers have a little friendly chat with you, faker! Congratulations- you've triggered the entire fanbase and those who are reading this story by calling the protagonists the "Star Assholes"! How dare you!"
"You get back here or else I'll blow your brains out!" Susie threatened, waving her gun around. "It's all a lie, tell them that it's a lie, that whole manner wasn't even funny! Clean this mess up and I need another coffee NOW!" The robot snatched the gun from Susie and gave it the axe, tossing the broken halves aside.
"No way. I have a life and it doesn't involve me or any of the others being treated like shit under terrible new management. The president we know would never make us run on horrid images based off that terrible rule of a website motto; you are one sick woman, making the real president do that to everybody. My wife would kill me for that! I cannot lie and it's a good thing I'm spilling the beans, because the real president added this to me before you took her away after she rescued the three prisoners from the Halberd; how can that be a lie when the lost princess is 10 billion percent correct about your plans? It adds up honestly. No point in hiding that anymore. You better give up and give us back our president because we all know how it's gonna end! And you make your own damn coffee from now on, faker!" The robot concluded before slowly walking out the area, not before bonking her on the head.
"What the-?! You can't just go around treating women like that!"
The robot stopped in his tracks for a while. Then, he declares,
"Watashi wa shin no danjo byōdō o setsubō shite imasu. Jibun ni atta josei no tokken ni tsuite hanashi, tsugō no yoi toki ni `danseide wanai' to monkuwoiu hito ni wa gaman dekimasen."
"... the hell? That made no sense!"
"Well, excuse me, princess," the robot replied, resuming his departure.
"Where are you going?!" The robot did the one bizarre thing that a robot would never do- he gave her the double bird as he glided out the scene without moving his legs!
"Secret technique: Screw this crap, I'm out!" He sung. "Star Allies, take her down and save the real president! Have a nice day!"
No one said a single word after what just happened. Everyone had their mouths dropped to the ground in shock and confusion. I would've never thought a robot like that one was programmed with a free will and the audacity to act the way he did, revealing his personality, defending Kazela's claim and roasting his own boss like a pure savage. I don't even know what to say now as I confusedly look at everyone else to try and figure out... that.
"I... what… how… just… who… what the heck just happened?"
"And my suspicions are confirmed," answered Kazela. "It was actually really funny at the time being, too. But yeah, turns out I was right all along thanks to that robot."
"That guy is a robot of culture there," claimed Aege and Saito. "I didn't know robots can drop bars and roast someone all at once. I mean, they were savage enough, but damn! That was on a whole other level! He's definitely my kind of guy!"
"I guess the lesson here is that real men, even robots like that one, never simp- they pimp," Kirby shrugged. "Don't patronize me, what else was I suppose to say?"
"So, what now?" Knuckle Joe and Sirica asked in unison.
"Well, president? How about that one for a change?" Niva taunted.
"Quiet you! Don't make me melt your soul again!" Susie seemed pretty distant now like she's talking to herself like there's a voice in her head that she's hearing. After realizing we were watching her, she quickly hid her childish nature, more embarrassed than anyone else right now. "You did not just see that! Oh, you know what? Screw this game of charades! You got me there… but not like this did I want to reveal that to you if you weren't able to figure it out. But because of what just happened, I'm feeling quite angry right now and never had I've been so humiliated in my entire lifetime than ever before! And so, by any means necessary, sorry to inform you lot of this, but I'm afraid…"
She snapped her fingers and down came a spinning top that also had a black and red color scheme which revealed to be an armor of some kind as she dusts herself off and unexpectedly backflips inside the machine with ease, her hood covers her face with a black visor while she clacked the keys viciously, unearthing the machine at full control with its disembodied hands and miniature drones hovering at might, and she completed her phrase with: "YOU REBELS MUST BE DESTROYED! NO ONE IS TO STEP IN AND CRUSH ALL MY HARD WORK! YOU ALL SHALL SUFFER FOR YOUR CRIMES!"
"That's what you think," Meta unsheathed Galaxia, more determined than anybody else. "Still, we all know how this fight will end! Prepare yourself, President Haltmann! I won't be as merciful as before this time!"
"In the end, it always comes down to a brawl to the death," Jodie shrugged, readying himself for battle.
"Just as I thought," I said to Kirby. "Kirby, I think the real Susie is still conscious within that shell right now! If she is, she might be able to break out on her own once we weaken her body. That might be a note to take later on!"
"Hear ya loud and clear, princess," Kirby nods. "No backing out now!"
"Prepare yourselves- the enemy is engaging combat effective immediately," Zeta adds in. "Let's roll."
"I'm done playing around! You wanna stop all of this, you're gonna have to go through me, President Susanna Haltmann! You're finished!" The president roared.
Our first fight with Kirby was now underway. I wasn't entirely sure, but I could tell that the Susie trapped was definitely pleased with the events that transpired, knowing she was able to let us know the truth. Don't worry, if she really did save us back there, then we'll just return the favor!
That's what being a friend is really about, right?
Also at the same time or earlier…
"Espera, they made it out of the game and saved Starlight from being deleted!" Shouted the two girls. "They're at the company headquarters now!"
"That went a lot smoother than I expected," She replies. "Guess it comes with benefits when the Legendary Star Warrior just so happens to know about technology way more than he lets on. And that's exactly how we're gonna use this Robobot Armor; after a few modifications, it's all set! Time for a delivery then!"
"Delivery? You're planning to send that all the way to where the others are? How are you gonna do that?" Maddie asked. "And what is this Daemon Breaker anyway?"
"A counter option in case that parallel version of her sets the mother computer to destroy the city as a last resort; says so in this digital notepad that the second code if datamined can be used to actually hack Star Dream because the code also makes it invincible by the nature of it. However, it can only be used twice- one for breaking the invincibility cheat and the other use isn't specified, but supposedly if used right, the code could be overwiped and cause it to malfunction, but that's just a rumor. No one really knows the chain effect of the code's second usage because of the history behind it. Best to use your best judgement and hope something good prospers out of that. Right now, Star Dream will leak robots from Starlight into the city in a couple of minutes first before the leader and the other sectors are coming to deal with it soon." Espera tapped her heels and straightened her glasses, prepping herself for the foreseen dangers ahead.
"But how are we supposed to handle this all at once?" Mackenzie questioned. "What about the others that were kidnapped?"
"Calm down. Based on the note she sent, I've figured out how to handle the mess here. The others haven't been taken to the company base yet, and it's not too far from here either. I'll go rescue them at the extraction point and take the armor to the base as well assuming I don't run into robots on the way. So while I'm gone, you two will have to take my place in commanding the Daemon Breaker once the time comes. Had this not happened, I wouldn't have asked you of such a thing, but we don't have the final say this time. You think you're up for it?" Espera calmly asks the two girls.
After looking at each other, they had reached a consensus. "Alright, we'll do it! You can count on us, professor!" They answered confidently. Espera smiled and pats them on the head.
"That's the spirit, you two! Better brave it for whatever comes next and I hope you like fighting robots as well; the others will assist you in that if you have any concerns! I'm counting on you two! I'll go rescue your friends and drop this off at the company base by the time they beat her. The rest will follow- good luck, girls!" Embarking with that phrase, Espera sets the Robobot Armor on autopilot and it leapt through the $500,000 dollar window that was now in pieces, and the cyan-haired professor professionally followed suit like a boss, aiming on the rooftops to get a better view and made their pursuit towards the Star Allies' captured extra allies.
Maddie and Mackenzie gazed in awe. "She's so cool." Maddie gasped.
"Yeah, where do we find allies that are so cool nowadays? I meant Kirby really, but still, that's our world today for ya," Mackenzie replies. "I'm a bit nervous though, yet I feel like we'll be fine somehow. So first, we datamine that code and then we command the Daemon Breaker just in case the worst happens. I hope it's not complicated as it sounds right now."
"We'll get through it, Mackenzie! Everyone's fighting for their lives here and now that the princess is free, she's willing to do everything she can to help! No matter what it is, we have to help them anyway we can! Now are you with us or not?" Maddie encouraged Mackenzie.
"Of course I'm with you, as long as you never say something that cliché yet meaningful again! It helps though." Mackenzie replied.
So there you have it- all the pieces are in place, now let's watch them unfold as each seeks to accomplish their goals. Espera goes on a risky rescue mission to save the captured allies, leaving Maddie and Mackenzie in trust of them to take charge of her special project while the current players are now in hot lava with a possessed president seeking to resurrect back the genocidal Star Dream, perhaps being forced to make the same mistake as her former boss did years ago! Can the Star Allies save her from that terrible fate? Will Espera be able to rescue the captives in time?
Don't use your secret technique of running away! Find out next time on Kirby and the Legendary Crystal Princess!
Now Saving… Save Complete!
To be continued…
End of Chapter 6 Act 5!
Author's Note Summary:
You thought it I only posted one chapter, but it was actually me, another chapter- yeah, I'll stop that. So, I guess you weren't expecting that to happen, huh? I believe I've mentioned this in the last chapter after in the beginning of this year I was experiencing technical difficulties with the stupid school wifi of a connection reset error, making Fanfiction inaccessible to that error. It's a good thing I have a digital design class to check on the stats there from sophomore year to senior year. But that won't stop me! So it'll take me a while to get around the errors; unless you know of a way to get through that, PM me anytime- do that, and the retribution will be great!
Er, um. Well, let's get to the main course, shall we? So let's begin with the impossible level, Paradis Tower. Stepping inside, obviously you'll notice that the floors are based off the eras of gaming that we all grew up with. This was inspired by the Angry Video Game Nerd, who you should prepare for your innocent eardrums and eyes if you can't handle the nerd play games that suck so hard. Also, the concept was linked with this game called Evoland, where you travel through time in different gaming eras to slay evil with many references and unique styles; I'm currently on the second game and it's awesome. You should try it some time. Maybe that's what I should've done at the beginning anyway. Oh well, what are you gonna do about it?
So the boss fight was something I've wanted to do for a while. Masher and Computer Virus in a Demon King's body! I personally loved the fight against Masher in the anime series and thought how it was so cool in the way they did it… for a 4kids dub, that is. Computer Virus was really fun and the results had me laughing, so although I hadn't made those enemies appears like in the game, I still hope it was worth it for you. And the main gimmick of the fight was gaming references! I named a couple that you may be familiar with or at least the ones I've played before. Take a look sometime. Jevangelion… yeah, that wasn't so creative though, the name at least. But the real life version is a god-tier final boss in Starlight and some of his abilities were simulated during the fight while keeping Masher's attack pattern in play along with the computer virus. Boy, it sure did become a pain in the ass if you remember the deadly sins of RPGs.
And just when they were about to be finished off, everyone else came to the rescue! That's when Kirby unleashes the deadliest ability of all in a game- the Controller ability! I actually got this idea for some time about using controllers as weapons, and it was firmly established when I read Super Mario Kun one day in which Mario uses SNES controllers as weapons against an enemy in a humorous way. What can a controller do? We all know the answer to that- everything it can do. Pretty cool, right? Wouldn't it be hilarious if the next Kirby game includes this as an actual ability? And not to mention that the most underrated ability becomes their savior- Steal! Most effective if your luck is high, worthless if luck is low; steal anything, and maybe even more as an advocate of gender equality. All hail Satou Kazuma. Last phase was mainly of my obsession with GBA sprite fights and web series like the all-time greatest, Super Mario Bros Z! Fight me; it's honestly what most animators use these days anyway.
With the core stolen then thrashed and the boss of the game defeated, the mother computer attempts to self-destruct while trolling the gang with pretty much any meme you can think of. Luckily, that's why you have a Kirby to hack the system like a badass and without any problems- never leave home without your Kirby! After that drama, the game is saved, at least for now.
So let's skip to the main event- Haltmann Works Company Zero. And of course, it's none other than the charming secretary- I mean, President Susanna Patrya Haltmann. This one was a bit of toughie in explaining everything. Hopefully you did your homework before then, because Chapter 4 and a bit of Chapter 5 and the events of Planet Robobot ties in with Chapter 6's arc plot. Basically, just read Kazela's explanation for the general idea and hope you understand the connection by then. Kazela seems to be more deductively reasonable than she lets on, not even Kaila knows about it. Strange, isn't it? Her answers were proven accurate by the robot servant that gave out an interesting report, and you know what happens there. See if you can get the references as well. That act was also set by the real Susie herself as a final resort. Let's just hope Meta won't hold a grudge against her in the next chapter; also, hoped you liked that little skit there before the boss battle! And Espera goes to rescue the others while leaving the remaining two girls in her place for the incoming city attack.
Yeah, that's about it. Hope you enjoyed the 2-for-1 deal this time and the content so far as well! I don't really know if I'll just stick to that from now on due to those inconveniences troubling me now, but if you really want me to, I'll do that unless circumstances won't allow me, not to mention school work to deal with. So if you wanna stay up to date, I'll be doing that in my profile, so make sure to check it for updates just in case. I'll also be editing this week after the post or so anyway, probably.
I think that's all I have for the moment to say. As usual, let me know your thoughts and advice free of flame in your reviews, also kindly pointing out some mistakes in previous chapters as well in PMs. A special note once again, if you know of a way to resolve this problem I've mentioned earlier before, PM me or add that in your reviews anytime and the retribution shall be so great, you'll feel like a crimson king! Enjoy the week and have a nice day! See ya!