All rights are reserved to their respective owners. I own nothing in this piece of fiction except my FCs and the story itself.
"I've been flying for a while, yet no sign of the twins..." MAGES. murmured to herself.
The Mad Magician had been floating through the air for quite some time, yet any lifeforms that weren't of monstrous origin were sparse.
"But these signs of battle are certainly concerning."
Seeing multiple craters, spikes of ice, and crevices on the earth she flew over made it hard for the magician to keep a bright mind. She only hoped she'd find the children she tasked herself to locate in good shape.
Maybe a case could be made for Rom and Ram, but her student...
"Please be alright, you three." She whispered to herself.
GRIP...!
Holding onto her broom tighter than necessary, she channeled her unease into her mode of transportation.
Although she was several scores of meters in the sky, her eyes caught a figure sprinting on the path. They were visibly stumbling yet able to keep their balance and resembled a human enough for the airborne mage to take notice.
Trailing the individual, MAGES. made sure to not fly too low for the person to notice her tracking them yet not too far to be unable to discern any important characteristics such as their appearance.
'Male... Juvenile in appearance... Brunette...' Physical details were being discerned by the Mad Magician as she continued flying at an observable altitude.
'...Around 5 feet... Missing an arm...?' Narrowing her eyes, she focused on the missing appendage before flying ahead to get a good look at who was running.
"I have to get there...!" The male rasped as he practically stomped on the ground with all his remaining energy despite his trouble to keep upright.
"DOMIO!" MAGES.'s eyes widened upon seeing her student in such dismal condition and didn't hesitate to let that fact be known.
"H-Huh?!" The warlock skidded to a halt upon hearing the familiar voice.
"MAGES.!" He quickly swished his head until he found his magic teacher floating above him. "I can't believe it's really you!" A sparkle of life in his frantic eyes made the rather composed magician smile on the inside.
"What happened? Why is your arm gone? Who did this? Where are the twins?" Bombarding the boy with questions that quickly felt overwhelming with their succession.
"I-I'll tell you everything, just get me to someone who can patch me up...!" The blood loss started to set in with Domio's vision momentarily blurring before refocusing on his magical teacher.
"Right. Hop on, I need you to stay with me." The mage noticed his declining consciousness and helped the birthday boy onto the magic broomstick.
Domio wrapped his arm around the Mad Magician's waist.
"Yeek!" A cute meep escaped the woman's lips.
She reflexively jolted upon noticing the coldness that came with Domio's touch.
"Sorry. My skin's colder than usual because of a gamble I pulled." The warlock admitted.
"... We will discuss it later, just hold tight for now." MAGES. sidelined the topic before the broom accelerated, veering into the air with noticeable whiplash.
"Fill me in. Although, I'd appreciate it if you took your time." MAGES. began.
"After I jumped behind Rom and Ram, we ran into CFW Judge." The warlock began his explanation.
"And he did that to your arm?" The experienced mage assumed.
"No. I took him on alone before the twins joined in. He was tougher than when da- Nebula and Nepgear fought him since he transformed." Rectifying the misassumption, the Loweean gave more context.
"So if Judge wasn't the one, who was it?" The mage's tone was confused, that much was evident for the freezing teenager.
"..." Domio remained silent.
"Domio?" MAGES. grew concerned, turning her head to observe her concerningly quiet student.
"Someone who should not exist freely in this world." Domio sounded out, the mere thought of the VPU almost overwhelming him.
"Who are they, Domio?" MAGES. pressed, realizing that the boy was not too far from freezing up, not unlike his magic.
"His name is Xero. He's the one who destroyed Judge with a single attack, the one who brutalized Rom and Ram, and the one who destroyed my arm." Domio blurted out, causing the Mad Magician to fall silent.
"AL's fighting Xero as we speak after he told Rom and Ram where Nebula and Gris were. Those two would be able to protect them for th time being, but AL can only last so long before-"
...-KA-BOOM!-...
A powerful explosion echoed through the skies before a strong gust of wind threatened to throw the flying broom off course with a shockwave that ravaged the airspace.
"GAAAAAAH!" Both MAGES. and Domio shouted in fright from the sudden instability of the broom, the blue-haired mage using all her strength to keep the stick from spiraling out of control.
FWOOSH...!
They endured the raging winds until they died down, returning to the tense yet manageable conditions of Gamindustri Graveyard's lower atmosphere.
"That's their fight, I presume?" The Mad Magician compared that explosion to the exposition that Domio gave her.
"It has to be! We need to make it to the others, or else he'll kill AL and come for everyone else!" The warlock frantically urged, before feeling his strength momentarily leave him.
"...!" Realizing his fatigue's effect, Domio hastily reacted.
GRAB!...
Holding onto MAGES. waist tightly, he caught himself before he dived headfirst off the broom.
"Rest now, Domio. You've answered enough. We'll continue this conversation after Compa treats you." The blue-haired magician told her student, who quieted down in response.
Resting his head on his mentor's back, the silent shudder from the Mad Magician quickly ceased once she noticed him settling down behind her.
'I hope the others have made their way since I left them.' MAGES. stayed optimistic as she flew off the winds of her broom.
"What was that?!" Compa screamed, terrified of the large explosion that recently occurred.
"I hope that wasn't the twins..." Nepgear fretted, still unaware of the happenings deeper in the Gamindustri Graveyard.
"That was probably the CFW Judge guy you're so afraid of, if anything." Uni gave a possibility. "Maybe Nebula and Gris are fighting him." The mini-tsundere continued.
"Highly unlikely. Neb beat the bolts off that overly aggressive motormouth the last time we saw him." IF chimed in, as the group trekked the graveyard.
Strangely, monster activity was down as they progressed through the Gamindustri Graveyard.
What would usually be bustling with all kinds of mobs was now nowhere to be seen, only the jagged and scrap-littered surroundings of the intimidating wasteland were in the naked eye's view.
"Has anyone found it weird that we haven't fought any monsters?" Gust brought up.
"Now that you mention it, the place has gone eerily desolate." The Guild Agent picked up on the lonely roads.
"Maybe they all went home after realizing that we're the walking bringers of justice?" Nisa had a positive outlook on the unnatural event.
"As much as I want to believe your virtuous words, Nisa, I doubt that." Kallen did her best to smile, yet a sweat drop formed on her head.
"Not even any airborne monsters either." Compa gazed into the stormy sky nervously, to only be met with yellow flashes of lightning and rolling thunder.
"That reminds me... Hasn't MAGES. been gone for a while?" 5pb. voiced the absence of her cousin.
"Quite a bit, actually. I'd call her if I had a number." The Wind Walker of Gamindustri remarked.
"I wish I asked for her contact before now; that would've come in really handy." Nepgear sighed, her N-Gear unable to reach one of her travel companions.
"..." Uni, who had been silent for the majority of the conversation, squinted her eyes at the skies.
She had caught a single object floating through the air with her trained eye, thanks to her sharpshooting prowess.
Not that being a CPU Candidate with enhanced physical capabilities didn't aid that ability.
"Hey, everyone! There's something up there!" The gun-toting goddess pointed, gathering the attention of the party.
"~?!"
-DIVE!
Everyone turned their gaze skyward, the object quickly increasing in speed as it descended.
"It's comin' in hot!" Nisa shouted.
"Prepare yourselves!" Kallen yelled, taking out her pistols
"Ok, let's... Wait!" IF interrupted her train of thought as the incoming object seemed more familiar the closer it came.
"That's MAGES.!" The idol singer gasped, before lowering her guitar.
"MAGES.? Goodness, it IS MAGES.!" Nepgear copied the surprised face of the Leanboxian idol.
SWERVE...!
-HALT!
The Mad Magician entered, directing her broom to the group's position before hovering a couple of feet off the ground.
"MAGES., you're back!" Compa cheered. "Did you find... any... thing..." The Nurse-In-Training's voice died in her throat upon seeing the state of the person on her back.
The mood of the party switched again from shocking relief to immediate horror.
"..."
The glassy blue eyes of Domio reflected the glimmer of life left in his eyes, with an especially pale and beaten complexion paired with slow breathing and most strikingly, a missing arm.
Several different reactions could be seen at the party.
The likes of Kallen and Nepgear hid their mouths from the graphic display of damage dealt to the pubescent warlock.
More resilient types akin to Uni and IF wore faces of concerned mortification for the boy's condition.
Animated characters such as Nisa and 5pb. were at a loss for words, their irises whitened from the unnerving disbelief.
Even one of the more reserved members, Gust, couldn't help but sweat and turn a little green from the grievous state of Domio.
SLIP...!
"Oh no!"
Domio'a body leaned to the side, before falling off of the broom, to everyone's fright.
-HOLD!
Luckily, Compa grabbed the boy before his brittle body slammed against the floor.
"G-Gotcha! Compa struggled to hold the boy firm enough to stop his momentum yet gently enough not to cause him pain, yet she succeeded in getting him off the broom.
"What happened to him?!" Nepgear wanted to know how someone like Domio ended up in such a sorry state.
"Someone named Xero. He said that AL is fighting him after managing to send Rom and Ram to the GPU's location." The Mad Magician wasted no time in revealing key information.
"Xero? It couldn't be..." IF thought about where she heard that name before.
"IF?" Uni observed the apprehensive expression of the brunette Guild Agent.
"At the concert, that's who they were talking about! This is bad...!" The responsible party member started sweating from the implication of Domio and AL's words back then.
"Oh. Oh no." Nisa couldn't help but join her fellow Maker in the profuse perspiration from the thought of those beings.
"What's the matter with you two? What were they talking about?" Uni was completely lost, yet Gust was the opposite.
"That's the same Xero that took Nebula, AL, AND Gris to send back to his dimension. They couldn't even beat him without a way to keep him from returning right away!" Recalling some of the vital details of the situation, Nepgear became spooked.
"And that's the person that did this to Domio? Goodness, I hope he hasn't found our sisters yet...!" Angst returned to the mind of the young CPU Candidate, evident on her face.
"Let's treat Domio and see what else he can tell us," Kallen advised. "If they're as bad as IF, Gust, and Nisa say then we can't waste any time." A grim expression appeared on the sister's face.
With that, the group soon gave way for Compa to treat the birthday boy for his staggering injuries.
Minutes passed, the youth remaining unresponsive as the Nurse-In-Training put all of her knowledge from med-school to the test in resuscitating the unresponsive warlock.
...
...
...
Covered in alcohol-soaked bandages, Domio's eyes slowly gained some light in the middle of the congo pink-haired nurse's treatment.
"Urgh..." Stirring from the depths of unconsciousness, the Loweean found his way to the world of the living.
"HE'S ALIVE!" Nisa dramatically shouted.
"Domio!" Several of the girls shouted, their faces filled with relief that the bubbly nurse patched up the kid.
"Wait, I'm not dead?" Domio looked around, greeted by familiar faces of the party and the Gamindustri Graveyard's imposing thunder.
"No, silly! I fixed ya up as best I could!" Compa wore a grateful smile, for Domio was able to speak after the amount of injuries she had to deal with on the impromptu operating table being the graveyard floor.
"Thank you, Compa." A smile graced his warm skin, which he quickly realized was no longer frigid. Holding his forearms, he was relieved that he wouldn't be cold for the rest of his natural-born life.
"You think you got it in you to talk?" Uni questioned with a slightly softer expression than usual, gazing at the warlock's wounds.
"Yeah. I can do that." The ice user nodded.
"Then tell us as much as you can! Please!" Nepgear begged, frightened for the group.
Boom...!
A rather faint resounding crash echoed in the background.
"I'll do my best but we don't have much time," Domio warned. " Xero still hasn't transformed fully, but that doesn't mean we're any safer." The warlock began.
"He can transform? Like a CPU?" Kallen compared the two.
"I'm not sure. I've never seen one transform in the flesh. But it's gotta be similar with how he has power signals in his eyes." Domio replied.
"So that guy can transform like you two." IF gazed at the CPU Candidate duo, who maintained uneasy expressions.
"This guy's becoming more dangerous by the second." Uni voiced her opinion.
"I don't know if we can even beat him at this rate." Nepgear became doubtful in the face of such challenging adversity.
"Don't start with that, Nepgear." Uni chided her goddess acolyte. "Some bozo isn't gonna stop us from saving our sisters-"
...ZOOM!-
-CRASH!
The pep talk was interrupted by a fast-moving object smashing into the ground near the group.
Dust and stone flew into the air, but after a few seconds, it cleared to reveal a severely beaten AL.
Twitching and spasming, the martial warrior grimaced in pain as the marks of blood around his crash site belonged to him.
"AL!?" The party shouted, yet another tragedy before them.
"Couldn't hang with a real one." A new voice emerged in the group, none other than Xero.
"I-I-Is t-t-that...!?" Gust stuttered profusely, feeling the waves of fear coming off the individual.
"It's h-him," Domio confirmed, a grave face and tone synchronized with an expression.
"And look, the runt crawled to his friends for help! If that isn't pathetic, I don't know what is!" On the cusp of laughing, the VPU held it in.
"Y-You bastard...! You won't get away with this!" Through his agony, the flaming fighter had the strength to backtalk the malicious edge lord.
SWING!-
"UAK!"
THUD!...
A chain whipped the downed form of AL, causing him to recoil off the ground before landing on his side.
"Another word and it goes up your ass, you flaming fuckhead." Xero growled before turning to the others.
"There's no reason for you to be so cruel!" Nepgear protested AL's torturous treatment.
"Stupid bitch, there's every reason to be cruel when you're like me!" The VPU retorted harshly, to which Nepgear flinched.
"That wasn't very nice!" Hurt radiated from the goddess.
"Blow me." Cue a middle finger from the edgy harbinger.
"Shut the hell up, you edgy jerk!" Uni stood up for her rather meek friend.
"Go deepthroat your rifle and pull the trigger in that order, you stuck-up cunt." A savage reply from Xero.
"Screw you!" Uni turned red from a mix of rage and embarrassment.
"Too bad nobody wants to screw you." A snicker caused the mini-tsun to grow redder.
"You're the enemy of all that is just in this world!" Nisa accused, pointing a finger at the evil deity.
"Then just take that finger and shove it up your ass, little boy."
"I'M A GIRL!" The heroine of Gamindustri seethed, angered by the malicious misgendering.
"ARE YOU?" Altering his voice to a mock, the VPU questioned Nisa's outburst to her ire.
"YOU FIEND!" The heroine hissed, fire burning in her eyes.
"This is too easy." Xero snorted, already managing to disgruntle three of the girls present. He noticed IF with a stern look in the corner of his eye. "The hell's your problem, forehead?" He rudely asked.
"F-Forehead?!" The brunette squawked angrily, somered on her cheeks. "You're a VPU! Who doesn't have a problem with your kind?" She returned a question to him, resisting the urge to check the width of her forehead.
"Good thing that oversized thinker isn't hollow." Xero returned with a backhanded compliment. "Unfortunately, its meaning is diminished when combined with a feeble physique." Before a swift insult.
"Iffy's stronger than you think!" Compa stepped in, being a good friend.
"If she headbutts me." The VPU with a stinging counter, to a certain Guild Agent's huffing.
"And what do you know? You sound like you think two steps behind with that softie voice. Makes sense since you also sound like you have a soft head." A string of what could be considered a VPU's ribbing was sent to the nurse.
"That was mean, mister!" Compa felt her chest ache as she responded.
"Argue with your mother." An uncaring reply from the destroyer deity.
"Why are you even doing this?" 5pb decided to move with a plot-advancing question rather than an insult or justification to avoid being flayed.
"The roasting or the maiming?" Xero wanted her to be specific.
"YES!" The group shouted unanimously, sans for AL and Domio who were well aware.
"Well, I'm gatekeeping so fuck you all." The edgy VPU refused to divulge any context for his war crimes.
"All you gotta know is that none of you are leaving here alive."
ゴ-ゴ-ゴ-ゴ!...
A perturbed atmosphere consumed the morale of the party members, with Xero's smile and daunting gaze imposing on every single one of the heroes' will.
"Speak for yourself...!" AL, who remained quiet for a while, spoke up as he stood up on his own two feet albeit wobbly from the battle damage. "When the GPUs get here, you'll be sorry!" He grunted.
"Maybe I will, maybe I won't. But I know they'll be sorry when they arrive to see your corpses!"
FEAR BURST!
DARKEN...!
Once the black and crimson aura engulfed and flowed off the deity's body, the fear energy's concentration momentarily dimmed the surroundings as the VPU's energy surged into power.
"Now... Who shall be the next of my victims..." His eyes scanned over the roster, they settled on a specific individual.
"...!" Who jumped at the piercing gaze the harbinger of destructing gave.
"Yes, the nun!" Xero confirmed, with Kallen sweating bullets. "Unfortunately for you sister, you picked the wrong god. GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Maniacally cackling with twisted glee, the VPU prepared to maraud the faithful party member.
"GUYS HELP ME! HELP MEEEEEEEEEE!" The gunslinging nun took out her pistols, yet they bore no relief to the perpetual dread she felt, instead shouting for support.
"Nobody can save you from me, bitch!" Readying his fists, Xero dug his feet into the ground.
DASH!
"NOW PERISH!" Yelling, he kicked off, moving in a bee-line to the petrified nun a demented expression on his face.
Kallen attempted to pull the trigger, yet her body shuddered uncontrollably and froze up which equaled a death sentence in her current situation.
-PUSH!
Until her body jarred to the side, a surprised look evident on her features.
SMASH!
Additionally, the air pressure that released Xero's missed lunge transformed the rocky hill formations and trash that made up the terrain behind her into a path of destruction.
"S-Shit...! That hurted." AL coughed, revealing himself as the nun's saving grace as he spoke next to her.
"Thank you." The sister gave her sincere gratitude to the martial artist.
"Everyone, we need to stop him!" Nepgear shouted, before her alongside the others wielded their weapons.
"This bastard's gonna pay!" Uni seconded the notion, cocking her rifle.
"Sure I am."
PHASE!...
Xero turned around, before disappearing.
-BOOM!
"URK!" Kallen guttered, as a foot buried itself into her ribcage sending her tumbling, and audible cracking that echoed from the voracity of its brutality.
-STOMP!
"FUCK!" A piping loud curse escaped AL's lips as Xero's foot crashed into his sternum.
The power of the vicious blow left an indentation in the earth under him.
BANG-BANG!
Two shots from Uni's rifle zipped through the air, aiming to land headshots.
ZIP!-ZIP!
Yet Xero craned his head from side to side with visible nonchalance, letting the rounds amount to warning shots.
SLICE!-
DODGE!
With haste, Nepgear was ready to slash the VPU diagonally. Yet he was more agile than expected and skillfully sidestepped the attack which left the CPU Candidate wide open.
SLASH!
-WEAVE!
After, a lateral counter-slash was the lilac goddess' next option. Unfortunately, Xero saw no difficulty in moving near-instantaneously to the far left which resulted in whiffing her slice.
STAB!-
MISS!
Finally, the Planeptunian CPU Candidate attempted to run him through with her sword. The raven-haired edge lord teased Nepgear with stillness before twisting his torso to the right, causing the goddess to stumble.
-ELBOW!
SLAM!
"Kyaa!" Nepgear cried out in pain, the top of her spine receiving a grizzly elbow that slammed her into the ground hard enough for it to reverberate on impact with several stones flying from the crash zone.
"Nepgear!" Uni, IF, and Compa shouted in concern. The former two flew into the battle, with IF running in as her Qatars glistened menacingly.
STAB-STAB-STAB-STAB!-
Kicking off her assault with several stabbing motions to his torso, the Guild Agent was NOT about to let that comment about her forehead slide.
-CLING-CLANG-CLING-CLANG!
Yet Xero used the chains wrapped around his fists to guard, sparks flying from each blade tip blocked in rapid succession.
KICK!
Swinging her body, the brunette went for a roundhouse after her attacks were neutralized.
GRAB!
"?!" IF's expression lit ablaze with shock as her body was raised off the ground right after her shin was grabbed.
SMASH!
"Gah!"
"Ack!"
Both Nepgear and IF yelled in pain, as the downed CPU Candidate felt the weight of her friend plus the tremendous pressure of Xero's throw force itself on her back.
Meanwhile, IF was the painful medium for all that damage, suffering a considerable amount of it herself as she cringed from the impact.
"Venom Shot!"
-BOOM!
Roaring, the Lastationite CPU Candidate used her SP Skill and fired an enhanced round from her rifle
VANISH!
"Wha?!" Uni sputtered, seeing that Xero had teleported from his current position to right before her from raw speed.
"Tsk tsk. Don't you know ranged weapons are terrible for people who are faster than you?" Snorted the VPU, while he grabbed the barrel of her firearm.
...EXPLODE!
The Venom Shot hit a wall, before promptly exploding in the process.
BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!
Firing many shots, Uni utilized the point-blank range to mag dump the malicious jerkface full of lead.
BANG!- CLICK-CLICK-CLICK...!
Gunpowder and shells lit up the VPU's face as she held the trigger until her weapon clicked, out of ammo.
"...Are you done?"
"How the hell!" Uni nearly jumped at Xero's voice, sounding utterly unbothered by the number of rounds to his face.
"Bullets also don't scale to the user, so you're gridlocked into being a shitstain by design. It'd be pitiful if I gave a fuck."
W-WRENCH!
The barrel was twisted to the side as if a hammer bent it to an irreparable state. The CPU Candidate of Lastation could only watch in horror as her main weapon was rendered useless.
SNAP!
Grabbing her gun, Xero then broke the firearm in half on his knee.
"For shame, Uni. I'll assume your name means your brain is unique since it only has one brain cell."
BASH!
Yanking her by the collar, the VPU rammed his forehead into the bridge of her nose, the organ snapping in response to the collision.
GRAB-
KICK!-KICK-KICK!
Grabbing Uni by the twin tails, he ran up her body by kicking her in the kneecap, liver, and shoulder.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Once his legs were lined up, an onslaught of kicks to the CPU Candidate's face with brutal efficiency were unleashed, mini-shockwaves expanding form each hit as the girl could do nothing but recoil with each blow.
All while holding onto her twin tails.
DOUBLE HEEL KICK!-
SHOCKWAVE!
"GYAAH!" Uni screamed after being dealt a staggering blow powerful enough to knock her off her feet with a shockwave rattling her body. Her frame flew into the wayside as Xero flipped before landing soundly.
"Take this, you monster!"
DROPKICK!
Nisa shouted, before descending through the air with a flying kick aimed at the VPU's flank. Filled with rage, she prepared to drive her foot into his skull.
KRACK!
"GAAAAAH!" The sound of the heroine's knee dislocating from making contact with Xero's head proved demoralizing and incapacitating with her offense stifled in mere moments.
FLICK!-
-BOOM!
Flicking the wind itself was enough to send a concentrated shot of fear-enhanced pressure to crash into the heroine's skull, a fracture sustained in less than three attacks.
WHIP!
"Guh!" The bluette cried.
CRASH!...
Additionally, a chain smacked into the heroine's face as her body flew away due to the shot. This spiked her to a pile of junk nearby, with numerous pieces of trash flying from the impact.
Nepgear pulled herself off the ground with IF wobbling to her feet.
"This guy hits like a truck, Gear..." The Guild Agent advised, with the CPU Candidate nodding in return.
"You don't have to tell me twice, IF." Gripping her sword, she closed her eyes.
"Access!"
...!
GLOW!
Opening her eyes, blue glowing irises and radiant white power symbols had replaced her lilac orbs.
"What? I thought I transformed." Nepgear blinked, yet she still saw her clothes, which belonged to her human form.
BURN!
IF's body was engulfed in flames before she emerged as a blonde, red-eyed version of herself with clothes to suit.
Enter Flame Awakening IF.
"Let's get this dirtbag!"
RUSH!
"R-Right!" Remembering that they were in the middle of a fight, Nepgear quickly sprinted behind the Guild Agent as the two combatants headed to the VPU.
Xero, who noticed their approach did not miss the opportunity to make his comments.
"Forehead got a fever, and the wimp's already seeing the light. You sure you two buffed yourselves? Hahahaha!" Laughing, he got into a stance.
THRUST!-
Running ahead of IF, Nepgear was the first to resume her offense, with a direct thrust to his torso.
WHIFF!
-SLICE!
Xero evaded to the right effortlessly but was met with a blazing Qatar that aimed to pierce him right between the eyes.
SPIKE!-
-LAUNCH!...
"Tch!" IF grumbled.
Activating his aura, the expansion of power was enough to blow the empowered blonde back. She tumbled on the ground before struggling to get to her feet from the single pulse of concentrated fear.
Nepgear had been guarding against the aura the entire time, yet couldn't help but feel dread and anxiety upon being near the unrestrained exhibition of fear energy.
"Offensive Cheer!"
SHINE!...
"Defensive Cheer!"
GLOW!...
Nepgear shouted, before her share aura temporarily flickered to life, indicating an increase in her strength and defense parameters.
ZOOM!
Diving into the clutches of peril, the CPU Candidate came for another bout of fighting.
-CLANG!
The purple goddess's forearm lifted to deflect the blow, but it felt far more potent than the attacks she had tried before.
"Mirage Dance!"
SLASH!-SLASH!-SLASH!-SLASH!...
Nepgear executed several slashes, considerably more powerful than her regular un-amped attacks as their contact with the VPU's arms caused some level of surprise in his face as his body recoiled from the slices.
-SLICE!
-CLANG!-
SKID!...
The last strike was powerful enough for Xero to flick his arm, causing a clash that separated the two deities as they skidded away from each other.
"Not too shabby, bitch. But still too weak!"
EXTEND!
Extending his arm, the chain wrapped around it lunged to Nepgear's position as it glowed an ominous black
BLOCK!
Turning her blade to its flat side, Nepgear successfully blocked the chain attack with her feet sliding back several meters from impact.
SLIDE...!
"Slash Wave!"
SLASH!-
-BLAST!
Slamming her sword into the ground, a line of energy pillars rushed to the VPU's location as his eyes shifted to the oncoming attack.
VANISH!
-BOOM!...
Quickly evading the attack, it smashed into a wall before causing several boulders to fly from the collision.
Nepgear looked sporadically for Xero's location, her eyes shifting restlessly before pausing.
STEP-
CLANG!
Quickly twisting around, her sword slice stopped a fist thrown by the fearsome deity as another loud clang reverberated through the battlefield.
"You're not fully transformed. Guess my fear energy's doing more than I thought." The warmongering deity noted.
"What do you mean?!" The lilac goddess inquired, the worry evident on her features.
"Fear energy can outright neutralize weaker energy sources. So when you tried to transform, my fear's saturation suppressed your share flow to a lesser state. That's why we're both demigods at the moment."
S-SHAKE!...
Nepgear's eyes widened in horror as she realized that her opponent's ability was THAT broken as she struggled to keep her ground during their contest of strength.
BAM!
"Uaaah!"
ZOOM!...
Xero's free hand blitzed through the air and struck Planeptune's CPU Candidate in the face hard enough to send her vertically spinning into a wall.
CRASH!
"Kya!"
Before the lilac goddess' body was indented into the structure, spider cracks formed around her impact spot.
"Nepgear!" Compa yelled in panic, seeing her friend damaged in a remorseless manner.
The awakened Guild Agent finally got to her feet after being blasted by the sheer aura that Xero showcased. Seeing the wincing CPU Candidate let her rush back into the battle.
Xero, who senses the incoming IF turned to face her.
SPRINT!
Not even bothering to respond, a smug expression infected his punchable face with the Wind Walker of Gamindustri locking in.
Jumping into the air, she prepared to cast an SP Skill.
"Demonic Inferno!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Many explosions rained on the VPU's form, causing the ground below him to send shards of melted stone everywhere, yet no pain could be heard amid the chaos.
SKID!...
Landing on the other side of the VPU, IF twisted her body before casting another skill.
"La Delphinus!"
PILLAR!-PILLAR!-PILLAR!-PILLAR!
Several pulses of a wide blue pillar of energy rained from the sky, striking the VPU several times.
His body barely flinched, an infuriatingly smug expression enduring on his face as the Guild Agent took note, and visibly scowled at the relentless mockery he made of her.
"Humans, ever defiant in the useless pursuit that is resistance." Xero spoke in the middle of IF's skill.
FLEX!-
BURST!
His aura blasted in all directions, stonewalling the SP Skill while simultaneously counterattacking the transformed blonde as she quickly covered herself with her arms.
CRASH!
"Gyaa!"
BOOM!...
The simple impulse sent IF into the ground with enough force to dig a several dozen-meter-long line in the ground before she came to a stop with ther clothes and body significantly damaged.
"Iffy!" Compa screamed in horror, watching her friend become one with the dirt in seconds.
"Oh, there's still the healer. Better fix that." Malignant glee danced between his red glowing irises as the Nurse-In-Training stumbled back instinctively, her body moving away from the overwhelming source of terror.
"N-No! D-D-Don't come any closer!"
STEP...!
STEP...!
STEP...!
Compa held a flimsy grip on her oversized syringe, the business end pointed at the VPU as he walked forward with deliberate heaviness to accentuate the presence of each step.
"Or what? You'll heal me to death? Pfft, get the fuck out of here." Dismissing her words, the red-highlighted deity responded without care.
STEP-
-APPPEAR!
"!" Compa paled at Xero's sudden closeness to her, sheer speed imitating teleportation.
"Gimme that shit!"
YANK!
"Hey!" Compa's body reacted too slowly, with Xero already having his hands on the nursing student's syringe.
"Wonder if I should put fentanyl inside this thing and stab some people..." Contemplating his next act of evil, he inspected the weapon.
"You can't do that!" Compa verbally opposed, her fright temporarily disappearing.
"Then I'll just do this instead!"
IMBUE!-
STAB!
"Guh!..." Compa guttered. She looked down, to see her syringe lodged inside her abdomen with the mysterious liquid becoming an eerie darkish purple.
INJECT!
Her blood soaked into her sweater as the VPU began to push the liquid into her body.
G-GRAB!...
Weakly, the cream medical student tried to grab Xero's arms to stop him from injecting any more of the fear-enhanced substance into her but her strength quickly faded before her senses became warped.
THUD!
Her body collapsed to the ground, her eyes shrunken with a cold sweat taking hold of her. Whatever Compa saw made her skin crawl with horror, not to mention the flesh wound she sustained moments ago.
STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB!
Grabbing the syringe with both hands, Xero continued to plunge the needle into Compa's body repeatedly, the nurse silently taking damage as several more stains of red covered her sweater with the sound of flesh being pierced echoing through the battlefield.
SHATTER!
Xero then smashed the girl's weapon on her, the liquid coated the young lady's body, alongside the glass shards that stuck themselves into her skin as she flinched from impact.
"C-Compa!..." 5pb. paled, her eyes staying locked on the atrocity that her eyes were unable to look away from despite how her stomach desperately yearned.
MAGES. urged her body to move, yet the stomach-turning sensation of hysterical fear prevented her from taking any constructive actions.
Domio, who had grown accustomed to the oppressive aura of fear, stood up, drenched in sweat and shakily.
"Stupid-"
STOMP!
"Fucking-"
STOMP!
"BITCH!"
-STOMP!-
Several crunches were heard as the Nurse-In-Training's bones gave way at the pressure of the VPU's stomps, her eyes leaking silent tears from the inconceivable pain she felt herself being subjected to.
"I do what I want, you ditzy cunt!"
SLAM!
Swinging his foot into her side, Compa's body was launched into the air, with liquid, blood, and shards flying from her figure.
CATCH!
The Nurse-In-Training's body was quickly recovered, as the figure who saved her landed curtly despite missing an arm to balance.
"Oh no...!" Domio's expression exuded trepidation for the medic's wellbeing. Looking back to the VPU, a scowl approached his face.
"And I was aiming for that cliffside too! What's the big idea?!" Ready to re-engage, Xero shouted with annoyance.
"You almost killed her!" The Loweean screamed defiantly.
"I almost killed you! And you're not dead!" Xero shouted, before rolling his eyes.
"That is not an argument you fucking shitass!" Domio treated some fiery words.
"Then why don't you come over here and prove it, pussy!" Xero taunted, performing the 'come hither' signal.
Growling, Domio was about to do just that, until MAGES.' hand stopped him.
"No, Domio. You're still injured. Don't let his words get to you." Despite her pensiveness in fighting the VPU, she was still able to reign in her student's emotions.
"MAGES.? More like MOMMY. the way she coddles your bitch ass! Die like a man, you fucking wimp!" Continuing to goad the warlock, Xero's efforts continued to be used to aggravate the youth.
"B-B-But what do we do? C-Compa's down so we can't get any reses, and that guy's W-W-WAY too strong for us!" Gust sputtered the obvious, despite her near catatonic state.
BANG!
The sound of a gun echoed, a bullet swishing through the air.
PINCH!...
Xero's hands blitzed towards it, grabbing it with his index and thumb without even so much as looking in the direction it was fired, instead painting eye contact with the quintet before him.
"Puh-lease."
EXTEND!-
-YANK!
"Kyaa!-" Kallen's scream was heard. Xero's extended chains grabbed her body as she was yanked through her hiding spot, which was revealed to be formerly a pile of debris.
"Kallen!" The able-bodied party members screamed before the malevolent VPU grabbed the nun's neck.
"Fucking camper." Xero spat at the stifling sister, who clawed at his hand in desperation as her face slowly turned blue from the lack of oxygen that the deity's vice grip on her windpipe caused.
ENGULF!
"AIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Before any humans could react, Kallen's body was lit ablaze by fear energy. A skin-crawling scream erupted from her vocal cords as the nun was subjected to the abject suffering of fear made manifest eating away at her flesh mimicking the properties of raging flames.
"Better scratch immolating a nun off my bucket list."
SNUFF!
The callous dimensional entity spoke to himself before silencing his energetic torture.
"Better scratch immolating a nun off my bucket list."
SNUFF!
The callous dimensional entity spoke to himself before silencing his energetic torture.
Kallen's habit was mostly incinerated, smoldering remains hanging onto her body. Burns proliferated her skin as her eyes were whitened completely from the overloading sensation of pain and fear that coursed through her being.
Her modesty was sparsely covered, and her exposed body was littered with injuries as smoke billowed from her fresh burn marks.
"But I think our resident nun needs some correction..." The VPU trailed, as the traumatized humans witnessed what happened next with abhorrent expressions.
CRASH!
Grabbing the nun by the back of her head, he dragged Kallen's skull down before using his other hand to grasp her thigh. Sticking his knee out at the last moment, a grotesque crunch was heard as several bones broke from the VPU's kneeing of the nun.
AL, who barely recovered enough stamina to stand, cringed at the sound of the devastating attack.
SMACK!
A swift hand imprinted itself into the butt of the nun, striking with enough force to obliterate her panties. Kallen's eyes returned to ther blue irises as she grit her teeth, hissing from the painful sensation.
SLAP!
"AGH!" The white-haired nun couldn't help but scream as the firm hand grazed against her bleeding behind.
SLAP! SMACK! SPANK!
Several more spanks landed their mark on the squealing sister, her backside stinging with pain from the humiliating state she found herself in.
But the worst was yet to come.
BURST!
Xero's index and middle fingers were enveloped in fear energy, as he poised his hand behind the untainted orifice of the nun.
AL and Domio became slack-jawed at the act the VPU planned to execute with MAGES. and 5pb. turning ghastly white at the mere thought.
Gust simply looked away, the scene just too much to bear.
"500 Years of Death."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Domio shouted helplessly, as Xero plunged his pointers into the holy hole.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Kallen let out one final scream before the fear energy circulated through her system and combined with the searing pain to cause her mind to slip into unconsciousness.
"GAHAHAHAHAHA! And here I thought church girls were supposed to be kinky." Cackling and joking, the remorseless deity paid no mind to the heartless act he committed.
DROP!-
-KICK!
Moving his leg, Xero kicked the nun with his other foot to the group as if he were punting a soccer ball.
GRAB!
AL slid, catching the unconscious nun who started to drool with her dulled eyes open from the state she was left in.
"How can you do something like that with a smile!" 5pb. couldn't believe what she was subjected to witness.
"How do you breathe?" Xero responded with his own question. "Because it's natural, dipshit." A snarky remark.
"I refuse to believe anything can exist with the proclivity to cause harm to others on such a harrowing scale." MAGES. voiced her disdain.
"Then you've never heard of the VPUs." Xero replied.
"From what we've gathered, I don't think anybody wants to know about you freaks." AL growled, holding the defeated nun.
"Like they'll be able to talk about us after we're done with them. The same goes for you bitches too. About time I took out the trash." Xero set his sights on finishing off the wounded and stagnant.
-PILLAR!
-PILLAR!
Yet two pillars of light and digital numbers interrupted his process.
"Access!" Nepgear and Uni shouted, their bodies being transformed by the eruption of shares that condensed into their forms.
ZOOM!
WOOSH!
The light subsided before the divine duo flew to the scene, two blips of light closing the distance between themselves and Xero.
The light that clung onto their bodies dissipated, revealing Purple Sister and Black Sister putting themselves defiantly in front of the vulnerable and injured.
Despite the wounds they sustained only somewhat healed, their faces were full of vigor.
SHINE!...
"Use our power, CPU Candidates... Cleanse Gamindustri of the likes that dwarf even ASIC." The Mascot's voices were heard in unison before the four orbs circulated the two goddesses.
...ABSORB!
The orbs of energy assimilated into the CPU Candidates before their outfits morphed from the influx of shares.
Nepgear's outfit sported her midriff with a dark and holographic purple aesthetic to her outfit, sporting a more mature garb as opposed to her usual transformed state.
Uni's clothes took a similar turn, with her one-piece suit taking a borderline skimpy turn with her top piece barely covering her modesty with a ring as her bottom piece becoming glorified battle panties. Her aesthetic remained mostly the same, just revealing more skin like Nepgear.
"We won't let you continue your terror!" Purple Sister shouted, power signal pupils glowing with determination.
"Get ready to eat lead, you bastard!" Black Sister threatened, her glowing pupils narrowing with firm intent.
"Oh? Looks like the tater-tots finally decided to take it up a notch." Gazing between the ascended goddesses, a dark smile graced his face.
"So are you gonna transform too? Or is that the best you can do?" The Lastationite CPU Candidate prodded the foreign VPU, aiming her repaired, transformed cannon at him.
"Don't flatter yourself, cardboard chest." The edge lord retorted to the white-haired goddess' annoyance and slight embarrassment. "If you were worth my HDD, you'd be dead long ago." His smile turned upside down to address the CPU Candidate's words.
"C-Cardboard! I'm gonna put so many holes inside of you-" Black Sister's threat was interrupted.
"Woah there, I'm not into all that stuff. That's my sister, Miss Training Bra." A snigger from the VPU.
"One more word out of you and I'll shove this cannon where the sun doesn't shine." Falling victim to the deity's insults, she became much more standoffish than originally intended.
"Oh shut up and put on some clothes, little boy." Xero dismissed, to Black Sister's ire.
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY!?"
"U-Uni!" Purple Sister flinched at her friend's outburst. "Don't let him get to you, that's exactly what he wants!" She told her friend.
"Grr...!" It took everything the CPU Candidate had not to unload her cannon into his smug face.
"Nepgear. Very wise for a girl who needs all the moral support on Gamindustri to tie her shoelaces." Turning to the lilac goddess, he switched targets.
"What? No, I don't!" Comical saucers replaced the CPU's eyes. "Who told you that!" She continued.
"No one shared this information with me. What's clear is that share energy makes you two share a brain cell if you think you can defeat the likes of me!" Xero shouted before laughing at the thought.
"We'll see if it's still funny when we beat you!" The Planeptunian CPU Candidate raised her gunblade.
"Yeah, beat off my dick." A childish snort escaped the VPU's lips.
RUSH!
Purple Sister's flight processors glowed brightly before she flew ahead.
"Yah!" She yelled.
CLASH!
CLANG!
Swinging her gunblade, the CPU Candidate made contact with Xero's forearm before she turned on his other side, her blade blocked by a knee.
BOOM!
BOOM!
Pointing the barrel of her sword in his face, a plasmic round fired from the weapon which the VPU ducked seamlessly, before swerving his head and shoulders to the side whilst avoiding the second round.
JAB!-
WHOOSH!
Xero went for a short-ranged jab, yet Purple Sister was quick enough to crane her head out of the strike zone.
SLAM!
Using Xero's missed attack to her benefit, she put her body weight into her next slash, pushing him away with the successful blow.
JUMP!-
KA-BOOM!
The sound of Black Sister's cannon was heard, as Xero quickly somersaulted while narrowly avoiding the ground beneath him obliterating from the concussive force of the shot.
FLIP!
-BLAST!
Jumping in the air, he outstretched his hand before returning fire with a fear blast in Black Sister's location.
BOOM!-
EXPLOSION!
Black Sister sent another shot, that clashed and detonated mid-air with a fierce explosion that caused the humans below to shield their eyes from the magnitude of the blast wave.
FLY!
Xero's eyes darted below as Purple Sister sprung from the ground and swung her sword at his neck, intending to decapitate the VPU.
...DODGE!-
KICK!
The edgy VPU leaned out of the way of the goddess' gunblade, the sharp edge barely missing his nose before he lurched forward to counterattack with a roundhouse kick.
GUARD!
ELBOW!-
CLASH!
It was blocked by the CPU Candidate's gunblade before Xero went for an elbow that met the flat side of Purple Sister's weapon.
"M.P.B.L!"
-BLAST!-
A large beam of energy rushed from the tip of her sword and expanded into a beam that engulfed the VPU in the blink of an eye.
DIVIDE!
"What?!" Shock bleated from the goddess' tone.
Yet it was parted by Xero's hand that stretched forward, as his face wrenched with effort to Purple Sister's surprise.
CLENCH-
SHOCKWAVE!
"Argh!"
A blitzing fist landed in Purple Sister's face, cutting off her attack and sending her ripping through the sky.
"Nepgear!" Black Sister shouted, before aiming her cannon at Xero's position.
"EX Multi Blaster!"
BLAST!
BLAST!
BLAST!
Several powerful beams closed in on the VPU as he turned to face the incoming attacks.
-SLAP!
-DEFLECT!
The first two beams were menially deflected by two paltry slaps from the malevolent deity before he put out his hand for the third.
HALT!...
...DARKEN!
"Right back at ya!"
ZOOM!
Converting the share energy into fear, the now condensed ball of fear energy was reeled before Xero hurled the attack at full speed.
WOOSH!
-EXPLODE!
Black Sister flew out of its path before it detonated violently with an arm being used to shield herself from the wind that came with the explosion.
"Mind looking over here for a second?" A voice asked.
"What the-" Confusion was cut short.
HOOK!
With a sucker punch from Xero who had moved to float next to the Lastationite CPU Candidate. Blood flew from the goddess' mouth before she growled at the perpetrator.
ELBOW-
EVADE!
Black Sister pushed herself back with her processors, dodging a speedy elbow from Xero as she aimed her cannon at his torso.
"Paralysis Shot!"
BZZZT!
An electrifying round rang from the oversized gun, in Xero's direction.
SMASH!-
-DISCHARGE!
Yet he kicked the shot into the air where it detonated, causing bright yellow sparks to fly from the sky.
The barrel of the laser cannon was shoved in his face as he looked back down, with a confident smirk that Lastation's mini-tsundere brandished.
"Venom Shot!"
BLAST!
The shot roared from the muzzle, seemingly clipping the god point blank in the kisser.
"...No way!"
Yet shortly after, Black Sister's face fell when the VPU's hand was on the barrel, having aimed it away from his face with a snide expression.
"My my, flat tits. I'm starting to think your brain and your boobs share the same smoothness." Fitting that a snide comment accompanied the face he wore.
"Grr! FUCK OFF!"
THWACK!
Nailing the VPU in the nuts, Black Sister was at her wit's end with the flat jokes.
"...Ow?" Xero raised a brow, her kick not doing what the CPU Candidate expected it to.
'Shit!' The dark-clad CPU Candidate internally cursed, her shin smarting from the failed nutshot.
"Panzer Blade!"
SLICE!-
Purple Sister was at Xero's side, ready to attack him while he was distracted.
CATCH!
But the VPU's fingertips stopped the sword in its tracks, albeit shaking very intensely.
Grips on both of their weapons, he continued to speak to the two Candidates.
"Even after you transformed, you're only keeping yourselves alive rather than turning the table." Xero spoke. "If I knew you two were this pathetic, I wouldn't have wasted my time humoring you."
SWING!
"G-Gaaah!"
YANK!
"Kyaaaa!"
Pulling the two weapons, the CPU Candidates were dragged alongside them as they screamed in surprise.
THROW!-
-FLEX!
Xero crossed his arms before letting go, throwing them to the side before uncrossing them with his fingers stretched out.
"NOW DIE!"
FEAR BLAST!
Two large beams of black fear energy with red outlines rushed from the VPU's hands, racing to the barreling CPU Candidates who were still stunned by the double-tossing maneuver.
Their bodies were engulfed by the beams before they subsided as quickly as they were launched.
"NEPGEAR! UNI!" AL shouted in concern, watching the only hopes of the group being consumed by the manifested force of terror.
"No... It can't be!" Domio refused to believe what he saw, their fates becoming bleak as time passed.
"We're done for...!" Gust collapsed to her knees, distraught written on her face.
"N-No!" 5pb. shook her head. "We can't lose hope now! They could still be alive!" The idol kept a strong spirit despite their conditions.
"We still have to rescue the CPUs." MAGES. reminded the party. "We should hope their sisters are still alive after something like that." She motioned.
"That's all we're stuck doing...! Standing here and hoping that we'll live!" Domio snarled at their state, looking up at the glee of Xero.
"-'DAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA! Just like that?! This is comedy GOLD!" He fervently guffawed. "There's no way they fucking died from that! Oh, this is better than any TV show! Even that armless brat lasted longer than the cardboard cutout and the kicked puppy!"
"T-Tch..!"
GLOW...!
Domio's hair waved as it stood on its ends with shadows covering his eyes, the gall that Xero had to mock his friends, especially after what he did to them...!
BURST!
"?!" The bite-sized party reacted to the sound of dirt being burrowed.
Before the warlock could do something he'd regret, someone else beat him to the punch.
STAB!-STAB!-STAB!-STAB!-STAB!-STAB!-STAB!-STAB!-STAB!-STAB!-STAB!-STAB!-STAB!-STAB!
"The hell?" Xero craned.
Red streaks of energy stabbed themselves into the VPU, as he uncharacteristically flinched.
SLASH!-
SLIDE...!
A feminine figure zoomed past him, before landing by the group with a skid.
"Apocolypse Nova!"
CRASH!-
-KA-BOOM!
A large redshaded blast consumed the VPU, the last thing they saw being his surprised expression before he promptly detonated from the EXE Drive that the figure unleashed.
"Sorry about the wait, that attack took me out of it for a bit." IF, still in her Flame Awakening state and injured, greeted the party after her extended dirt nap.
"IF!" The group shouted, shocked by the blonde Guild Agent's return.
"Yeah, it's- COMPA!" The agent rushed to her childhood friend's state as she was critically injured. Inspecting her friend, she looked at Domio.
"What happened to her!" She frantically asked.
"Xero happened. He did it to her and Kallen." Domio motioned his head to the incapacitated nun, to which IF also flinched at her pitiful state.
"What about Nepgear and Uni?" She interrogated with a serious expression replacing her features.
"We don't know... After Xero blasted them, I can't get a good read on their energies..." AL admitted, a heavy look on his face. "The fear energy could have something to do with it, but if it's the worst case..." He paused.
"We can't rule out anything until we have hard evidence. This wasn't supposed to be an easy mission but that asshole made it way harder than it should be." IF sighed before looking to where she struck him.
-WOOOOOOOOOOSH!
-STATIC!-
AURA...!
Xero's energy spiked, causing them to face the VPU, in awe of his condition.
His clothes were slightly singed but otherwise, he was unharmed. Red lightning zipped around his body, red highlights flapping in the wind created by his excited aura.
"When I think of myself as smoking hot, that was not what I meant." His voice echoed with power. "But that was probably the weakest fire attack I've ever felt during this fight." Xero dusted himself off.
DESCEND!...
-CRASH!
Landing on the ground with a slam, the VPU stood up and creaked his neck.
"Figures that the one who looks like he walked through some flames burns the most." He looked at AL.
"Fuck you." A blunt response from the martial artist.
"But I digress. Who will be the next victim out of you sorry lot?" His eyes danced across the remaining members of the party.
"The mage?" MAGES. gripped her staff tightly upon hearing her name.
"The singer?" 5pb. did the same with her electric guitar.
"The alchemist?" Gust shivered, curling up into a ball.
"Or the losers!?" AL and Domio snarled, holding the wounded and unable to jump back into the fray.
"None of them!"
A voice pierced through the battlefield. Xero and the humans turned to see who was bold enough to draw the VPU's attention.
"Because I'll be the one to defeat you!" Valor and virtue shouted from the heavens with a flying foot descending with heroic gusto.
DROPKICK!
BOOM!-POW!-CRASH!-POW!
A myriad of kicks and punches landed on the confused VPU, who remained at a standstill, with the person's hits reverberating off his body.
"Zettai Hero Legend!"
EXPLODE!
The figure's final jump kick struck Xero in the chest, before a brilliant explosion rang through the battlefield, as she somersaulted multiple times.
THUD...!
"We meet again, great heroes!" Nisa welcomed.
Landing beside the group, a limping Nisa smiled at her comrades.
"NISA!" The group shouted, overjoyed that a familiar face was with them in the living.
"NOBODY GIVES A FUCK!"
FLEX!
"GAAAH!" The party screamed, Xero flexing his aura again with static and wind pressure intensifying from the upset in his mood.
"Now I'm gonna pick one of you fuckups to send to the pits of hell!"
CHARGE...!
Xero raised his hand, concentrating fear energy into his palm as an ominous black orb materialized in front of it.
"... The heroine. That's who it'll be." Deciding on a target, Xero aimed at the blue-haired justice advocate. "Extra prejudice because you're flat and you're stupid enough to attack me. Pick a struggle for crying out loud." The vengeful VPU spat.
"Y-You won't defeat me!" Nisa began to sweat profusely, the ill-will from the demented otherworlder made her heroic will waver ever so slightly against his abysmal energy.
"Says who?" The VPU chortled.
"Says us!" A group of voices caught the attention of the denizens.
"WHO THE HELL IS IT NOW!?" Xero reached his last nerve until his face was exchanged for shock.
It was none other than Nepgear and Uni, standing atop a hill.
They were significantly more damaged but were not alone.
Beside Nepgear, was Neptune who sported a triumphant look as she looked down with a bright smile.
Nebula also stood tall, his arms folded with a bright grin as his face alone was enough to elicit a growl from Xero's face.
Vert gave a curt smile as she poised herself elegantly, her eyes staring down at the Makers and humans with content.
Accelerator had his hands in his hoodie, not feeling for a cool pose yet holding a steadfast gaze on the threatening VPU.
And on Uni's side, Noire had a taut demeanor, whilst staring down at the firnds of her sister with an esteemed gaze.
Gris stood silently, his gaze analyzing the current state of affairs with a mask of nonchalance.
Blanc remained calm and collected, yet her eyes showcased animosity toward the VPU that hurt her sisters.
Rom and Ram both stared with slight trepidation, yet being alongside their sister calmed their nerves.
And the defector stood on business, despite being the weakest one there.
"It's the goddesses!" The injured group shouted.
"Just who I was looking for...!" Clenching his fists, Xero grew anticipated for where the action would take him next.
"And gods." The two GPUs corrected.
"Heh-" The esper snickered.
"Not you." Gris interrupted Accelerator's chuckle, to his annoyance.
"Long time no see, Xero." A confident tone came from Nebula's lips as his radiant tone persisted.
"It's been far too long since the last time we embarrassed you." The dark GPU gained a smirk of his own.
"And now that we're all here, it's time to nep you up!" The Protagonist of Protagonists declared.
A/N:
Chapter complete!
1,000,000 WORDS! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!
Thank you to everyone who came for the ride, but don't get too cozy yet because there's a lot more where that came from!
Hope you had a good time reading it, my faithful readers!
And expect the Gamindustri Graveyard Arc to start heating up.
By the way, if you wanna contact me on Discord, my handle is Strato_Agony_.
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Arrivederci!