All rights are reserved to their respective owners. I own nothing in this piece of fiction except my OCs and the story itself.
"So you managed to drive them away?" Falcom asked the group.
"Knocked them out of the park! Should've seen how they twinkled in the sky." Nebula snickered.
"I doubt those two will come back for a while." IF reinforced the party's success.
"If that's what it comes down to, thank you all. I won't forget how you helped my village." The redheaded adventurer showed her sincere gratitude.
"We just did what we thought was right," Nepgear assured.
"Just like real heroes!" Nisa smiled at the comparison she mentioned.
"So now that they're gone, what's the plan now, Miss Falcom?" Compa questioned the adventures.
"Let's see… I'd like to have another epic adventure, but that can wait a while." Falcom pondered.
"I'm sure there are some remnants of ASIC's forces still hanging around, so I'll clear them out." She decided.
"Good luck then." Nepgear bidded. "We'll stop ASIC as soon as possible!" The purple CPU Candidate told her.
"Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. I'll help you out anytime!" The redhead gave her final piece before her farewells.
As the group traveled to the island's outskirts, Vergo and Nepgear spoke amongst themselves at the flank of the party.
"Hey, Nepgear." The blonde time traveler asked.
"Yes, Vergo? What's up?" The goddess responded.
"I've been meaning to ask you a question." He started, his blue eyes meeting her lilac ones.
"What is it?" She asked.
"When you first went to the Gamindustri Graveyard and faced CFW Magic... Did you happen to see what became of Lady Green Heart?" He inquired.
"Oh. She was captured with the other CPUs. Tied up by cords that constricted and sapped her along with the other goddesses of their share energy." The CPU Candidate promptly explained.
"It was horrible, alone and not being able to do anything but listen to ASIC and their atrocities in perpetual torment while your life slips from your fingers." She became somber at the recollection of her prior experience at the graveyard.
"Why do you ask?" Her curiosity grew, pulling her away from the sadness she felt.
"It's just that... I knew something happened, but not that she was in such a state." He sighed.
His sister was still being held in the Gaminidustri Graveyard, while he was outside with no such restrictions.
Although he was free, guilt made him feel as if his freedom was something he did not deserve.
"If I could switch places with her, I would," Vergo admitted, a dull look in his eyes.
"W-What?! Why? No one should have to go through that!" Nepgear was caught off guard by his statement.
"Precisely. I'd shoulder that burden so that she wouldn't have to!... It's the least I could do after..." He paused, his voice shaky at the memories of his time.
"After what?" She asked, her concern plastered across her face.
Vergo opened his mouth, yet he found himself at a crossroad.
He could tell Nepgear everything at that exact moment, compromising his mission for a moment of weakness.
Or he could endure, and suffer the shame of defeat and rue in silence for his shortcomings.
...
...
...
"F-Forget it... I don't want to burden you with my backstory, Nepgear." The CPU Candidate shook his head and any feelings of sorrow that came with it.
He tried to walk ahead but felt a sensation that stopped him as he looked back.
"Wait, Vergo! Please tell me what happened to you." The kind-hearted goddess grabbed his wrist and squeezed it.
"I want to help everyone, that includes you as well!" She gazed at him with eyes that truly wanted to aid his plight.
'Her eyes are just like how they were back then...' The time traveler was reminded of her future counterpart's face. The same will that trusted her at the forefront of her demise.
"I want to tell you, Nepgear. I truly do." Vergo grabbed her hand, causing her to look down with mild surprise on her features.
Nepgear saw the yearning that was deep within his eyes, those blue orbs holding onto much more than he seemed to let on.
"But I can't." He let his fingers slip through hers before letting go.
Walking ahead, the blonde CPU Candidate left his lilac colleague to hold her hand with disappointment.
"Vergo..." She moaned, feeling dejected at his response.
Nepgear thought she had fixed her friends' problems yet there was still someone who needed to be helped.
Letting out a depressed sigh, the blondie left the lovely goddess.
He could help Falcom save her village.
He could even save this version of Leanbox.
Yet he couldn't even save his timeline.
That truth seeped into his soul like a thousand-degree knife through butter.
He made his way to the band of bastards consisting of Nebula, Gris, and AL plus Domio.
"Hand holding? That's lewd, y'know!" Nebula's voice pulled the blondie out of his depressive state of mind, to which the cyan eyes of the GPU gave a suggestive look with the time traveler sweatdropping.
"You're takin' the piss." Not acknowledging the meme further, the blonde rolled his eyes.
"At this rate, we might not be able to call you Virgin anymore." Gris snarked, with a low humming laughter.
"You're DEFINITELY takin' the fockin' piss." Vergo growled.
"What next, you guys are gonna tell each other your deepest, darkest secrets?~" AL spoke.
"..." The CPU Candidate unconsciously shifted at that.
AL's jesting demeanor faded at that.
"Wait, you're serious?" His eyes slightly widened.
"I... I didn't say anything I shouldn't have, but it was so tempting..." He admitted, and the faces of the others became slightly surprised.
"But you can't- You told us the consequences if too many people knew." Domio reminded him.
"I know! I know, but it's hard watching people that you could've saved remain ignorant about their demise and throw it right in your face unknowingly." Vergo confided.
Nepgear, who had strategically walked behind MAGES. and 5pb. to block herself from them and gaped at the tidbit of information.
"What else did you say?" Gris' eyes narrowed, looking for any sensitive information that the bloke may have leaked.
"I just asked about Vert. The more time we take, the longer she has to suffer." Vergo took out his sister's bloodstained accessory and gazed at it, with the purple CPU Candidate's brows raising in shock.
"It's all my fault, and I can't even correct my mistakes..." He gripped the accessory, the golden pendant shaking with angst written across his face.
Nebula put his hand on the taller male's shoulder, causing him to glance in his direction.
"I know you're afraid of letting Vert down again." The blue GPU spoke, with the time traveler's face lightening up.
"But you can't keep focusing on what you didn't do. Even as a CPU, you still can only do so much." His tone became calming.
"Only set your mind to what can be achieved and head to that goal. Once you accomplish it, do the same for the next goal, and the one after that." Using his fingers, he counted as the message was conveyed.
"Or else you'll get overwhelmed trying to do everything at once, mate." Mimicking the time traveler's accent, Nebula finished his pep talk.
"... I think I understand." The blonde slowly nodded.
"Or you could stop being a lil' bitch. Works wonders." Gris muttered, looking dead ahead.
Vergo slumped at that response.
"Hey! You could be a little nicer, y'know." Domio frowned with a cross look.
"Niceties don't bring about results. I seek answers, not therapy." Spat the assassin to the short warlock.
"Brood harder, why don't you?-" AL teased.
BAMF!
"GUH!" The martial artist walked into a punch, that winded him.
"To think you believe we're so friendly that you can joke without repercussion." Harrumphed the cleaner.
"I-It's not like you're my friend or anything! B-B-Baka!~" Nebula mocked, elbowing the green CPU Candidate in jest.
Vergo snorted, which indicated some raised spirits.
"Tch!" Snarled the manslayer.
ドドドド!
Gris went to dole out a fist, and Nebula got ready to throw one of his own.
"Hey! No infighting!" Compa interrupted their friendly fire.
"Friendly fire will not be tolerated!" Nepgear backed up the Nurse-In-Training, as she stood between the two.
"Cry about it." Cue the generic edge lord response from Gris.
"Ah, eto... Bleh." And cue the memetic response.
"Wasn't that meme for ditzy anime girls?" AL raised his brow.
"You see AL, for that meme, I identified as a potato chip." Nebula sagely explained.
"What brand?" AL asked, putting away his sister's accessory.
"Only the best in Gamindustri!" The GPU gained a smug look.
"Is it L*ys? 'Cause that would explain how much of an airhead you are." Gris remorselessly ribbed.
"Sometimes, I feel like I'm the most mature one in the male friendship circle." Sighed Domio, watching the 'adults' converse.
"At least you're not the most mature one in the entire party." IF consoled the fellow brunette juvenile.
"Who would that be?" The warlock inquired.
"Aren't you talking to her?" A smug look from the Guild Agent made the child revel in awe.
"So you're the most mature person in the party? Ok, go up a bra size." Nebula did NOT let that slide.
"I will cut off your balls, you immature imbecile." IF dangerously growled, with a Qatar in hand.
"Hey, hey, hey. Be fair. She doesn't have HDD." Vergo attempted to simmer down the conversation.
"Blanc does, what's her excuse?." Two words were felt across the world from Gris himself.
"ZAMN, SHE'S FLAT?!" Nebula couldn't resist dropping another meme.
In the Gamindustri Graveyard...
"For some reason... I have an irresistible urge to maim a Lastationite and Planeptunian." White Heart growled feminine fury and wounded pride mixing into one singular emotion of rage.
"YOU WHAT-"
vine boom sound effect-
Black Heart exclaimed in horror, an additional sound effect for the emphasis of her emotions.
"Blanc, don't be so childish." Purple Heart chastised. "You'll only prove them right." A sly smile formed on her lips.
"I don't give a fuck, they're gonna get my axe up their asses!" She fumed, with a red eye of fury.
"Well, you have a lot of time to meditate on it." Green Heart advised.
"I didn't ask for your opinion, Thunder Tits!" The flat goddess seethed.
"Ara Ara~, still so feisty over the truth." Leanbox's goddess taunted.
"YOU WON'T BE FEISTY WHEN I CUT OFF THOSE FUCKING TITS!"
"I sense a disturbance in the jiggle physics engine." Vergo's skin paled from a seemingly non-existent threat.
"What?" A scrutinizing look from Nisa made the blonde wave off the statement.
"You wouldn't get it." The blonde shook his head, to the heroine's confusion. The last thing he wanted was to draw out the scene further by angering another smaller framed girl.
VRRR...!
"Ride's here," Gris grumbled to the others, with his dropship landing on the sand.
"Everyone get in the battle bus!" Nebula sprinted into the airship.
"DO NOT CALL MY SHIP A FUCKING BATTLE BUS!" Gris cursed, a vein forming on his forehead.
"Language!" Kallen shouted.
Enraged growls were all the assassin let out before the others laughed at his outburst.
In Planeptune's Basilicom...
"Welcome back, everyone." Histoire greeted the party. "It seems that you have made many friends, Nepgear." The levitating tome noticed the abundance of party members.
"Hello, Histoire." Nepgear gave a simple greeting.
"And I see that you've managed to obtain the power of the Mascots as well." The Oracle of Planeptune stated.
She also noted that Nebula and Nepgear were not the only ones who possessed Share Energy.
The silver-haired man also possessed a large store of the divine medium, despite his abrasive appearance.
Someone like him wielding share energy was an enigma to the tome.
On the other hand, the blond man seemed much more comparable to the light triad that those with share energy embodied.
Where his share energy traced back to was also fascinating, since it seemed to originate in Leanbox.
'He couldn't be... Could he?' The oracle's eyes narrowed.
Both garnered the interest of the Oracle of Planeptune.
"Uh-huh. It was difficult, but we prevailed." The well-mannered goddess responded.
"So this is the Planeptune Basilicom? I get a valiant vibe from this place." Nisa observed with mirth.
"This could be a great venue, too." 5pb. mused.
"Do they have Doc P...?" MAGES. eyed the mini-fridge that was nearby.
"This place is very futuristic. It's magnificent!" Kallen gaped; yet another amazing sight.
"You'll sound like bumpkins if you keep gawking." Gust reeled in the Makers.
"So since all the Mascots' energy has been collected, are you gonna condense it into an energetic chrysalis, before solidifying it into a Sharicite?" Inquired the blue adventurer.
"Wait, what?" Domio looked at his foster father. "You know how to do that?" The Loweean questioned.
Wordlessly taking out his Sharicite that housed Uranus, the party gazed at it.
"Oh yeah. Wasn't that the original Sharicite we used to free Nepgear?" IF recalled.
"Mhm. I imbued it with my share energy and kept it from becoming dormant. While I do possess some knowledge on its inner workings, the Oracles are still the authority figures on more complex mechanics and creation-based ventures of Sharicite production." A surprisingly intelligent explanation from Nebula made the others somewhat impressed.
"Ok, smart guy. Where's my Sharicite?" Gris inquired.
"While this may only be a theory, your CPU Memory most likely acts as your Sharicite, since you don't have an external storage area for it. Contextualize it akin to the hard disk of a computer, and these crystals acting as USBs that can channel, contain, and release data being shares." Yet another clarification.
"How do you even know all this?" AL raised a brow.
"I spent six months here. You think I just lazed about and ate all the pudding that was in the fridge for some reason?" A bemused look spread on the GPU's face, whilst MAGES. sulked in disappointment.
"You sound like it, Neb-Neb." Compa unintentionally filleted.
"Ow," AL spoke what the blue adventurer most likely felt.
"Well, I didn't. Instead, I asked Histoire about the inner workings of share energy and the formation of shares, Sharicites, and other information about the nature of how CPUs and GPUs function."
"GPUs?" 5pb. became confused.
"What Nebula and Gris are," Vergo told the idol.
"So they're like gods in the sense that the goddesses are?" The singer questioned further.
"In a sense." The blonde did a so-so gesture, before focusing on the blue deity's explanation.
"She even taught me how to process the documents of CPUs so that IF and Compa would get more time to gather shares while I cleared out some of Neptune's backed-up queue."
"Wait, you did?" It was Nepgear's turn to become surprised.
"Indeed. Once Nebula gets serious about something, it's astonishing how much information he can truly absorb." Histoire complimented.
"Well, I do try." Nebula waved with a small grin.
"If only Neptune could take some traits from him as well." The tome sighed.
"Then how come you two even exist?" MAGES. grew curious, asking the question. "Aren't CPUs female for the most part? At least in all the dimensions I went to, that seemed to be the case." She contextualized.
"That's gonna be a whole different discussion, one that even I'm not so sure of myself." The blue GPU admitted.
"Oh. I see." The Mad Magician took in the unsure response.
"What I thought at first, was that it randomly appears in places since I found a stone in Virtua Forest. When I touched it, it transformed me into a GPU from a regular human being." Nebula gave his experience of transforming.
"But when I got my stone, it was revealed to be vastly different than what Nebula originally hypothesized," Gris interjected.
"Wait, you're a GPU as well? How did that come to pass?" Even Histoire was now intrigued.
"According to Vhesotra, the CPU Memories Nebula and I obtained were from an alternate dimension by the name of Ultradimension. They don't naturally spawn, or even exist in our dimension, coined as Hyperdimension." Gris elaborated.
"Hyper... and Ultra...?" 5pb. was visibly wrapping her mind around the possibility of an alternate dimension.
"Who's this Vhestora lady? Nepgear cupped her chin.
"You don't want to know." Nebula, Gris, AL & Domio unanimously stated.
"Huh?" The CPU Candidate tilted her head in confusion and concern.
"Trust them, Gear. You don't want anything to do with those people who told them about the CPU Memories." IF put her hand on the goddess' shoulder with a serious look.
"They're the most vile and heinous villains!" Nisa fervently agreed.
"They give people ouchies for fun! And they ramp up hospital bills!" Compa listed their grave crimes.
"W-What...?" Historie expected more abhorrent crimes, not that hospital bills were anything to sneeze at.
"I of all people should know of their atrocities." Vergo scowled, a deep disdain that borderline to absolute hatred filled his eyes with the party looking in his direction.
"V-Vergo?" Nepgear called out.
"The things they've done to my home... The people they've hurt with stone hearts..." The time-traveling CPU Candidate's voice croaked, grief seeping into his mind.
His breath hitched and his eyes constricted.
Fists shaking and teeth clenched, his hair moved with the waves of rancor washing over him.
The screams and cries of those that they took away haunted him ever since the time traveler started to approach his goal.
"I hate them. I hate them with all my heart."
ゴゴゴゴ!
One could assume that Vergo's voice radiated loathing, yet the hint of despair in his tonality made it clear that his emotions were far deeper than a grudge.
"Please calm down, Vergo!" Histoire floated to the blonde deity's position.
Although the boy possessed immense share energy, she never knew that such intense malice could be sensed by a user.
"If I could go back and slaughter them all, by Celestia I would. Without a bloody doubt, I'd do it over and over until they finally fathomed a fraction of the pain that they've caused. It's the least I can do for letting them-" Vergo shouted, his voice breaking as did his heart.
He was cut off from continuing his spiel, for a split second.
The individuals in the room were their future variants; the ones he couldn't save.
His eyes welled, any further words dying in his throat. This was his moment to tell them his pain, but the wound was still fresh, no matter how he ignored the pain.
Before sinking further into his negative emotions, he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"?!"
"Oi. Stop it." Nebula gave him a stern look. "I already told you to stop blaming yourself for something you couldn't control. That's not gonna help anyone, least of all yourself." His gaze softened.
SHINE...!
Channeling his share energy, the blue adventurer utilized the divine medium to soothe the woes of his time-traveling comrade with a gentle blue glow.
"Spend some time gathering your bearings. I need you at your best, Vergo."
Wiping the tears, the blonde nodded with everyone else's eyes on him.
"U-Understood, Neb." His once vulnerable features hardened, with the idea of his mission reclaiming priority.
Histoire eyed the blonde fellow with careful consideration. What she once thought Gris to be a character to be wary of, was replaced by Vergo's seeming problem that she didn't have a clue about.
Just who was he?
Nepgear shared this thought, despite not saying it aloud. Yet her intentions were much more innocent to understand Vergo came to mind.
"Ahem." Nebula cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the room. "Now that we've hit all relevant topics from at least one angle, let's get back on track." Still more serious than his usual self, the GPU gazed toward Histoire.
"Right. I shall now condense the energies." Planeptune's Oracle announced. "With this new and improved Sharicite, we will finally be able to rescue the CPUs."
"Really?! Awesome!" Domio celebrated.
"About time those ladies got back in the action." Gris snorted.
"Aw yeah." AL fist pumped.
"It's finally gonna happen!" Compa cheered.
"We get to rescue the real CPUs!? I can't wait!" Nisa was filled with excitement.
"My songs…the CPUs will hear them!" 5pb. yearned.
"It will be a pleasure to finally see them free." MAGES. smiled.
"One small step away from world peace." Gust gave the peace sign.
"We won't screw up this time. I promise!" IF told the oracle.
"As the others vocally expressed their jubilation, Nebula noticed that Nepgear remained silent.
"..."
The blue GPU was about to use his telepathy to pry into her unspoken woes when she spoke up.
"Wait," The lilac CPU Candidate interrupted.
"What's the matter, Ge-Ge?" Compa turned to her friend.
"We're burning with passionate flames! Don't you dare be the wet blanket of empirical evidence!" Nisa chided with the fires of justice burning in her eyes.
"What I mean is, shouldn't we ask the other CPU Candidates to come with us? I bet Uni, Rom, and Ram want to help save their sisters just as much as I do." Nepgear clarified her stance.
"While that was the initial draft of my plan, their representatives denied us time and time again." Histoire revealed.
"It was almost like they had some hidden reason to deny us, despite helping them." IF theorized.
Nebula remained silent at that.
He already had a conversation with Uni concerning accepting help from others and shook the abrasiveness out of the twins. So something external to plain old disagreeable perspectives must be the cause.
RING!
RING!
RING!
Just as the conversation continued, IF received a call.
"Oops, sorry. Hello, it's me. Well, well, if it isn't my favorite little Guild secretary. What's up?" The Guild Agent answered the phone, beginning a conversation.
"Huh? Wait, does that mean… Yeah. Uh-huh. I understand. You be careful, as well." She hung up, with several interested gazes in her direction.
"What was the purpose of that call?" Gris narrowed his eyes.
"ASIC activity's ramped up in Lowee. Just in the last couple of days, they estimate 90 percent of all shares were taken." IF revealed
"WHAT?!" Everyone shouted, shocked at that number.
"Did you say 90 percent? Such a tremendous amount." Histoire was visibly taken aback.
"Nobody knows for sure, but it was a sudden incident." IF gave context.
"Are Rom and Ram alright?" Nepgear feared for the twins' safety.
"I'm not sure." The brunette Guild Agent responded.
"While I have little proof for this claim, a loss of 90 percent may manifest serious physical harm to a CPU," Histoire mentioned, making all the share-based individuals in the room pale.
"R-Right." Nebula stuttered.
"Tch..." Groweld Gris.
"Shit." Vergo cursed under his breath.
"No way..." Nepgear's face fell.
"This concerns me. If such a substantial shift can occur in another nation, it may affect our own operation." The Oracle of Planeptune warned.
"And on that note, it will take about three days to prepare the Sharicite. In the meantime, please investigate what transpired in Lowee." Histoire gave the party its objective.
"Right." Nepgear nodded. "We'd investigate, even if you didn't ask us to." She continued.
"Besides, I'm worried about the twins..." The goddess murmured.
"Let's get going, then. We don't have any time to waste!" IF rallied the group, before they headed out to Lowee via dropship.
Streets of Lowee...
"I-It got rather c-cold." Kallen shivered, whilst used to her homeland's temperatures, Lowee's climate somehow shocked her system. She donned a scarf for a semblance of warmth.
"Tell me about it." Vergo, wearing an army green puffer jacket shared her lack of warmth. Although he felt the temperature drop, his CPU physiology did much to prevent from from becoming a shivering mess.
"Happens to foreigners a lot." Domio sympathized. "You'll get used to it, eventually." He assured the nun and CPU Candidate.
"I-If you say so." Nodded the sister.
"Freezing my arse off was not what I wanted for my first trip to Lowee..." Muttered the blonde.
As the party walked across the streets, they gained some looks and whispers from the citizens who saw them pass by.
"Isn't that...?" One started.
"I saw that guy transform!..." Another continued.
"Didn't that one beat up a kingpin?" And so on.
"Yeah...!" And so forth.
"What are they talking about?" 5pb. popped the question amongst the murmurs.
"Oh, I beat up Domio's uncle for being a piece of shit a couple of days ago. Now I have clout." AL explained.
"Who was also a gang leader, with connections that influence half the nation through criminal activity despite the presence of the CPU Candidates." Nebula reminded.
"What?!" IF twisted to him in shock.
"Yep. But since we defeated the kingpin, they've recently become inactive since he's in a frigid prison cell." Gris revealed.
"Justice makes its way wherever we go it seems." Nisa was particularly happy at that scrap of information.
"I wish you guys didn't blow up my house in retrospect," Domio spoke up. "It's got no good memories but if I didn't leave here, I'd probably be homeless." A logical perspective from the boy made the blonde CPU Candidate think.
"Well, at least you have a new family," Gust told the child.
The Loweean nodded at that.
"And how about the one that said that he saw one of you transform?" Compa looked at the GPUs.
"I was hoping they forgot about that..." Sweat dropped the blue GPU.
"Did you transform in front of them?" Nepgear questioned.
"Yes. It's not as if we could've done something else. For example, walking." Gris deadpanned at Nebula.
"Hey, I don't see what the big deal is. It's not like we run nations, so keeping our identities secret is optional rather than mandatory." Shrugged the deity.
"I..." The edge lord tried to rebut, yet the logic was somewhat sound.
"But you should at least try to. And don't you have a bounty on your head-" Gris was interrupted.
"Oh, we're here, everyone," Nepgear told the party, as they stood in front of the doors to the Basilicom, with a scowl on the assassin's face for the plot shutting him up.
"Oooh. It's giving me a fantastical air." Kallen took in the appearance.
"You should see inside." Nebula hinted.
With the party entering the large building, they were met with Mina and Ram discussing something.
"Oh... You have returned…" The Oracle of Lowee greeted them, although she looked visibly drained.
"You don't sound or look too happy to see us. Or look healthy in general." AL noticed.
"I haven't been sleeping for a few days." Her skin was pale and her eyes had bags underneath them.
"What brings you back to Lowee?" She grew both curious and slightly defensive with her tone.
"Sources state that your nation has had their shares dip a staggering amount. I'm assuming you know anything about this?" Nebula stepped forward and explained.
"No, we don't, dummy." Ram barged her way into the conversation. She didn't look to good herself.
"Hello, Ram," Domio spoke, with the CPU Candidate turning to her. "Where's Rom?" He inquired.
"She's sleeping in her room. Don't you dare go try to see her!" She pointed her finger at the preteen.
"But I didn't even-" Domio jerked at the outburst, instinctively putting his hands up in defense.
"Now, now, Ram. Let's be calm and collected about how we treat our guests." Mina corrected the CPU Candidate. The pink goddess sighed before keeping a dull glare in the Loweean boy's direction.
"I got my eye on you." She gave the warlock a dirty look.
Domio simply looked to his memetic foster father, who shrugged.
"We suspect ASIC has something to do with this shard drop in out shares, yet to find out the direct causation is a mystery." The Oracle of Lowee explained.
"I can think of a few individuals that may be behind this," Gris spoke.
"Like who? Linda and Linette were already dealt with at Falcom's island, so there's no way they could be on the prowl so early." Vergo opposed the obvious plot development.
"True, but how long has it been since we've seen Mister Mouse?" Compa contributed to the discussion, with eyes falling on her.
"That's... Actually a pretty good point." IF wanted to verify whether that claim could be valid, yet it seemed to make sense from a chronological perspective. It had been a while since they saw the furry.
"Since he's furry, he'd be perfect for cold climates." Nisa pointed out.
"Well, he was furry. Now he IS a furry." AL snorted.
"A furry?" Kallen arched her brow and craned her neck.
"... You are too pure for this world, sister." Domio patted the nun on her shoulder.
"H-Hey! You're a child! You're purer than me by default." The nun gawked.
"In a perfect world, maybe." Murmered the brunette warlock.
"Now that we know who could've done it, we just have to track him down." Nepgear optimistically cupped her fist.
"Well, that's under the notion that Warechu can't just steal the shares again the moment we return them," Vergo added.
"Oh... That's right." Nepgear sweatdropped.
"Just make them as we collect shares, then," Gust recommended.
"That's right! You can make tiny shares, Mina?" The goddess of Planeptune looked to the Oracle.
"Can you, Mina?" Ram also gazed at the scholarly Oracle.
"S-Sure, I'll see what I can manage." The blue-haired woman readjusted her glasses.
Nebula suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia watching her do that, reminding himself of his sister.
"Well, now that it's settled... Let's catch that rat!" IF declared.
"AYE!"
"Hold on just a minute!" The Oracle of Lowee interrupted. "As much as we would appreciate the help, I cannot just let you help our nation." She elaborated.
"What? Why!?" Nebula was flabbergasted.
"Because being indebted to another nation would interfere with our political standing! Our independence would be at stake." She further clarified.
"So you don't want Rom to be healthy because of... Public perception?" Vergo's eye twitched.
"Lowee can't afford to show weakness, especially in these times!" Mina told the party.
"So crippling their main leaders is a better option." Gris scrutinized Oracle's alternative with a thoughtless glare.
"You know that's not what I meant!" The twin's caregiver stuttered.
The situation was not heading in the right direction, as Mina's pride in her nation prevented her from seeing the danger it was currently in.
Yet Domio wouldn't let his nation's Oracle doom the population.
"Lady Mina, with all due respect, does it matter? I'm from here and I don't see Lowee as any lesser. if we accept help. I might not be brilliant when it comes to our political prerogatives but thinking about political consequences is a luxury for nations that still exist." He surprised the woman with an articulate reasoning.
"A nation that might not exist any longer if the twins don't get back on their feet." AL pushed the point home.
"But not without some sort of compensation. If word were to..." She stopped herself.
"Look, Mina." Nebula raised his voice, stretching.
Walking to Ram, the pink CPU Candidate nervously backed away.
"H-Hey! What are you gonna do to me?!" She felt uncertainty grasp her heart as the uncharacteristically neutral facial expression of Nebula was unnerving.
"Uh... Neb?" IF looked with caution.
VOOM!
Sticking out his hand, the pull of gravitational forces dragged the pink twin forward with a yelp.
ドドドド!
Grabbing the child by her head, the group braced for something horrific or traumatic to occur.
"This is the end." He spat.
"NO, WAIT!" The blonde time traveler shouted. Ram desperately shook her head, attempting to wrestle her freedom to no avail.
GLOW...!
Yet instead of exploding violently or something, Ram attained a pink aura around her.
Her previous fatigue, indicated by the bags around her eyes faded away with her skin regaining its color.
"Huh?" Ram felt energy bubbling inside of her with her eyes shining with life.
"What did you do?" Gris gave the meme lord a suspicious look.
"Share Synchronization." Nebula dubbed. "I gave Ram some of my shares, enough for her to be able to move around in optimal condition." He sniggered.
"WHAT?!" Mina guffawed, as the CPU Candidate ran around the room with a full burst, seemingly as if her shares had never been taken away.
"That was the end of her fatigue. It's an ability that GPUs possess." Nebula began.
"Since CPU's garner faith from their nations, they need shares externally to maintain a baseline for functionality. GPUs muster shares internally with the only limit being how many shares we can expend at once, most likely comparable to our physical limitations." The blue-haired adventurer briefly explained.
"S-So you could've just done that this whole time?!" 5pb. was in shock.
"Well, you never asked." The deity responded.
"Now that I'm back in business, go heal Rom!" Ram pointed her finger at Nebula, outright demanding him to.
"Slow down there, tiger. I only did it for you because you were still somewhat okay compared to your sister." He put a hand in front of the twin, to which she pouted.
"Why wouldn't that work on Rom?" MAGES. was confused.
"Because she'd lose the power faster. Imagine two ships with leaks that have sunk. One has only a couple of leaks, whilst the other's hull is majorly compromised." The meme lord began.
"What I did was pull out the one with fewer leaks being Ram, who can stay afloat as long as she gets the leaks fixed." He shared a thought bubble with the party.
"Rom is the compromised ship, and pulling her out would make her feel better for a while, but she'd soon fall back into the waters, or in our case decline in health and won't be able to maintain being afloat unless she's completely repaired or in normal terms, we stop who's doing this to them." The bubble popped with everyone looking at him.
"Now that we know what you did, all we need to do is clobber that stupid pest!" Ram declared. "Since you helped me get back on my feet, I'll help you save my sister!" Ram gained a confident smirk.
"Ram, you're not old enough to make important decisions like that by yourself..." Mina raised a finger, but a deadpan from Gris and Vergo made her lower it in shame.
"Just let us help you." The blonde gave the Oracle a soft gaze. Utilizing his pretty boy looks, he gazed into her orbs with a longing stare.
"A-Alright... Just stop looking at me like that, you make my heart feel odd." Stuttered the woman, turning away with reddened cheeks. A charming grin smeared itself on his face before moving on.
"Consider that a fair trade, Mina. Let's go, everyone!" Nepgear smiled at the Oracle, before the party left.
"I won't be gone long, Mina. Just watch Rom!" She told her caregiver who nodded.
"Just don't be out too long!..." Shouted the blue-haired woman.
Unbeknownst to everyone, there was a shadowy figure, disguised in garbage bags filled with eaten polka-dotted mushrooms peering through the window where Rom peacefully rested.
"Oh, my precious cutie! I'll lick you real good!~" The voice salivated at the sight it saw.
The party soon split up to cover more ground in search of the elusive rodent.
Elusive is a kind word, I'll admit. But I'll give Warechu props in the rare circumstances he deserves it.
"You can say that again, narrator." Neubla mouthed off to nothing in particular. "Hey, don't make me sound crazy!" He shook his fist into the air.
"Doing a great job by yourself there, Neb." Teased the Guild Agent with a smug look.
"IF, just because your tone is as flat as your chest does not make the joke any funnier." A verbal counter was uttered by the alter ego.
Although Nebula didn't want to say those cruel words, Aluben had other plans.
"Say that to my face, you blue jerk!" The brunette twisted and faced him with indignation at her womanhood being challenged.
"I would, but we don't see eye to eye, more eye to clavicle." Adjusting his collar, the meme lord chuckled darkly before shaking his head vigorously in shock.
"You'll see foot to face if you don't shut up." Grumbled the brunette, hugging her chest while huffing.
"Nebula, that was uncalled for." A disappointed look graced Nepgear's face.
'What!? I didn't say that!...' Internally gasping, another voice was heard.
'I just capitalized on a character flaw.' The alter ego reaffirmed his stance. Mentally growling, the GPU facepalmed.
"It's low-hanging fruit to target someone's insecurities," Compa added.
"Doesn't Underlinda call you a ditz?" Nebula rose a brow.
"Underlinda?" IF quirked her brow.
"Combined both her name and her job into one composite epithet." Nebula felt proud of his naming skills.
"Hmm... It's decent, but she's a villain. She hits everyone's weak spots. Kind of in the description." Nepgear reminded the deity.
"True. Speaking of ASIC affiliates, we've been searching in the north for a while, and no sight of Warechu." IF brought the conversation back on track.
"I haven't seen much activity going on with ASIC in this area, more so just average people commuting," Nebula observed the area, with his sight proving his observation correct.
People bustled about, seemingly normal in the northern sector of the nation.
"Even if we don't see anything out of the ordinary, it's the perfect backdrop for real shady business. Let's keep investigating." IF instructed.
"On it." Nebula mock saluted.
"Yessy." Compa nodded.
"You got it, IF." Nebula gave an obedient nod.
...Elsewhere...
"See anything out of the ordinary, love?" The blonde CPU Candidate inquired, using his abilities to survey the area through the air sensitivity of Western Lowee.
If someone were to move hurriedly, he'd be able to pick up on them with his energy sensing and beeline towards them.
"Nope. I'm not even sure I'm quite equipped for the job, considering I have no idea what an 'ASIC' member even looks like." Kallen replied in earnest.
"Hold on..." Vergo dug in his pockets, fishing out his phone.
He scrolled through his gallery before showing the nun a picture.
It revealed a knocked-out Underling, in the official ASIC uniform.
"Anyone who wears those clothes is an ASIC member, and hereby a target." Vergo put away his phone.
"Shoot them with your guns, and you'll be fine." Gust assured.
"If you say so." Kallen obliged. "Why is ASIC such a terrible group, if you don't mind me asking?" The nun was curious.
"They want to destroy the world. Inadvertently so, but omnicide is still unforgivable." Vergo summarized.
"W-What?!" Kallen paled at the notion.
"Revive some deity, and cause the end of everything. The threat is harrowing, but personally, the concept is overdone a bit." Gust critiqued.
"How can you discuss something of that magnitude so casually!?" Kallen was truly concerned at the world-endangering threat.
"Because I know we'll stop them." Vergo smiled. He had the assurance of the future to thank for that.
Well, at least up until he had to...
Trying to not think about the past (future?), he noticed someone moving extremely quickly.
It was a petty thief, with a purse in hand.
"Thief!" An old lady cried, from quite a distance away.
"Not exactly our target, but I'm not about to let that bellend get away!" Vergo set his sights on the perpetrator, dashing in that direction.
"Wait for us, Vergo!" Kallen ran after the bloke, her combat heels clicking behind her.
"This should be something." Gust jogged after the two.
...Meanwhile...
"Letting Warechu live is ingenious. I get a free organ farm out of him." Gris conveyed his point with the smaller party doing surveillance over Eastern Lowee.
"You let him get away, and don't even know where he is- HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FARM HIS VITAL ORGANS!" AL argued against his point.
"You say that like he's hard to find. Unless he stays in his sewage abode, it's not that difficult to find a mutated rodent." The assassin justified.
"Can you two stop talking about gross things, please?" 5pb. felt somewhat queasy about their topic of discussion.
"For the sake of a talented artist, we will drop this topic." The GPU spoke.
"You don't even know the price range of a rat kidney anyway!"
"AL." MAGES. gave the martial artist a dull look.
"Whoops." The pyrokinetic fighter responded.
"Such a handsome face hides such a dark past." 5pb. mouthed under her breath.
"I'll take that compliment." Rubbing his finger under his nose.
"Why go down such a dark path, though?" The idol asked him.
"If only you knew." The manslayer shook his head.
"That's why she asked, you obnoxious edge lord." Deadpanned the fiery warrior.
"Shut up, matchstick." Gris growled. "It started when I was born, pain and suffering was all I knew..." He started with a very rough voice, letting his bangs cover his eyes with a stereotypical opening.
"Are you trying to be a caricature?" MAGES. gave a snide look.
"Maybe. Maybe not." An answer lacking substance was given.
"You just don't want to tell her how monotonous it is, don't you?" AL gained an equally snide composure.
"Mystique is one of my more charming qualities," Gris smirked.
"Ooh. Mysterious, aren't we? Such a vibe to possess, Gris!" 5pb. started to imagine all of the gritty, twisted, and dark things she could romanticize about his past with the cringy one-liner he gave.
"I prefer Wottpad cringe, to be honest." AL corrected.
"You'd know a thing or two about being a cringe lord, wouldn't you?" The hitman poked.
"Why don't you say that again, you-"
"Save the energy for Warechu. That is if we find him." The Mad Magician only saw a sea of people, rather than a discernable mutant.
...In the South...
"Talk about deserted..." Domio noted, with only a few people wandering around in the streets of the south.
"I thought there'd be more people around here." Nisa looked around, with the public traffic being negligible at best.
Grafitti and vodka bottles were spread about the location. It seemed as if some other group had made their mark without ASIC's involvement.
"Mina said that there was a group that controlled more than half of Lowee."
"What were that called?" Nisa inquired.
"Elende Wölfe." Ram pronounced with a thick, fluent accent.
"Huh?" Nisa was taken aback by the words mentioned.
"Wretched Wolves." Domio gripped his fist. "Those bastards..." Seethed the preteen.
"You know them?" Ram looked at the warlock.
"Know them? Their leader is my uncle!" The Loweean told the Candidate.
"WHAT?!" Ram guffawed.
"He's in prison now though. AL ripped him a new one, thankfully." The boy sighed.
"But you're his nephew!" Ram became upset. "How do we know you're not working for him!" She pointed her staff at him.
"Working for him, huh..." The boy chuckled. "Tell me, Ram. If we were working together, would we be here right now?" He gave the girl a sharp glare.
"You could be a spy!" She accused.
"I had to sleep in the fucking attic because he couldn't be bothered to buy me an actual room!" Domio shouted, his stuttering vanishing.
"He beat the living daylights out of me for HALF A FUCKING DECADE! I've broken more bones because of that piece of scheiß than professional wrestlers in their entire career!"
"He set up my dad and violated my mother! He cooked my dog in a FUCKING furnace because he thought it was a joke for me to have anything besides suffering in this life!"
"Ordered his cronies to kick the shit out of my underfed, rank, busted-up, soul-crushed ass every week for a stress relief exercise! Sent hookers to fondle me as an alternative to paying them because 'shotas were in high demand'."
"So tell me, Rom. You tell me. Why in Lady White Heart's name would I even entertain the idea of joining that good-for-nothing, pathetic excuse for a human being?! I'd rather call my goddess a pimple nipple cardboard cutout and face public execution than join that scum for a second!" Shaking with fury, the boy did not see a spooked Rom in front of him.
Rather, he envisioned a snickering image of his uncle.
Laughing at his torment.
A hand gripped him by the shoulder amid his ire.
"Young one, do not let those emotions fester in your heart." Nisa's voice broke him out of his own head. "Those feelings do no good for anyone." He turned to her direction, looking at her serious gaze.
"I... I-I'm sorry." Domio's stuttering returned, ashamed of his outburst.
"I will not fault you for how you feel, but Ram is not the person to direct those feelings to," Nisa told him, with the warlock turning his head to the CPU Candidate.
"I-I didn't k-know you went through that..." Ram, who was previously suspicious became shaky in voice and crestfallen in demeanor. "I was being a jerkface and I didn't even know it..." She looked down at her feet.
Domio registered what he had done seeing the defeated face of the CPU Candidate. He'd manage to make one of his country's leaders feel miserable in the split second he revealed some of his past.
Knowing they couldn't continue with the girl in that state, he spoke.
"...I won't hold it against you." Nisa and Ram looked at the preteen who managed to catch himself.
"It wasn't right of me to force all of that information on you all at once. You didn't know any better, and that's okay. We should focus on catching that rat and put what I did behind us." Reignited with the will to focus on the real mission, Ram nodded slowly.
"I think I see something going on in that alley over there," Nisa told the two children. The characters seemed sketchy within the confines of their hiding place.
With the trio looking over to the dark area, they could observe a group of people having a conversation. Yet it was too quiet to hear them.
"We need to get closer." Ram looked around for a means to that end.
The group looked around until the warlock noticed something convenient.
"Try that Warp Pipe over there." Domio pointed to a large green plumbing pipe. "There's also one on the roof of the building that makes up the alley. Perfect for sleuthing." Domio pointed out.
"Nice! Let's get to it, do-gooders!" Nisa chanted before they hopped into the green pipe.
BLORP-BLORP-BLORP!
...
BLORP-BLORP-BLORP!
The three silently ejected themselves from the pipe, before peering over the edge to observe the happenings of the alleyway.
"So you got the goods, rat?" One of the suspects inquired.
"I told ya to stop callin' me that, chump." Growled the all too familiar voice. Although he was wearing a wooly cloak, the vocal inflections were unmistakable.
"Warechu!..." Nisa gasped.
"So we found him? Let's beat him up!" Ram loudly whispered.
"Shhh! He's gonna hear us! And we need to see what he's doing." Domio shushed the child.
"Why though? Who cares." Shrugged the CPU Candidate.
"The more information we gather, the more we can find out about HOW he took your shares. And also, what if-" The warlock was cut off.
"Like we care. Watch your tone when you're talking to us, rodent. The last thing you wanna do is piss off the Wretched Wolves." The central figure on the opposing end warned.
The Loweean's fist clenched upon the name drop.
"You want the chips or not? They're sellin' fast, and if your gang can act as redistributors, Lowee will tear at the seems in no time." Warechu proposed.
"And we'll be able to free the boss within the chaos!" One of the lackeys in the back cheered.
"And someone high up can add him to our list of shareholders. The budgeting for your group would go through the roof." Warechu made tantalizing offers. "So how about it?" He offered the illegal chips.
"It's a sound deal, sir." Another lackey added his two cents.
"Hmm... Free the boss and take over Lowee with financial benefits... You got a deal, rat." The middlemost gang member stuck out his hand.
"What?!" Ram blanched. "Those dummies aren't gonna get away with this!" She seethed.
"We have to move now!" Nisa told the youths, preparing to act.
WOOSH!
Snow flew into the air with the two girls flinching.
"Eek!"
"Huh?!"
Domio sprung into the air, casting a shadow over the negotiating parties, who looked up at the object.
"Up there! Is it a bird? Is it a plane?" One cronie shouted, confused.
"IT'S A CHILD!"
CRASH!
The responding Wretched Wolves member felt his skull fracture with an axe handle with the momentum of the warlock's plummet.
His head buried itself in the ground, as his body rigidly stuck out.
Landing on the ground, Domio rose to face the other two members.
"It's the brat!" The middle goon realized. "I'll kill you!" She took out her rifle.
Pulling the trigger, several rounds rattled through the alley in the warlock's direction.
Domio's hand flickered, grabbing every bullet before crushing the shells.
FREEZE!
Throwing a frozen clump of casings, the icy projectile bashed into the face of the lackey, knocking her out.
"Got you now!" The last henchman prepared to bear hug the child from behind, seemingly flanking the magic user.
CHILL!...
His Cold Sense alerted him of the imminent threat and sunk his elbow into the stomach of the gangster.
Without even looking behind, he pivoted his arm to backfist the man before he used his magic and shot a Cold Bolt.
FREEZE!...
His body slid out into the open before falling into a warp pipe.
The hooded mutant remained expressionless, simply gazing at the child with his heterochromatic eyes.
"Warechu." Domio growled.
"Tsk. Just the brat I wanted to die, chu." The mutant bared his teeth. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of something here, chump?"
"No shit. That's why we're gonna stop you." Pointing up, the warlock narrowed his eyes.
"That's right!" Nisa dropped from the high ground.
"Yuh-huh!" Ram slid down the wall before landing safely.
"And you brought some stupid broads to help your sorry ass, chu." Snickered the mutated rodent. "You're just full of disappointments, aren't 'cha." An amused tone escaped the mouse's mouth.
"We'll see who's sorry when I kick your ass!" His eyes flashing into blue before returning to brown, he roared.
"Bring it, chu!" Throwing off his cloak, Warechu revealed himself.
BZZT!...
His arsenal had changed, with the design of his bioelectric blade zapping to life in a more menacing format. It took the form of a broadsword that was identical to its width in knife form.
"Malevolent Mascot"
Warechu (Mutant)
OPEN THE GAME!
BAM!
Grabbing the blade with two hands, he rushed ahead with a burst of speed.
Freezing his arm, Domio quickly constructed the gauntlet to his ice armor.
CLASH!...
Swinging his hand in a lateral knife-chopping motion, the appendage intercepted the blade with sparks flying from the impact.
Using his other arm, Domio attempted to blast the mutant from a perceived blindspot; his abdomen.
FWOOSH!
"Waugh!"
Yet Warechu sprouted his wings and flapped them with incredible force, sending the warlock flying from an incredible gust of pressure.
Nisa rushed after the pre-teen, whilst Ram went up next to challenge the ASIC experiment.
CLANG!
Swinging her staff, she was swiftly parried by the rodent's blade.
BIFF!
"Guk!"
Going for an overhead swipe, the CPU Candidate's predictability cost a hefty donkey kick to her ribs.
BAMF!
Slamming into the ground, the pink goddess quickly rolled out of the radius of a curb stomp. Pulling herself up, she pointed her staff and screamed out.
"Blast!"
The spell summoned a powerful force of wind to Warechu's location. Its speed was nothing to sneeze at either, rapidly encroaching upon the rodent's position.
"HRAH!"
SLICE!
Yet the power behind the enhanced rat cleaved the spell into nothingness.
BZZZZT!
Static zapped to life around the rodent's body, before he flashed ahead in a blitzing light, closing the gap between himself and the CPU Candidate.
"GOT YOU, CHU!"
Bringing her staff up, the child braced for impact before the electrons within the bio-blade made contact with her weapon.
"Grrk!"
Immense pressure pressed down upon the divine girl, and she struggled under the tremendous force of the once puny Warechu.
The CPU Candidate was becoming afraid of what she thought was nothing more than an underwhelming threat.
In that moment of desperate struggle, the reality that Warechu could potentially end her life was bone-chilling.
..!
ZAP!-
Warechu promptly stopped his attempt to sever Ram in two, before moving back in a blitz of static.
Nisa's foot flew past where the mutant previously occupied before she skidded on her hands and feet.
"He's fast...!" The Heroine of Gamindustri muttered under her breath.
Taking out a futuristic pistol, Warechu pointed at the heroine's skull.
PEW!
Replacing a regular bullet, concentrated plasma left the gun at blinding speeds.
Nisa braced for impact before she felt...
Nothing?
A figure was lying on the ground in front of her.
Domio's forearm was bleeding with burn marks on it, having cross-blocked the shot to defend his ally. Lying on his side, he jumped into harm's way to the lady's defense.
Warechu realizing that he didn't make his shit, pointed his muzzle once more.
"Ice Wall!"
FREEZE!
Shots fell like a hailstorm as the warlock's elemental defense was constantly bombarded with electric projectiles with the boy getting to his feet.
Cracks spread about the wall, quickly destabilizing its foundation.
SHATTER!
A gloved fist obliterated the wall, revealing an up-close Warechu with his sword in reverse grip.
WHIRR!
EXTEND!
Twisting on his heel, he flapped one of his wings to increase the torque before mimicking a beyblade with his sword quickly extending.
Hitting the ground, Domio and Nisa witnessed the rat rip into the walls of the alley like butter. Cutting through several buildings with ease, the stones and pebbles from the ground rose from the increasing air pressure alongside his velocity.
Ram held onto her hat as she too stayed low to prevent herself from being decapitated.
Domio attempted to use his magic; outstretching his hand in the process.
BOOM!-
CRUNCH!...
"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Yet the ASIC member immediately halted the warlock's spellcasting with a stomp on his wounded arm.
That definitely broke something.
WOOSH!...-
SWING!
This movement also stopped the spinning, with his blade returning to its normal oversized state. Holding it behind his head, Warechu was preparing for a killing blow.
THUD!
"Justice Kick!"
Pulling herself forward with the ground, Nisa dropkicked the mutant with ferocious force.
Although she managed to make contact with the rat, he used this to his advantage.
STATIC..!
BZZZZZZZT!
"GYAAAAAAAAAAH!" The heroine hollered in agony, her entire body being ravaged by the painful electricity that ran through her person.
FLAP!-
SLAM!
Sending a wing to smack the heroine was the next move, which punted the girl into a wall.
"NISA!" Domio cried out in horror. His gaze shifted to Warechu with fury.
"Du verdammt ungeziefer!" (You damn rodent!)
"Babble whatever you want, chump. I'll still send your sorry ass straight to hell!" Pointing his blade at the preteen, he prepared to strike.
CHILL!
Rolling out of the way with the indication of a bone-chilling sensation, Domio narrowly dodged the extension of Warechu's blade.
The warlock needed to find a way to get an edge over Warechu, whose raw numbers seemed to outstrip theirs.
So he tried something.
"Könnte etwas hilfe gebrauchen, Ram!" (Could use some help here, Ram!)
The CPU Candidate perked up, releasing her hat with the terror momentarily replaced by confusion.
"Huh... Er, Wie?" (Eh?)
Warechu swept the floor using the bio-blade, but Domio pushed off the floor with his hands into multiple somersaults.
"Kalt Boltzen!" (Cold Bolt!)
FREEZE!
The grimoire appeared, with a magic circle appearing before the spell flew from the warlock's hand.
Using his blade to block the spell, he turned to face the warlock.
"Warechu kann uns nicht so verstehen." (Warechu can't understand us if we talk like this.)
Domio gave Ram a wink, to which the realization flashed across her face.
"Also werden wir einfach so reden?" (So we'll just talk like this?) She responded.
"Bis wir ihn geschlagen haben, ja" (Until we beat him, yes.) The warlock nodded. "Er kann unsere pläne nicht so einfach herausfinden." (He can't figure out our plans so easy like this.)
The children conversed in a language unknown to the rat, who squinted at their demeanor.
"What the...?" Warechu's eyes flickered between the two children.
"Ich werde ihn beschäftigen. Betäubige ihn mit eiszauber, während ich ihn runter weißt." (I'll keep him busy. Stun him with ice spells as I whittle him down.)
"Dann was?" (Then what?) Ram inquired.
"Transformiere, dann werden wir ihn beenden." (Transform, then we'll finish him off.) The warlock adjusted his goggles.
"Mach das einfach nicht vermasselt. Ich werde keinen dummy vergeben! (Just don't mess this up. I won't forgive a dummy!) Huffed the girl, giving him a haughty look.
"Wie du möchtest, Lady Ram." (As you wish, Lady Ram.) Domio respectfully bowed, to which the twin rolled her eyes.
"Hör auf, Hör auf, so formal zu handeln, und lass uns schon gehen!" (Stop acting so formal and let's go already!) Ram snapped comically.
Utterly confused, the ASIC member could only assume the gibberish they spoke was some kind of foreign language.
But his confused expression hardened when Domio stepped forward.
"Uooooh...!"
Widening his legs a bit, he drew out his mana. Light blue streaks of SP rose from the ground, and the swirls of magic surrounded him with dust circling his feet.
Ice crept up from his feet, and encased his body in a thin sheet of ice before shattering.
VOOSH!
Shards flew in every direction, with Ram flinching from the projectiles and Warechu holding up a wing to block stray fragments.
Piercing blue eyes burned holes through the mutated rodent's skull with a scowl marring the lad's features.
A silent hither was shown to the rat, who immediately snarled.
"I'll make sure you don't get back up this time, brat!"
ZOOM!
Yelling with fury, Warechu stuck out his blade and extended the tip to Domio's position.
FREEZE!-
Stretching out his hand, it was quickly encased in ice before the electric sword made contact with the gauntlet.
STOMP!
Slamming his foot on the ground, the child sent a path of ice stalagmites racing toward Warechu.
BZZT!...
Noticing what was about to happen, the rat retracted his blade before jumping on the wall, sticking onto it via electromagnetism.
"Blizzaga Burst!"
FREEEEEEEEEEZE!
From one of his magic circles, a beam of ice was fired right at Warechu.
VANISH!
FREEZE!...
Yet he dodged at a moment's notice.
BOOM!
"Agh!" An elbow clipped Domio in the jaw, Warechu reappearing right next to him with a blitzing delivery.
SWING!-
Using his the arm he elbowed Domio with, the ASIC member swung his sword to extend his combo.
POW!
"Artic Bolt...!"
The warlock had other plans, and silently unleashed his spell without a magic circle, sacrificing some power for the element of surprise.
This sent the rat hurdling before he hit the ground, bouncing off of it into a somersault.
"BASTARD!"
SLICE!
Swinging his sword vertically, a large static crescent was ejected from the handle, rushing for Domio's position.
KA-BOOM!
"Kya!" Ram cried out.
Unable to react in time, the boy was hit directly with the alleyway enveloped in snowy dust.
Said Loweean's body tumbled into the open street, skidding to a stop with some visible scratches and burns.
"Huh?" A civilian noticed. More people looked over to where Domio had been tossed with curiosity. A small crowd started to gather
APPEAR!
"Omoshiori Hone!"
BAM!
"UAAGH!" Wincing with pain, Domio felt the electrifying spin kick of the ASIC member with several shrieks from the public fading into the distance before making contact with a wall.
Pulling himself out of the rubble, he felt a shiver run down his spine.
CRASH!
Barely leaping out of the pile of bricks, the entire building was flattened in an instant from above.
"Scheiß!" (Shit!)
Nearly slipping on the ice he landed on, the boy scrambled to his feet before picking up speed, skating down the streets of Lowee.
BOOM!
Just as Warechu busted out of the building, hot on the warlock's heels.
Domio felt the constant chill racing up and down his back, skating across the ice available to him through the streets of southern Lowee.
'I can't let this fight spread too far, or else I'll be putting all the citizens' lives in danger!' The blue eyes of the preteen looked about to see the horrified expressions of the people.
Twisting around, he skated to a halt. A deserted street surrounded him, the last of the innocent civilians retreating.
Taking out his rune, he pointed it ahead, to where his body shivered with warning.
"Icy Fractals!"
From the rune, the magic circle grew to the diameter of the street before an army of ice shards flew forth. Even his frozen hand contributed, breaking down and being used as fuel for the spell.
Warechu's focused gaze broke, seeing a storm of shards approach him. His eyes narrowed once more before jumping into action.
PHASE!-
PHASE!-
PHASE!-
"?!" Domio was caught off guard by the rat's insane speed, leaving the plane of existence with his shocking agility to evade barrages of crystals.
Postponing his method of attack, the warlock clutched the rune.
'Since this rune doubles my power, I only need half the input to achieve the same effect.' The magical item glowed with SP.
"KÄLTEN...!"
The air suddenly dropped in temperature.
Z-Z-ZAP!
ZOOOM!
Warechu's wings sparked with static before his speed increased. His yellow iris glowed with vigor with the gap closing to meters.
"KATASTROPHE!"
A/N:
Hey, readers.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter, we get closer to finally seeing the CPUs again and behold their long-awaited reunion with their siblings.
All that's left is getting the other CPU Candidates to join the party once more and it's off to ther rescue the party goes.
Also gonna respond to a comment while I'm here.
Feldragon - I wouldn't hold my breath, bro. But stay tuned, it's only gonna get more interesting from this point going forward.
Make sure to read and review! All comments/constructive criticism will be appreciated.
Arrivederci!