Hyperdimension Neptunia
Nepgear: A Savior's Tale
Chapter Six: Ultra Adventures
PC Continent
A black and blue portal opened up, and a girl in a white see-through dress walked out into a dimly lit room. As she walked inside, a lone female figure dressed in black and blue, her hair done in two dark blue ponytails, looked upwards and smiled a bit, "Hmhm… Welcome home."
The woman waiting in the room has fair skin and empty, dark blue eyes with a streak of maroon. Her long, dark blue hair is worn in low pigtails held by a small braided segment of hair, and she has several thick locks sticking up, the left slightly pinned back with an orange triangle clip. Her pointed forelocks are shoulder-length. Black fabric covers most of her torso, arms, and legs, leaving less of her skin exposed save for her head. She wears a black tube top and dark blue underwear, covered by and paired with an open black shirt that has dark gray detail and a clasp around the navel to match her dark blue pleat shorts, which are held by black suspender straps. She also wears a large dark blue tie with dark gray and black detail, black sleeves and a shorter dark blue and black striped sleeve to match her single sock, and matching colored gloves and shoes. Her leg-warmers are covered in large, blue and black pins, and on her left wrist is a communication device.
The white haired woman held up a letter in her hand, "Where's the lady of the hour? I got a mail call from Lady Lilac–"
"Mail time, mail time, mail time, mail time, mail tiiiiiime!~" A door opened up as a young woman's voice shouted in a singsong voice.
The white haired woman slumped and looked disinterested at the new face, "I had to say it…"
The young woman pranced around, swinging her arms and shaking her hips, "Here's the mail, it never fails~ It makes me wanna wag my tail~ when it comes, I wanna wail~" She walked up to the other two and waved her hands to the sides of her face, "MAAAAAAAIIIIIIIL!~"
This… excitable young woman… has reddish pink hair tied to a ponytail with a hairclip resembling a wifi symbol and red amber eyes. Her attire boasts a white and blue blazer with buttons representing smartphone apps, a black and blue turtleneck dress with the zipper resembling the power symbol and detachable sleeves, a translucent skirt with hexagon designs on the front to match her blazer, and a white belt. Her legwear consists of black thigh high socks and yellow sneakers with a lightning bolt symbol.
"...I thought we agreed you wouldn't do that anymore." The white haired woman said with her free hand on her hip.
"Oh come on. That was one of the coolest parts of that children's show." The blue pigtailed woman said in an amused tone.
In response to the other woman, the white haired young woman held out the letter, "Urgh… I've got your shit."
"Oooooh, Anri! That's not the line!" The reddish pink haired girl pouted and stomped her foot.
The short haired girl, Anri, sighed and placed a hand on her forehead, "Haaa, fine… but I'm not doing the voice!" She raised her hand with the letter again, "Here's your letter."
"Hehehe! You're the best, Anri!" The happy young woman takes the letter and turns around, stepping to a certain rhythm as she sings, "We just got a letter~ We just got a letter~ We just got a letter~ Wonder who it's from?~" She tears open the top of the envelope and pulls the letter out, hurriedly opening the flaps to read it, "Ahh! It's a letter from Gearsy!"
"Gearsy?" Anri said as she tilted her head. The red/pink haired girl flashes Anri a quick grin, "A special nickname for my BFF, Nepgear!"
"Gearsy… I like it. Makes her sound cool." The blue haired woman commented.
The pink/redhead girl walked around in reading the letter in her hands giddily. She stopped dancing around when it looked like she was finished. This caused the other young women to perk up. The blue haired one spoke up, "What did she say, Maho?"
The girl in the turtleneck dress, Maho, turned to her friends and spoke with a smile, "Gearsy's got a cute maid helping her out, but they seemed to have a fight this morning. Gearsy's frustrated, but she says that the News on the CPU Shift Period is to blame for it, not this maid."
"Did Nepgear say who the maid was?" The blue haired girl asked. Maho shook her head, "Nope. She left her name out."
"Likely to protect her identity from stalkers who want to replace her…" Anri commented.
Maho held her letter to her chest, "Ahhhhh~ I'm so envious~ Gearsy gets to roam her nation freely as its CPU, and here I am stuck with the only two closest friends I've ever had in a lifetime."
"Sounds more like admiration than envy to me." Anri said. The girl in blue and black perked up and turned her head the other way, "...? This sensation in the air…"
"What is it?" Anri asked. The response she got was…
"Nepgear's presence… has vanished from Gamindustri entirely."
"What?!" Maho gasped in horror, "G-Gearsy… Gearsy's gone?! She can't be… Not now!"
"Haaa…" Anri took a moment to steady her breath before asking, "...Has Lady Nepgear been slain?"
"No. There are two ways that a CPU could die permanently: The cursed sword Gehaburn, and the complete destruction of her Sharicite." The blue haired girl explained, "Gehaburn was destroyed in the battle against the Deity of Sin, its remains abandoned when Gamindustri Graveyard was sealed up. Or so the story goes… And I could feel Planeptunian shares if they were to rise or fall drastically. There was no such decline that could threaten Nepgear's existence, so it couldn't have been a loss of faith that did this."
"Meaning… Gearsy was taken somewhere far away?" Maho asked. Anri nodded and spoke up as well, "I'd say so. But where would Lady Nepgear be? Another timeline? A parallel dimension?"
"Who knows where she could be? All I know for the moment…" The blue haired girl spoke ominously, a soft smirk appearing on her face, "...is that unless Gearsy can make her way back, Planeptune's destruction is imminent."
"I can't tell if you're taking pleasure from the present situation or trying to warn us about a form of disaster…" Anri admitted. Maho placed a hand on her hip, "So… are you gonna carry out your revenge plan?"
"It's what I was born to do after I was released. I don't want you girls to think badly of me, but I'm afraid my path of Gamindustrian destruction is more or less set in stone…" The blue haired girl looked at Maho, her tone and expression filled with remorse.
"..." Maho looked down at the floor, "You gave me the push I needed to start writing letters to Gearsy… You brought us together, in spite of this deep seated hatred of the CPUs… You and Anri both befriended me so I wouldn't sulk in sorrow of being nothing more than a reserve for my sister… I wish there was a way for all of us, including Gearsy, to be happy and free. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had to pick between you two…"
"Maho… thank you for your kind words." The blue haired young woman smiled at Maho, "As for the struggle to pick sides, you needn't worry. I have others who share a similar resentment towards the CPUs working under me already."
"A similar resentment…?" Maho asked as her eyes narrowed at the other woman, "...You mean those four girls who blame the other CPUs and Candidates for killing Gearsy's sister?"
"Heh heh. I was wondering if we were gonna see them in action or not." Anri smirked as she folded her arms over her chest, "Which reminds me… I trust that you remember your part of the deal, Uzume?"
The blue haired woman, Uzume, turned to Anri and placed her left hand on her hip, "How could I forget? Gamindustri and its CPUs– most of them anyway, suffer in my hands. And not only will Maho have the freedom she deeply desires, Nepgear will become hers as well."
"See to it that you uphold your end of that bargain." Anri said sternly. Uzume chuckles as she walks off, "Hmhmhm. I'll be off then."
"I'll head out too, in case my parents need help with anything." Anri said as she walked after Uzume. But then she stopped and looked back at Maho, "Maho… Don't let the pathetic excuse of Basilicom staff know what we're planning, or the assholes will make you kiss the CPU goodbye."
"I know, Anri… Their stupid ideas of preserving their vision of an ideal CPU… Don't those jerkfaces realize my sister's coma is their fault?" Maho spat with pure venom in her voice, "They'll all suffer for what they did… My sister's life, and my freedom, taken from us from under our noses…" She sighed and tried to calm down, "Haaaa… You be careful out there too, okay…?"
"Yeah… Take care, Maho." Anri said before she seemingly vanished.
With Anri and Uzume gone, Maho lovingly held the letter close to her chest, "Hehehehe~ It's only a matter of time before Gearsy's all mine~"
Planeptune…?
In a familiar forest, the trees were a lush green, and the sky above was clear as day, not a single cloud in the sky. Except for this purple and white cloud descending down and shaped like a… wait a minute! That's a girl falling!
"H-Huh…? I'm… falling?" The girl, Nepgear, spoke as she opened her eyes and saw a clear blue sky. She looked right and left, and then looked upward to see… the trees? "Waaaah! I'm in the sky?! I'm upside down and I'm falling from the sky! Is this what Neptune goes through all the time in all the official games?!"
"*yaaaaaawn* Celestia above, how is a disgraced Deity of Sin supposed to get some sleep when her shared conscience is making so much noise?"
"O-Oh, Arfoire! Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you like that!" Nepgear said in a baffled tone, "...Hey wait! I never muted you after Purple Heart left! Did you sleep through that whole event with Compa and Rei?!"
"Save your concern for those two until after you tell me what the ruckus was about, kid. And it better be good!"
"Yeesh, okay." Nepgear said with a sigh, "Well, I was inside the Basilicom and confronted Rei, who spouted nonsense about me as I was trying to help her sort out her emotional distress, or whatever she got sick with that made her mad at Compa and me. She ended up pushing me, and I got pulled by a strong force from behind me at the same time she did that, and then I saw her reaching for me. I tried to reach for her in turn before I got sucked into some sort of wormhole. Next thing I know, I went from being launched across a horizontal hallway to a vertical drop from the sky to a forest. And now here I am, with no idea where I'm going!"
"Quite the conundrum, kid. Anyone who doesn't know better would probably think you're a skydiver or something." Arfoire's voice said half-mockingly. But then her tone changes drastically, "Wait. Look down below– er, above you!"
Nepgear tilted her head up at the ground, "Huh?"
"Heeeey, waaaait!" The voice of a young girl, with her long purple hair tied in a braid and wearing a light blue and pink dress, called out as she was running ahead in the forest down below, "You're walking soooo fast…"
"You're just slow." said a taller young woman, her long black hair tied into two pigtails with blue ribbons, and she seemed to be wearing a gray and black crop top. She turned around to see the purple haired girl in blue and placed her hands on her hips, "That's why I said you should stay behind and wait for me."
The shorter girl had her hands on her legs as she looked up and smiled at her friend, "Aww, but I reeeeeally wanted to go with you…"
"Gaaaaah! Way to calm my nerves, Arfoire!" Nepgear said in panic, "How am I supposed to feel better about falling if I know I'm gonna crash into people?!"
"So what? You can transform and fly down safely, can't you? Save whatever breath you have left and use your HDD thing instead of screaming your lungs out."
"Ohh, right! Man, it is stupidly easy to forget these things when you're in such a panic." Nepgear said as she focused her power into transforming into Lilac Heart, "Haaaaaaaah! Activate, Hard Drive Divinity!"
…
"Huh?! A-Activate! Hard Drive Divinity!"
……
"...I said! Activate! Hard! Drive! Divinity!"
………
Nepgear's eyes became white dots upon realizing she can't transform, "..."
Though she couldn't be seen, Arfoire's tone had a tinge of concern upon realizing the same thing Nepgear has, "...Now you can scream."
"CRAAAAAAAAAAAAPBAAAAAASKEEEEEEEEEEEETS!"
"...Huh?" The purple haired girl looked up at the sky as if she heard something from above her.
"Hey, what're you spacing out for? I'm kinda in a hurry." The girl in black pigtails said as she raised an eyebrow.
"I know you are… But…"
"But what?"
"Uhhhhh… Hmmmmm…" The purple haired girl placed her finger on her chin, "How do I describe it…?"
"Jeez, I can't tell which is more of a flake: you or a Slowpoke." The pigtailed girl shook her head before she looked her friend in the eye, "Spit it out, will ya?"
"Of all the Pocketed Monstrosities to be compared to…" The girl sighed before she folded her arms, "So, ummmm… up in the sky… there seems to be a person…"
"...a person. In the sky. Can you even hear yourself speak sometimes?" The taller girl questioned.
"Weeeeell, the person seems… to be falling, I think." The shorter girl spoke slowly, "...Maybe they're a skydiver?"
"I mean, skydiving isn't exactly unheard of, but I don't see a landing crew out here in the middle of nowhere." The black haired young woman stated as she looked around her, "So how and why would a skydiver, or anyone in their right mind for that matter–"
"Oh my god, Noire! Look up before the person crash lands on you!"
The taller girl, Noire, just sighs and does as she's told, glancing upwards with a hand over her face to block the sun, "Urgh, I don't see where you're going with this…" As Noire turned around from her spot, the shorter girl with the purple braid spotted a growing shadow from directly where Noire stood. Just as she was processing what was about to happen, she heard a girl's scream from above.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
"Huh?" Noire looked up at the sky in time to see a purple figure about to crash land on top of her, "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"
Before anyone could react, the purple figure collided with Noire, resulting in a big dust cloud forming, as well as a loud crash being heard from the impact.
"Aaaah!" The purple haired girl used her arm to cover her face from the dust cloud. Once that subsided, she lowered her arm to see the damage, "A crash that loud had to have hurt both of them!" She ran towards the crash landing site, "NOIRE!"
"Nnnnngh, owwwwww… That hurt like you wouldn't believe…" The purple figure sat up and rubbed her head, "Is this what Isekai anime/manga protagonists go through?"
"Oooh… You're still alive." The purple haired girl said as she knelt down next to the taller purple haired girl, "Are you… okay?"
The taller girl, Nepgear, saw that the girl next who came up to her seemed to resemble Neptune in some areas, but for the most part it looks as if she's dressed in pajamas more so than regular clothes. She has long, light purple hair in a braid to the back and a light pink frill ribbon tied to it. Her eyes are magenta in color and she wears a white choker like Nepgear's around her neck. Her dress is teal with a mix of pink, white, and light orange in the design, with thigh high socks and bear slippers matching in those colors.
"...Hm? Oh! Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I've had worse scrapes than this happen to me." Nepgear said as she placed a smile on her face to look at the girl next to her, "A fall like this, even from an airplane crash, won't hurt me."
"Whoooooa…! You can fall from that high and be fine?" The purple girl looked at Nepgear as if she had stars in her eyes, "Are you a seasoned sky-faller…?"
"Not really… I should explain. My name's Nepgear, and I'm the CPU of Planeptune." Nepgear said as she tilted her head and smiled, "Nice to meet you."
"Oooooooh! I had no idea you were a CPU too! And you're Planeptunian, like me!" The shorter girl said in excitement, "...Oh, right. Introductions are good manners when meeting someone new… I'm Plutia. Nice to meet you, Nepgear. And, um… your fall cushion down there is–"
"Wait, fall cushion?!" Nepgear looked confused before she looked down and saw… "Ahhhhh!" Nepgear shouts as she hurriedly gets off of the other girl she had fallen on top of, "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! I didn't see you down there!"
"About damn time you remembered that I was here…" The other girl, Noire, grumbled as she stood up and dusted herself off, "Urgh, my clothes are all dusty and gross now! Thanks for that, by the way!"
"Th-That was from our fall? Sorry…!" Nepgear bowed apologetically at Noire, "I guess I… wasn't looking where I was falling?"
"You don't sound too sure of yourself…" Noire pointed out, "Where the hell did you even fall from, and why did you land here of all places?!"
"Uhhhh… Well…" Nepgear started to say…
"She fell off the side of a plane!" Plutia spoke up and raised her head, "See, she fell off of a plane and skydived all the way down here!"
"Y-Yeah… that's it! The plane I was on had an engine blowout, so I had to hurry off. I must've left my parachute on the plane in my rush, hehehe… silly me." Nepgear said nervously.
"You're being awfully chummy with someone we've only just met…" Noire pointed out to Plutia.
Plutia smiled in response before she looked at Nepgear, "Ohhhh, I almost forgot… This is Noire, my bestest friend in the whole wide world."
"Huh?! Noire?!" Nepgear looked shocked as she stared at Noire, "I thought you looked familiar! Noire, what are you doing all the way out here?" She took a look around the forest area, "Um… wherever here is…?"
"All I'm obligated to tell you, stranger, is that you're in Planeptune. Virtua Forest, if I remember right." Noire stated in an unshaking tone, "The nation as a whole was only chartered a little while ago."
"P-Planeptune…? But I was just in the Basilicom not too long ago…!" Nepgear said in a tone indicating that she was freaking out, "And… What do you mean it was chartered a little while ago?! Planeptune has been around my whole life, and I've been the CPU for three years already!"
"Like hell you are! Planeptune only has one CPU, and she's right over there!" Noire argued and pointed a finger at Plutia. Nepgear's dilated eyes darted over to Plutia, "H-Huh…? You're…!"
"Hehehe. I'm Planeptune's CPU too, Nepgear. I meant to tell you earlier, but you were having so much fun chatting with Noire, and I almost forgot to…" Plutia smiled warmly at Nepgear, "But now that you know, we can be CPU twins!"
"Why are you going along with what she's saying? You're the only CPU here, Plutia!" Noire scolded her friend, "Besides, isn't what she's saying even remotely weird? Planeptune only has one CPU. Why does it need another one?!"
"I-I mean… there are twin CPU Candidates in Lowee…" Nepgear brought up out of nowhere.
"See? Neppy doesn't think it's weird at all…" Plutia said to Noire, "And besides, I could feel a sort of… divine presence in her. I can tell she's telling the truth… Then again, we were too…"
"Did you just call her/me Neppy?" both Noire and Nepgear said at the same time.
"Of course! I like to give nicknames to all of my friends." Plutia said as she tilted her head and smiled, "...even though Nowa doesn't like hers."
"Will you quit calling me that?!" Noire shouted and stomped her foot as her face turned beat red. Plutia gestures her hand at Noire while looking at Nepgear, "...See?"
"Heh heh… In some ways, she really is still the Noire I know, huh?" Nepgear blurted out casually.
"What do you mean I'm the Noire you know?!" Noire said a little defensively as she placed a hand on her hip, "Are you still caught up in that fantasy life of yours?"
Nepgear shakes her head and sighes, "Haaaa… Looks like we all have questions that need answering. Look, why don't we head back to the Basilicom so we can all relax and try to understand each other's perspectives?"
"That sounds fun and all, Neppy, but Noire and I have some important stuff to do out here…" Plutia spoke up.
"Actually, that stuff can wait. Getting this girl somewhere she can rest and recover is much more important." Noire said as she seemingly calmed down, "Let's go home, Plutia."
"Oh. Okey-dokey!" Plutia said with a smile. Nepgear watched Noire and Plutia walk past her before she let out a deep breath, "Haaaa…"
Shortly after, Nepgear followed the two girls back to Planeptune… or at least where she would think Planeptune was.
Unknown Location…
"Hmhmhm… so she's been brought to this world, hasn't she? An interesting development."
"Well damn. That girl must've really let her have it if she was sent here."
"You've done well, my sweet. Just as my power has returned to me, it has taken root inside of her as well. Coursing through her…"
"She's surprisingly resistant to it. Breaking out of the psychotic mindset as soon as she sees someone she loves hurt in any way."
"Someone she loves… The goddess, I presume. She needs to be eliminated before she figures out how to return home."
"How do you propose we do that?"
"Infiltration, for starters. We need to determine where in this world she has landed and try to locate her."
"You think the other idiots will go along with this?"
"The Seven Sages? They do nothing but mock my weak self, day in and day out. But they will soon learn to fear me, as everyone has learned thousands of years ago!"
"I don't wanna open up age old wounds, babe… but how has fear worked out for you back then?"
"You worry too much, sweet little Croire. That history will not be repeated. I'll see to that personally."
Planeptune Basilicom…?
"And this is my room, Neppy!" Plutia says as she opens the door to her room and walks inside, "Make yourself at home!"
"Thank you very much, Plutia." Nepgear said as she walked inside. Plutia giggles sweetly, "Hehehe. Call me… uhh… Plutie."
"That's… cute. But isn't that just one less syllable in your own name? Or just changing one letter?" Nepgear asked.
"I guess… I just wanted to match with Neppy, that's all." Plutia admitted.
"Don't feel pressured when she does that. Call her whatever you want." Noire spoke up as she walked in after the other two, "I'm more concerned about what you said about me."
"Huh? What's wrong with what I had to say?" Nepgear asked Noire.
"A lot, but there's too much to go over in one sitting." Noire admitted as she placed her right hand on her hip, "Even on the way over here, you seem like you've never even seen Planeptune before, despite your claims of being its CPU. On top of that, you claim to know who I am even if I don't know who the hell you are."
"I mean… You're kinda unmistakable for me to recognize." Nepgear raised her shoulders nervously.
"Unmistakable, huh?" Noire said as she looked Nepgear in the eye, "Alright, I'll bite. Who or what exactly is 'the Noire you know'?"
"Well… You were one of four CPUs of Gamindustri, each governing a different nation from one another." Nepgear explained in a clear tone, "You were in charge of Lastation, the land of Black Regality."
"Whaaaaaat?" Plutia suddenly interjected, "You're gonna leave Planeptune behind, Noire?"
"N-No, I'm not thinking about that at all!" Noire said, suddenly freaked out by Plutia's accusation. She took a minute to calm down before looking back at Nepgear, "I gotta admit, the name Lastation sounds kinda cool. But like I told you, the only CPU here is Plutia. You won't find any CPU power with me. Not yet, anyway…"
Nepgear could tell Noire was serious when she said that, since she couldn't sense any Share Energy coming from her. With that and Noire's seemingly out of place freak out in mind, Nepgear decided to talk about something else, "If you say so… This next part is gonna sound mean, but Noire… Have you ever been… um… lonely?"
"GAH–" Noire froze up in an instant.
"Silly Neppy. Noire's never lonely with me around." Plutia said as she sat down in a seat next to a small round table, "If anything, I'm the one who gets bored without her around."
"Oh yeah. Plutia, you said that Noire was your best friend, right?" Nepgear asked.
Plutia giggled as she closed her eyes, "Hehehe~ In the whoooole wiiiide wooooorld. Don't forget that part, Neppy."
"In any case, Noire… I'm sorry." Nepgear apologized to the clearly embarrassed twin tailed girl, "I always heard that you didn't have any friends in your life. But it looks like that's not the case anymore with Plutia here."
Plutia perked up again and said softly to herself, "Anymore…?"
"Y-You should be sorry for that comment on not having any friends at all…!" Noire said defensively with a pout, "Let's… Let's talk about something else before I lose my mind…"
"Alright. Um… how about your clothes?" Nepgear said as she looked over Noire's outfit, "I always thought you were pretty, but this is the first time I've seen you wear clothing like that."
"Oh, these?" Noire smirked as she placed her fingers on the gold ribbon button, "It's one of the most popular fashion trends in our nation, La Victoire."
In her La Victoire outfit, Noire's apparel consists of a dark gray tank top that exposes her stomach with a blue ribbon in the center and a matching skirt with blue highlights on the pleats. On her arms she wears detached sleeves that are open at the upper arm but attached by a black strap and buckle. Her leg wear consists of over the knee blue socks and dark gray boots that match her tank top.
Nepgear could only watch as Noire's right hand went through her jet black hair, her left hand moved down her thigh. The smirk on Noire's face showed an unusual sense of confidence matching her body language, "Well? Like what you see?"
"I-I… Oh goodness, yes! I absolutely love what I see! It's like they were made to highlight your prettiest and best features, Noire!" Nepgear couldn't contain her excitement as she clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling as she was admiring Noire's unrivaled beauty.
Plutia turned her gaze away from the two young women in the room, a sly look in her eyes and on her face, "Now you guys know why the author waited to show Noire's outfit long after she was already introduced in the story."
"Hmhmhm~ Of course you're captivated by me~" Noire said as she moved her left hand to her cheek, "Once you get a good look of my true beauty, I become an object of affection~ The center of all of your fantasies~"
Noire takes it a step further by bringing her fingers close to her lips, "Be a good girl, and I will make those dreams come true~" Then as a finisher, she blows a kiss towards Nepgear, "Mmmm~"
chu!
"Ahhhhhhhhh!!~" Nepgear squealed and fell backwards, as if Noire's kiss made a real impact on her, and landed on the floor of the room.
"Neppy!" Plutia cried out as she stood up from her chair, running to Nepgear to check on her. It didn't take Plutia long to see the hearts in Nepgear's eyes and the big smile on her face. She looked back at her friend with a concerned look on her face, "Ohhh, you really did it this time, Noire…"
"I always knew I was a knockout, but this is a bit ridiculous. Still, she seems like she'll need a nice long rest after what she's been through." Noire said as she walked to Nepgear and sat down next to her, "I might as well make her comfortable. Plutia, go down to the market and see if Histoire needs help carrying groceries home."
"She probably does, knowing how long she takes…" Plutia lamented before she walked off, "Alright, I'll head out. Don't have too much fun, Nowa and Neppy! Especially without me~"
"A-Alright, get outta here, ya crazy kid." Noire said quickly.
As Plutia leaves the room, Noire hears a sigh as she looks at the passed out Nepgear next to her, eyes closed and a smile placed on her face. Noire then takes Nepgear's head and places it on her lap before her delicate hands stroke her hair, "That's it, Nepgear. Take it all in. I'm right here. I'll be your entire world now, the center of all of your dreams."
"Noire… Haaaaa~ Noire~" Nepgear spoke softly as she felt Noire caressing her, the sound of Noire's voice echoing in her mind, and the scent of her perfume tingling her nose.
Noire gave a warm, genuine smile as she leaned down to Nepgear, "Let me in, Nepgear~" Noire spoke softly before her lips touched Nepgear's forehead.
chu
Planeptune, Nepgear's Basilicom
"What?! Ge-Ge's gone and we don't know where she is?!" Compa said, nearly freaking out.
"..." Rei Ryghts, back in her business suit clothes, was sitting down on the couch. Her gaze looked downwards on the ground in shame.
"I don't know what to do, either…" Histoire said as she floated beside Compa and patted her on the back of her head, "But if Rei can harness her new power and control it properly, we should at the very least locate Nepgear's whereabouts."
"I hope you're right, Histy." Compa said softly as she sat down next to Rei.
"...Hey, what about that brunette girl in the blue coat? Um… IF." Rei spoke up after another moment of silence, "Maybe she knows how to track Miss Nepgear?"
"I worry Nepgear might not even be in Gamindustri at all… But if I'm wrong, IF would be our best bet in rescuing Nepgear." Histoire said.
"I tried contacting Iffy earlier, but she's not answering her phone." Compa said as she held up her phone, "She hasn't responded to my texts since I left the hospital."
"Strange… I haven't heard from IF myself since she met Rei a few days ago." Histoire commented.
"She's… not mad at us over that fighting game finisher, is she?" Rei asked, shaking a little.
"I doubt Iffy is petty like that… But maybe a few rounds in DSFZ would clear the tension." Compa suggested, "Or maybe a racing or party game so I can join in?"
"It looks like I'll have to scope around Gamindustri for Nepgear's location." Histoire sighed, "If I hurry, I can have all of Gamindustri mapped out in three days."
DING!
"Who could that be?" Compa asked as she stood up. Rei looked up and saw two figures walking inside, "Huh…?! What happened?!"
Stepping out of the elevator was a clocked, female figure, the strands of her purple hair sticking out of her hood. And in her arms was a familiar brunette in the blue overcoat and black tight shirt and shorts… her clothes, face, and hair all covered in blood!
"Iffy!!" Compa shouted as she rushed over to IF and held her in her arms, "How did this happen?! Who did this?!"
"Nnnnngh… C-Compa…?" IF opened her eyes to look up at Compa.
"Hey, save your strength. You won't get back at those four if you croak here." The cloaked figure told IF.
"Come on, Iffy. Let's get you to Nep-Nep's old room where you can rest and recover." Compa said as she took IF to another room. Rei stood up and ran after Compa, "I-I'll help out too!"
"Those four…?" Histoire said to herself before she looked at the cloaked figure, "...Who could you be talking about, Purple Heart?"
"Four girls, each erratically different in appearance and fighting style." The cloaked figure, CFW Purple Heart, spoke softly as she lifted the hood of her cloak, "I wasn't there to get their names, but they did have some sort of… golden power around them. Once that was unleashed, Iffy didn't stand a chance against those girls… At least, that's what I got out of her when I arrived to rescue her."
"Thank you for bringing her here when you could." Histoire smiled at CFW Purple Heart, "Wait outside the room while I check IF's condition… Oh, and keep your cloak on for the time being. Compa's… had a few surprises already."
"Very well…" CFW Purple Heart said as she moved her hood back over her head before following Histoire in the nursing room. Histoire opens the door and floats inside, "How is she, Compa?"
"These are the nastiest wounds I've seen on Iffy! It's even in her hair!" Compa said as she wrapped white bandages around IF's body and clothes, the bandages turning red from the blood on her body.
"IF…" Histoire looked at Iffy's damaged but barely alive body, "What has happened to make her this way?"
"Nnnnnngh…!" IF groaned, both from the pain and the tightness of Compa's bandages.
Flashback, Virtua Forest Deep Woods
"Phew! Maybe I overdid it with that last attack." IF said before she sat down and leaned against a tree. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the peaceful air around her, waiting for her strength to recover from her fighting against the monsters here.
…Or at least, that was the plan.
"...Hm!" IF opened her eyes after a few minutes. She jumps up in time for a missle to hit the tree she was resting against, blowing it up as IF moves away from her spot.
IF looks left and sees a blond girl with a bazooka in her hands. The young-looking girl has steel blue eyes and blonde hair worn in pigtails held by loose red loops. Her evenly split bangs frame her face. She wears a red mini-dress with a pointed skirt and collar, a gold brooch sewn to the middle of her collarbone. Over her dress is orange fabric with thick gold lining and two vertical white stripes at the middle, and on the corner is a red and white pouch. She also wears gold sleeves and a pair of red gloves with a translucent orange and white wrist, her boots matching the design but with a black platform sole. On her head is a white and orange hat with a red button.
From IF's right side, there was the sound of a sword being drawn. She turned to find a woman with spiked platinum-silver hair and blood-red eyes. She wears a dark gray tank top with gold accenting and a dark brown belting below the chest. Her lower half consists of dark gray shorts with a white, gold, and black split skirt on top of it held by a dark brown belt with a black sphere in the middle of a gold ornament. Attached to the skirt is white and gold material with crimson coloring inside. Her shoes are a pair of dark brown and gold boots that end a few inches above her knee. On each hand is a dark brown and gold glove with a black holed sleeve for her right arm and wrapping on her left. She has a simple earring on left ear.
IF also heard footsteps behind her and saw from the corner of her eye a young girl with turquoise eyes and medium length gray hair held by a red headband. She has straight cut bangs and wears the longer hair before her ears in thin braids. Her outfit is composed of a short dark gray dress with a black belt accented by gold. On top of this is a red and white dress resembling a school uniform with gold buttons and a four-tailed bow of goldenrod with a red K in the center. The dress is split from the chest down to the bottom. Two red ribbon tails can be seen sticking out from the bottom of her dress. On her wrist is a red and white bracelet on a black band with a white K on the top. She wears black socks with white miniature boots with a black band across the toe and red strings.
And from the fire in front of IF, there was one more. A brunette in front of the fire has slanted gray eyes and long pale brown hair worn in a loose, low ponytail held by a white and orange pill-shaped ornament. She wears a blue beret lined with black and gold with a gold C on the side. Her outfit is composed of a revealing white and black bikini-inspired piece worn under an open blue, gold, and black outfit with a C-shaped belt on the bottom. Two thin blue straps stretch across her stomach, while around her neck is a thin blue band with a gold clasp. She wears brown tights with a single X-shaped wrap on the left leg held by a gold piece. Her boots are blue with black and gold accenting. On top of each boot is a gold loop attachment, and material of black sticks out of the top of each boot. On each arm is a short black sleeve attached to her middle finger on a gold ring with a sheer gold bracelet on each wrist.
IF raised one of her arms in front of her, a claws clenched in her hand that stuck out from her coat sleeve, "Who the hell are you guys?"
"Who, us? We're the one who will lead Gamindustri to its Golden age!" The short blond girl with the bazooka said with a hint of enthusiasm in her voice, "I'm the Golden SuperHero of Planeptune, B-Sha!"
"I am the Golden Mercenary of Lastation. K-Sha." The blackish-gray haired girl behind IF pointed one of her guns at her, a ruthless tone contrasting the high pitch in her voice.
"Golden Soldier of Leanbox. S-Sha." The woman with short silver hair said with her eyes narrowed in a spiteful glare, despite her tone of voice suggesting indifference.
"And I… am the Golden Hunter of Lowee! C-Sha!" The brunette girl, her voice calm yet intense, said as she raised her fists beside her.
"Mmmmm…!" IF looked around her, and she didn't see any openings in her surroundings. C-Sha, not wanting to waste much time, swiped her left arm to the side as a Blaster-like weapon appeared on it, "Let's go, girls!"
"Right!" B-Sha, K-Sha, and S-Sha all shouted as golden cards appeared in front of them all, each girl drawing a card from their respective hands. S-Sha threw her card up in the sky and called upon lightning. Meanwhile, B-Sha threw hers to the ground and her feet glowed yellow. She jumps upwards and points her right foot down for a dive kick, "B-Shaaaaa… Kick!"
"Hup!" IF shouted as she leapt away from B-Sha. The short blond girl crashed on the ground and a bright light exploded around her, "Gaaah!"
"Right where I want you!" K-Sha shouted as she pointed one finger at IF, "Goooo!"
Two small bit droids, one red with a purple dome and one yellow with a green dome, flew in from behind K-Sha and fired energy waves of blue and purple at IF. The guild agent swung her claws at each energy wave, "Gnnn…! Nice try, but you're gonna need more than that!"
The lightning from moments ago struck S-Sha's sword as she swung it at her side, "Are you sure about that?" S-Sha leaps from the ground and brings a devastating sword slice down at IF when she wasn't looking. The brunette in the blue coat turned to block it, but was too slow to keep the full attack from going through, "Gaah!"
"C-Buster, Power Shot!" C-Sha yelled out as she fired a small power bullet at IF. The power bullet and S-Sha's lightning made the area explode, dealing massive damage.
IF fell from the explosion and landed on her feet, but her coat seemed to be a bit damaged, and she was bleeding from the front thanks to the sword slash. She raised both hands to either side, a red glow in her left hand and a green glow in her right, "Now it's my turn!" She swiped her hands to the sides and unleashed two SP attacks at once, "Demonic Inferno! La Delphinus!"
From below C-Sha, a burst of fire spewed from under her, which made the forest fire behind the brunette worse. And below K-Sha, a beam of light erupted from the ground and engulfed the area around her.
"C-Sha! K-Sha!" B-Sha shouted in worry for her teammates. S-Sha looked pissed off as she turned her head to IF, "Your actions have condemned our goddess during ASIC's reign… The Gold Third will not yield to you or the new CPU!" She said as she swung her sword at IF.
IF's dual claws grabbed at S-Sha's sword to halt her attack. Despite the sword pushing IF back a bit, she managed to land a kick to S-Sha's stomach and knock her back. IF then looked up and asked her opponents, "Are you wackos really getting worked up over Arfoire being out of the picture?"
K-Sha leaps from the brightened part of the forest and charges a magic attack as her TwinBits flew to either side of her, "We're talking about the Goddess of Gamindustri! Lady Neptune!" K-Sha shouted as she fired her magic attack alongside the TwinBits.
IF quickly jumped up to dodge the magic attacks, "Don't be ridiculous!" she shouted as she tossed her claws at K-Sha's TwinBits, making them explode around her. IF looked around and kept talking, "Nep sacrificed herself to save Gamindustri from Arfoire, the Deity of Sin! How she died has nothing to do with us!"
"Haaaaaa!" C-Sha shouts as she leaps out of the fire seemingly unscaved, "Like you were any closer to the action than we were." C-Sha then dives down at IF, the hand with her C-Blaster smacking IF in the face and breaking the blaster gun.
"Gaaah-aaaagh!" IF held her face in pain as she stepped backwards. Then she heard C-Sha's voice shouting, "Lady Neptune was destined to lead Gamindustri as a whole to a brighter future! A world where everyone, even non-Planeptunians, will be happy and free from strife! That future was taken from her thanks to the other CPUs! And their two most loyal followers, you and that nurse girl with the sweater!"
"I don't know what I did to piss you four off, but the only other goddess who was with Nep in her final moments was my friend Gear! Lady Nepgear, that is!" IF shouted at the girls, the broken blaster parts falling from her scratched up face.
B-Sha stood up and clenched the handle on her bazooka, "What makes you believe for a second that Nepgear didn't want Lady Neptune's throne for herself?"
"More like her bean bag chair…" IF said silently to herself before turning around, "Wait, no! Gear wouldn't dream of taking that power by force! She loved Nep with all her heart!"
"And yet she failed to protect her love from falling into darkness. How dare a woman who can't protect what's precious to her call herself Lady Neptune's successor?" S-Sha said with a hint of irritation in her tone as she rushed forward again.
"Guess there's no talking sense into any of you…!" IF said as she wiped the blood off her face with her coat sleeve. But she soon found herself coming face to face with S-Sha and nearly dodged an upward slash, "Whoa! Hey!"
"Tch…! Stay still!" S-Sha seethed as she charged right at IF again, lightning surrounding her sword again as she swung forward. IF jumps up and kicks S-Sha in the back, then she slashes downward before landing. As S-Sha turned around, IF then slashed at her with her claws, "Heaven Demon!" S-Sha kept swinging to counter the strikes from IF's next skill, a growl escaping her voice with how long this was taking, "Hnnnngh…!"
"...Hey, wait." B-Sha spoke up to grab K-Sha's attention, "Are you sure we should be attacking one of her friends like this?"
"Huh? What brought this up now, B-Sha?" K-Sha asked as she looked at her teammate.
"I mean, like… Are we making the right move in fighting her?" B-Sha asked her teammate, "Nepgear was someone I clearly saw in those nightmares, not this IF agent girl."
"She's a renowned Guild Agent of Planeptune, remember? A valued supporter by Nepgear's side. That means she's too dangerous to be left alone." K-Sha stated to her teammate, "I know how it must feel, though… Constantly wondering if I'm doing the right thing with each mission. But I have a contract to take out Nepgear and her two human friends. I can't afford to contemplate my actions, justifiable or otherwise, or I may be the one to lose my own life to the Order."
"...I get ya. As a fellow Gold Third, I'll stick by you guys the whole way!" B-Sha nodded, though she almost didn't sound too sure of herself.
IF seemed to have heard the conversation, if only a little bit of it. But the little bit was enough to give her a good idea on what the girls wanted, "Oh, I see… That doesn't explain a lot, but it's something."
"Pay attention!" S-Sha raised her voice slightly as she pushed back at IF to knock her off. But IF simply backflips away to gain distance. Then she glances at her right arm, noticing a large cut on her coat and her arm. She nearly shivered at the blood on her arm and coat from what she presumed to be S-Sha's attack, "Hnnnnnph… These girls aren't holding anything back. They want me dead ASAP, especially the Soldier girl…" She looks forward and glares, "I've got to lure them together and end this now. …Hm?!" IF said as she noticed another punch coming her way and blocked it with her good arm.
"Now I'm your problem!" C-Sha shouted as she threw rapid punches and kicks at IF, "Yayayayayayayayaya-YAH!"
"Hngh! Tch! Grrrrrh!" IF grunts from the rapid attacks from C-Sha as they keep coming for the brunette Guild agent. But then IF jumps up and over C-Sha, causing her to be confused. "Huh? Where'd she–" That was all C-Sha said before turning around and…
"Gotcha, bitch!" IF shouted as she kicked C-Sha in the chin and knocked her away.
"C-Sha!" B-Sha shouted as she, S-Sha, and K-Sha all hurried to the tree where C-Sha landed against.
"Now's my chance! EXE Drive!" IF shouts as she leaps in the air again. This time, she throws tiny, green needles at the four girls. The needles surrounded the Gold Third, each one of them taking nine needles each.
"Guaah!" C-Sha yelled out. K-Sha nearly fell over as one pierced through her leg, "Aaaack!"
"Yowowowowow!" B-Sha shrieked in pain. S-Sha took the hits with wordless grunts, "Tch!"
"You thought I'd stop there?!" IF shouted as she slammed one of her claws into the ground, "Haaaaaaaa!!"
The explosion of light surrounded the area, nearly blinding the Gold Third girls as they seemed to have taken the full force of the attack.
Just to be certain, IF reeled one of her arms back and charged up another slash attack, "I'll see you ladies in Hell!" She raised her arm in the air as the claw she held glowed brightly, "Apocalypse…" She sliced down diagonally, as if cutting the area the girls were in, "NOVA!"
Where IF slashed at, there was a light blue sphere with red lightning. It got bigger and consumed the forest area she and the Gold Third were in.
A short time after her EXE Drive was used, IF looked forward at the smoke covering the affected area. She seemed to be exhausted, panting and was hunched over slightly, "Haa… Haa… Haa… That should get them off my and Gear's back for a while…"
"Oh really?"
The sound of C-Sha's voice made IF freeze where she stood, her eyes widening in shock, "Ngh!"
The smoke was clearing up to see all four girls, and they don't seem to have been hurt at all from the attack IF had done, except for a few cuts from the needles. Standing in front was a small scale of a heroic robot toy, piloted by B-Sha in a strange form. IF didn't seem to notice many new details, but she seemed to have gold colored eyes instead of her usual blue eyes. B-Sha smirked and patted her robot on its head, "Heh heh! Thanks, Bandam!"
"N-No way… My ultimate attack… wasn't enough?" IF stared forward in complete shock.
"You? Send us to Hell?" S-Sha said in a mocking tone as she pointed her sword forward, golden auras surrounding her and the rest of Gold Third, "Who decided that?"
B-Sha made her Bandam dash forward while K-Sha ran on foot. IF quickly took a battle stance, but Bandam's punches came too quickly for her to react, and the last hit knocked her away. K-Sha pointed her guns at IF while Bandam and two floating yellow heads next to B-Sha charged yellow beams. Both girls fired at IF while the girl was distracted, K-Sha's bullets were rapid and fast, while B-Sha's Maximum Level Beam seemed to go through IF.
"Gah! Urgh! Guaaaah! Yaaaah!" IF screamed out from the bullets hurting everywhere but her vitals, and the yellow beams were keeping her from moving away. When the bullets stopped and the beams faded, IF quickly felt a quick punch to her gut, "Gack!"
"Your luck's run out!" C-Sha said as her left fist drove in IF's gut. She used her other hand to punch her chin, but quickly knees IF in the gut before pushing herself up with her other leg, "Neo Rising Dragon Fist!"
"Gu-huagh!" IF was sent flying as she coughed up blood from C-Sha's attack. Then she saw S-Sha rising upwards, her sword glowing a bright blue.
"It's over. Omnislice!" S-Sha shouted as she sliced at IF repeatedly and relentlessly. The more slashes IF took, the more blood got on her clothes and hair. S-Sha finally raised her sword and charged up even more power, "Goodbye!" S-Sha shouted as she slammed her sword down at IF, taking both girls straight to the ground.
"GAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" IF's screams were followed by an explosion that engulfed everyone around it. The light and smoke from the explosion faded after roughly a minute, and S-Sha yanked her sword out from where she stabbed IF, "Hmph…"
The rest of Gold Third walked over to the poor Guild agent, some of the blood seemed to come from the cuts on her arms, but from the sword wound came small drops that got on the ground. IF's boots had a few drops from the bullet wounds on her arms and legs, and there was even blood from her eyes where C-Sha's C-Buster broke on her, as well as in her hair.
"She gave us a tough fight, but at the end of the day, it wasn't enough for her." C-Sha said with a hand on her hip.
S-Sha looked resentful, but stayed mostly silent as she looked at IF, "Nnnngh…" She closed her eyes and turned away.
"Mmmmm…" B-Sha was also silent, but her silence was out of concern for the sorry state IF was in.
K-Sha loaded her guns once more, replenishing her ammo, "Don't think ill of us. We have a job to do, that's all. You're not who we were after, but you are too dangerous of a threat to be left alive. So just to make sure you stay out of our way…"
K-Sha pointed her guns at IF's body, "I will have the honor of taking your life."
K-Sha was ready to shoot IF dead, when suddenly… she felt her hands being pierced by a katana cutting through her hands, "AAAAAAAAAGH!!"
"K-Sha!" C-Sha shouted in worry and ran over to her teammate.
Appearing in front of IF was a cloaked figure, though the Gold Third girls could see black and purple clothing on the part of her legs and feet that the cloak showed when she landed. The figure turned to look at the Gold Third, "..."
"...Huh?" C-Sha looked a little surprised when she saw a familiar pair of dark blue eyes and strands of purple hair from under the cloak's hood. Rather than explain, the cloaked woman scooped up IF's body and leapt away from the golden girls.
"Hey! She's getting away!" B-Sha shouted and pointed at the fading figure. S-Sha sheathed her sword and knelt to K-Sha, "I'm more concerned about K-Sha right now…"
"Nnnnngh… M-My hands…!" K-Sha groaned in pain as the familiarly colored katana was pulled out from K-Sha's hands, "Oww!"
"Sorry." C-Sha said as she examined the weapon, "...?"
"It looks like Lady Purple Heart's signature weapon." S-Sha pointed out as she took out a jewel and brought it towards K-Sha. C-Sha nods and looks in the direction of the escaping cloaked girl, "Could that have actually been her…? Lady Purple Heart…?"
"Huh?" B-Sha looked at C-Sha after she took out a first-aid kit from her Bandam, "But she's dead, right? How could that have been her?"
"There's no mistaking what I saw… But then begs the question of how we can explain it…?" C-Sha said to herself as she knelt down to K-Sha.
As the bleeding was stopped by S-Sha's healing jewel and her hands were being wrapped by B-Sha, K-Sha looked forward and saw someone coming out from behind the trees, "...Huh?! It… it can't be?!"
Gold Third turned to see what K-Sha had looked at and had wide eyes. "You…!" C-Sha spoke up first and…
Meanwhile, the cloaked woman was making a run for the Basilicom to get IF treated. She leaps from tree to tree and narrows her eyes towards the direction she's heading in, "...If I didn't see those lights from the streets of Planeptune, I wouldn't have made it in time before Iffy got killed."
"Nnnnngh…" IF opened her eyes to see a familiar face covered from.the cloak, "...N-Nep…? Is… that you…?"
"I'm not Neptune, Iffy… but I don't have time to explain." The woman, CFW Purple Heart, said without looking at IF, "We need to get you treated before anything else. Just close your eyes and rest until we get there."
"Th… thanks, Nep…" That was all IF could say in response. And as if her body made the decision for her, IF's eyes closed as her consciousness faded again, "..."
"...What are friends for, Iffy?" CFW Purple Heart said in a Neptune-like tone as she sped up her pace towards the Basilicom.