Hyperdimension Neptunia
Third Sister; Darkness
Chapter 13.1 POV-Acclaim
The Sparks of war.
This exchange has gotten a bit more complicated. Monsters enter the battlefield with little rhyme or reason. None of the data I have within my mind would suggest such monsters living anywhere nearby. I don't even have any data on these various species of monsters. May they be bred by humans? Or perhaps genetically created? Or is there someone who learned of Arfoire's methods of spawning them? The last one would be quite a threat.
Twenty minutes have passed since we defeated the monsters surrounding us. The only few left are being dealt with by the ninja, the Tortoises are engaged in fighting that metal warrior. I can see he is overwhelmingly strong, but the grit and strength shown by the tortoises suggest they can make it through, just like our leader is able to. On my end, my opponent is worthy of praise, but my level is higher. Without showing him any others skills, I have managed to hit him multiple times. I can predict his every move, his speed is meaningless to me.
I haven't forgotten how the ninja fights. A lot of the lower and middle ranking ninjas have jumped out behind me for a sneak attack. But they are unaware of the strings I have placed on the end of the hill we are fighting on.
"Doton.", I say ejecting myself into the air with the mighty power of earth, I fly through a gap between shinobi and string, pulling them with me.
I puppeteer the ninjas with this string, and now I will easily swing them around as I blast them into the air with, "Futon!"
I throw them into the ground like they were the end of a whip.
"You…You aren't the leader, are you?! You are the one that copies abilities?!", Strider shouts out loud as I land.
I have no obligation to answer, and he knows there is no time, he charges right in to attack.
I stop him by surrounding myself with a flaming wall shouting, "Fire Wall!"
I curve the wall and shoot a beam of flame at him with the words, "Fire Beam!"
He evades it with a magnificent jump, and even more impressively, from there he weaves away from a big thunderbolt I had cast shouting, "Great Thunderbolt!"
He tries to get me from behind, but quickly cancels his action and circles around me, for I had cast a green tornado that flies around me.
With infinite SP, I have chosen Theresa's destructive fighting style. Her large array of powerful spells cannot be overcome once SP is no longer an issue.
I can tell Strider knows this, I sense him about to move all around me at great speeds with impossible movements that would normally require a wall, he ricochets off the air as he jumps all around me. Silicon's threads easily stop him from getting anymore speed. He forces himself to slow down to cut the threads so he won't get caught in them. Hm… But I can't quite finish him without a surprise attack…Silicon would use a trap with his string at this point.
Leader's mine spell comes is perfect for this. I attach string into a kunai with a mine spell embedded into it. Once the string is cut, the kunai flies at Strider. He leans his body back so the explosion won't hurt him, but I predict that and have casted Great explosion behind his back. In combination, I use Light Step to punch him in the gut, allowing me to copy his technique of ricocheting off air. With his techniques, I move all over the place, slicing him with copies of his weapons until he loses consciousness. In the end, I dash behind him with a thrust forward. He falls down.
Target eliminated. Initiating next step of plan. Leader is surely gone now, otherwise I wouldn't have revealed myself. She must be going around to fight Tenchu. Silicon and Theresa must soon be done with most enemies here. Their job is to become a threat to the point they have to be chased when on the run. They will move north-east from here, the opposite side of Leader. The plan was for our whole ninja force to break through the middle so enemy forces stay away from the west side and ignore leader…But they have their hands full.
The monsters appearing has changed quite a bit. Perhaps this isn't as big of an issue, since the enemy ninja are retreating as well. The best I can do is move forward and mow them down on my own. With no shortage of destructive skills, there isn't a better job for me until a special ninja shows up. Preferably, one of the four flames.
I follow the roadmap to Tenchu's mansion. Indeed, there are many ninja running with their tails between their legs, but we prefer them captured.
"Doton! Tai Do Hokaku jutsu!", I shout as I use their earth ninja magic to capture them between stone, of course this only works on Genin, but that is still a few hundred captured. There are a few ninja allies chasing them. I quickly move over them telling them to disable the enemy from freeing them and perhaps convince a few to join us, since some may be here with a lack of knowledge regarding the truth.
…
…
The residential areas has become a battlefield. Fortunately for the infrastructure, it has all been prepared to be a place for battle to begin with. Many traps were easily set by the enemy. It is of little consequence to me, I have the capability of mowing down every enemy in the way. Theresa's magic is the most logical choice for me thanks to Enma's SP items. Enemies are send flying left and right by explosions, wind blasts, Ice Coffins and huge flames.
Even if some are able to dodge these attacks, the consistency of my assault allows them little space to counter attack me. A few red ninjas may break through and use Ninjutsu when running towards me to allow an opening. However, every jutsu I learn along the way gives me more options to cancel out theirs, never mind their speed when up close pales in comparison to Leader's Light Step. I simply move behind them and knock them out with my sword.
"Sp Skill…Archive of Magic!", I shout Theresa's strongest SP move, creating a hell of magical portals surrounding ninja like they are in a hallway of grand spells of every element being unleashed upon them. Some explosions send enemy ninja into the air, the Jonin and red ninja are likely to be conscious, so to be sure, I clean them up by casting a giant green tornado that will catch them in the air and fling them all over the battlefield. In between casting time, I jump into the sky with Light Step and create rifts into the ground shooting blades of light down shouting, "UnionStar Light Slash!"
At some point, a few ninja used Doton to get to me in the air. But their air-movement isn't super good, I can entangle them with string and slam them back on the ground. After I make my landing, My legs get grabbed by a ninja underground. I am, in fact, surrounded by ninjas under the ground. I used their substitute jutsu and easily eject them with a "Doton!", jutsu.
I have taken note, a war like this puts me at my peak. I had felt the same when fighting their armies in the north. A war is the perfect situation for me, the amount of skills I learn has me invincible.
I have destructive and wide ranged magic attacks, I have great strength and meany weapon techniques, I have infinite utility spells to disrupt tricks, I have counter-attacks for air or underground assaults, I have speed in Light Step or Teleportation, I even have many defensive tricks thanks to both Silicon and Leader, never mind these ninja have similar defensive spells.
It is unfortunate that I benefit so much from such a horrible thing. I feel ashamed of being forced to take advantage of war…Looking back, that is an odd feeling to have. I haven't felt like this when I was normal. I used to not have as much of a vocabulary before. I used to be a simple worker…My past self was actually fairly shallow and selfish. I haven't even thought of all the misery I could have done if it weren't for Leader's forbearance. It is but these months that I have been given concern for honor and compassion. In turn, my actual feelings are drained. To my heart, I don't really feel happy or angry. Or maybe I only feel complex emotions? Not the raw ones that make you act up? The experiment has my mind sharpened, but also damaged beyond comprehension.
With that said, as long as I feel this gratitude for leader, and the will to achieve justice. I won't fall.
…
Now I am past the halfway point of the roadmap. It has become quieter. I also don't hear any pursuers. At first I assumed it is because they are ninja, however, I remember seeing great dust clouds looking back. A third party attacking them, perhaps? Peculiar as it is, I need only go forward.
I sense a familiar attack coming in.
"Suiton, Water Armor Jutsu!", I shout coating my arms with water to block a flaming slash.
The ninja holding flames of green, Kagura had come to challenge me again.
"Ho…My bad. Now you remember all my techniques, right? But you know…That makes it more fun.", she says, playing with her six blades as if to mock me.
Her taunts are meaningless to me, so I reply, "Our fight's conclusion would be clear. I doubt I'd have to inform you.".
"Yeah, but you see. I did a bit of training. No matter what…", her tone changes to a deeper and threatening one once she points one set of blades at me saying, "I will die for this dance, if it means taking you with me."
I was about to get ready. I won't say no to a determined combatant. And my mission statement is to take out at least one special ninja, especially a flame.
To my astonishment, an enemy ninja steps next to me. I didn't even feel her presence. I don't even get into a defensive stance either. She just steps forward with her back in reach of my right hand. MarvelousAQL, holder of the red flame.
"You are friends with Suno, right? Leave her to me.", Marvelous says.
Suno? That is what Leader has nicknamed herself for friends outside our cause.
"You joined us?", I ask her.
"I was told everything. Let me talk to Kagura.", she tells me.
Leader may have planned this, as expected of her grace. I shall move forward.
I use Light Step to get away, in between, I stole a glance at Kagura's face, she doesn't even flinch when I am next to her. The two may have a deeper relation, so much that they don't even recognize me as a thing anymore.
Either way, I have no business here at this point. I can only assume the Blue Flame is further ahead. If I take her out, we would have a high chance at winning with little casualties. I take one look back and see Marvelous fighting against Kagura. They dance like they have known each other for a hundred years. It is both fierce and graceful. There is intend to kill, yet they are having fun…Bizarre, they also look angry with each other. It will never compute with me how some people think. Thus, I move forward.
Finally, I arrive at the huge complex of houses Leader has told me about. I detect many ninja's piercing eyes aimed at me. I move into the big battlefield Leader fought the Blue Flame. A woman is waiting below. I see her look at me with a smirk.
"Well I must say, I suppose I should be pleased I am sent one of you. I would say I hoped to fight your leader, but we already discussed who would fight her. And to be honest, I have learned quickly I am no match for her. Not that Tenchu's foolish daughter will fare any better.", she speaks like royalty, but just to belittle me, she talks like she is in no danger.
The real worry is the fact that she recognizes I am not Leader instantly.
"You are perceptive to know I am not her instantly.", I tell her.
"Oh, you have all hidden yourself excellently. But my instincts as a ninja are heightened to its peak. I will never forget my fight with her. I hope yours will be just as entertaining…", at the end of her sentence, her smile broke for approximately 0.3 seconds. She isn't hoping I'd be as strong as Leader. My logic indicates she fears Leader's strength, she said so by stating she can't beat her. Battle conversation has ended, going into fighting positions now…
To Be Continued…