Unfortunately, whatever light of hope Lunella’s efforts to save the wounded Celestial Defender might have enkindled was swiftly snuffed out by the unrelenting tide of darkness that washed over Nexustead in the wake of the Abyssal Leader’s sinister gambit. One moment reeling under the defenders’ concerted assault, the dark creatures suddenly dispersed, seeking out points of vulnerability in the defenders’ battle line and exploiting those found with terrifying rapidity.
Bathed in the gentle glow of moonlight, Lunella felt a profound sadness welling up within her as she watched the once-noble Celestial Guardians and ethereal Feyweavers succumb to the Abyssal influence, the deeply distressing sight causing the lunar maiden to press a delicate hand over her aching chest. Indeed, with each passing second, sharp pangs of anguish and dismay pierced her kind and caring heart as painfully as any blade, while her ears were nearly deafened by cacophonous cries of despair and horror.
Yet, even through the din of battle, the young Lunatic was still able to hear Marshal Elara’s voice as it echoed in her mind. Although her aching heart sank further upon learning their foe’s new target, not to mention the truly dire straights the town’s defenders now found themselves in, Lunella also felt a surge of renewed determination coursing through her.
“Agreed,” she replied with a firm nod when Orion reiterated Elara’s call to regroup and formulate a new plan of attack. “Let us not delay a moment more!”
Moving with the grace and swiftness of a shooting star as it arced across the heavens, Lunella made her way to the town square, where what remained of Nexustead’s defenders had gathered. Stepping into the center of the square, the young Lunatic took a deep breath and mustered her resolve before addressing the council of war. “I know things look bleak, and your hope has been suffocated by shadows,” she began, her soft and tranquil voice piercing the surrounding chaos like a moonbeam though a foggy night. “Yet, as long as we stand together, these shadows shall not prevail. Moonlight will pierce through the abyss, and by its sacred glow, it shall illuminate our path to victory.”
No sooner had she finished speaking, then the moonlit maiden’s open palms began to glow. Bathed in the gentle luminescence of the Lunacy and Dreamer's Moons, Lunella began a lunar divination to unravel the threads of destiny woven into the current crisis, and gain astral insights that might help to resolve it. Closing her eyes, the young Lunatic took deep breaths, grounding herself in the elemental energies of Nexustead, while also conjoining herself to the shimmering heavens. Indeed, her connection to the Lunacy Moon, an ancient source of wisdom for her people, allowed her to navigate the ethereal realm with ease, and, as she entered a trance-like state, the astral plane unfolded before her like a celestial tapestry.
In the astral realm, she perceived the currents of energy that wove through Nexustead, the Elemental Nexus, and the corrupted forms of the once-harmonious defenders. The Abyssal Leader's influence emanated as a dark pulse, a malevolent heartbeat threatening to disrupt the delicate balance. Lunella focused on the Elemental Nexus, its essence pulsating with the combined energies of earth, fire, water, and air. Truly, this was the beating heart of the Elemental Enclave, one which stood as a stark contrast to, and a resilient pillar against, the encroaching abyss. Yet, it now bore the scars of the Abyssal Leader's insidious touch. Threads of darkness intertwined with the Nexus's elemental tapestry, threatening to unravel the very fabric of Nexustead, and the Enclave beyond.
The moonlit glow around Lunella intensified as she began her divination, seeking insights into the optimal course of action. She perceived the strengths and weaknesses of the Abyssal Leader, glimpsed the corrupted pathways through which the abyssal forces moved, and discerned the lingering traces of Nexustead's defenders trapped in the shadows. At once, a plan crystallized in Lunella's mind, a fusion of celestial insight and elemental strategy. Opening her eyes, Lunella emerged from her astral trance, a sense of purpose etched across her visage.
“We must target the corrupted ley lines converging on the Elemental Nexus,” she announced, her voice carrying the weight of celestial guidance. “By disrupting these dark pathways, we can weaken the Abyssal Leader's influence and safeguard the Nexus.” Her gaze then turned to the corrupted defenders, and a glimmer of compassion softened her resolve. “We will need to break the Abyssal Leader's hold on our tainted comrades,” she continued. “By combining my lunar magic with the power of the nexus, I can cleanse the corruption, restoring their true essence. If we synchronize our efforts, Nexustead can yet emerge from this shadowed hour.”
Even as she and Xolys rematerialized in the center of the reception hall, Olivia still found herself frozen with shock. It took the sound of her partner’s voice to finally shatter her paralysis.
“Olivia, are you all right?” the techno horror asked, his voice filled with concern.
“Oh Xolys!” Olivia cried, clinging to the technomantic terror in a tight embrace. “A-All those poor people!” the bluenette sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks. “H-He killed them all!”
“I know,” Xolys replied in a somber tone, even as a technomantic tendril gently stroked Olivia’s hair. “I only wish I had been swift enough to protect them,” he added. “As it was, it took all my power to ensure that you escaped unharmed.”
“B-But what do we do now?!” Olivia asked, her eyes wide with panic. “I-If Necroid 99 is really working with Tsubotica, then he’s about to steal the Power Stone! We need to warn everybody! Oh! B-But, how do we know who’s been taken over by Tsubotica and who hasn’t?! A-Anybody could be a potential enemy!”
“True,” Xolys conceded. “Yet, we must at least make an attempt to sound the alarm. In addition, I highly doubt that Tsubotica, or any other character from Gearmantic Hearts, has anything to do with the current crisis,” he added. “Whoever was masquerading as Necroid 99 almost certainly fabricated that story in order to enlist our aid in his nefarious scheme.”
“And I fell for it completely…” Olivia muttered through gritted teeth. “We’ve gotta make things right!” she declared a moment later, her voice filled with renewed determination as she raised two clenched fists. “Come on! Let’s go tell security!”
Shrinking down to travel mode, Xolys allowed Olivia to return him to her backpack, before the pair set off to find a member of the event’s security staff. The eldritch robot only hoped that whoever they found would believe their story…
Lunella listened to Orion's impassioned declaration, her gaze fixed on the unfolding chaos. Her expression remained calm, but her eyes gleamed with a quiet determination. As the Abyssal Leader's ominous voice echoed in their minds, she felt a surge of lunar energy within her.
“In the face of the abyss, our unity becomes an unbreakable bond,” she murmured, her voice carrying a soothing yet resolute tone as sublime understanding filled her. With a graceful motion, she extended her hands, channeling the essence of moonlight into the air.
The silvery radiance intertwined with Orion's fiery proclamation, creating a harmonious convergence of elemental and celestial energies. Lunella's response was not just in words but in the ethereal dance of moonlight that echoed her commitment to the defense of Nexustead.
“Our resolve is a beacon that pierces the shadows,” she continued, a quiet assurance in her voice. “The light we wield transcends the encroaching darkness. Together, we stand against the Abyssal Convergence, guardians of a realm that shall not yield to the abyss.”
Upon seeing the plight of the Celestial Defender ensnared by the Elemental Marauder, Lunella was compelled to reinforce her words with decisive action. Focusing the essence of moonlight into her hands, she moved with a fluidity that matched the dance of the celestial bodies, aiming to reach the defender and counteract the abyssal corruption with the purifying touch of lunar magic. But first, the Abyssal Marauder would need to be dealt with. Pointing her glowing crescent blade at the twisted abomination, the lunar maiden fired a silvery moonbeam, which lanced forth to impale the creature, forcing it back in an explosive shower of shimmering moon dust and repelling the spread of its corruptive influence in the process.
As the tendrils of darkness were pushed back with a gentle, yet potent force, Lunella employed Moonlit Healing to mend and cleanse the wounded Celestial Defender, while whispering calming words that encouraged the warrior to resist the abyss and find strength in the unity of their shared purpose. Her efforts were not just a magical mending, but also an infusion of hope and resilience, a testament to the power of both her lunar magic and selfless heart in the face of the encroaching forces of the Abyssal Convergence.
Nyxia’s psychotic laughter continued even as The Omega Obliterator’s crackling beam caused Suki’s food monster to burst into dozens of smaller, but no less disgusting, creatures. Indeed, the sight filled The Neon Tempest with delight, as it meant that her precious “baby” would have even more toys to play with. As for Willow, Nyxia barely paid her any thought at all, figuring that if the blonde wasn’t capable of dodging The Omega Obliterator’s ravening torrent of annihilation as it wildly writhed around her, then she probably would have already been eaten by a Miseria long ago. Even as the swarm of culinary abominations turned their full attention towards her, The Neon Tempest’s sadistic grin only spread wider.
“That’s it!” Nyxia cried, an excited gleam filling her eyes. “Come and die for me, you little shit stains!” she added with a deranged giggle as her two octahedral hair decorations detached and, in a blur of shifting geometry, reconfigured themselves into floating drones, which promptly disgorged their own death rays to join The Omega Obliterator’s own ruinous cylinder of annihilation. “Die! Die! DIE!!! HAHAHAHAHAAA!!!”
Maybe the meal had been a festering pile of garbage, but at least she was enjoying the entertainment…
To Pentius-04’s amazement, no one seemed to react to MDP’s enthusiastic mention of Doctor Nykannis, causing the bodyguard to breathe a sigh of relief. Discussion instead moved to the possibility of a change in meeting venue, culminating in Connie offering to host everyone in her expanded interdimensional home. Being such an innocuous presence, despite her forbidding specialization, everyone agreed to the masked maiden’s suggestion, and, soon enough, 04 found herself rushing to keep up with Lily as the excitable greenette ran through the home’s newly opened entryway. Although she highly doubted Connie would do anything to harm Lily, or anyone else present for that matter, as the greenette’s bodyguard, 04 wasn’t about to take any chances…
Job Satisfaction | Chatty | Mana Font | Mystic Might
Cagey | Expendable | Big Brother
“Oh my, what a lovely name!” the Angel told Rose with a brilliant smile after the other girl had introduced herself. Yet, what really got the heavenly beauty’s attention was what the new arrival said next…
That’s the Keeper of the Keys?! Holy shit… This must be my lucky night! I mean, it sure as hell took long enough, but better late than never…
“Oh, no,” the Angel told Rose when asked if her “friends” were also present. “The poor souls I have pledged to help are the members of a support group for inconvenient magical abilities that meets once a week at a tea shop in the Overcity,” she explained. “And their many horrific afflictions are not all the result of corruption,” she added.
And they’re not my friends… Shit, I wouldn’t wanna even be seen in public with those losers…
“For instance,” she continued. “One tragic case involves an unfortunate maiden whose magic is so strong, it causes a raincloud to remain over her head, even in her mundane form! Is that not unspeakably awful?!”
Hey guys, Kate Carson here! This chapter features some content that might offend the easily offended, so, uh, just keep that in mind if you actually decide to read it! -Kate
Wow, sure is crowded in here… Kate noted as she made her way through the veritable sea of bodies that filled The World Fighting Carnival’s vast reception hall, her meager size allowing her to slip between the larger, musclebound fighters with relative ease.
The various Nomads were an eclectic bunch, to be sure, with cyborgs, robots, genetically engineered super soldiers, supernatural creatures, and even a few mages and magical girls in attendance, along with the myriad ki-enhanced martial artists (not to mention the overly-energetic announcer with a purple worm on her head). Still, when one was a seasoned multiversal traveler like Kate, for whom crossing from one universe to another was as easy as crossing the street, it was all fairly mundane. In fact, it really wasn’t any different from any of the other gatherings of magicals, espers, or so-called “superheroes” she’d been to in the past, although super powered fighters weren’t the only people present. Since it was taking place in a universe that didn’t really have a “masquerade” to speak of, the event had quite a considerable media presence on hand to record the various happenings and conduct interviews. Not wanting her vacation to be entirely unproductive, Kate had offered her photography skills to Fighting News Now! magazine, a publication she had done some work for during her previous visits to this universe. Although its editor, M. Malachi Magnuson, was a dictatorial control freak, and its star journalist, Polly Path, was quite the prima donna, for someone who had done freelance work for both the Daily Planet and the Daily Bugle (not to mention the infamous Penrose Independent), dealing with FNN’s “detestable duo” was a piece of proverbial cake.
As she wandered through the crowd, snapping pictures of any particularly interesting sights, Kate’s attention was drawn to the strange trio that were hovering in mid-air above the bustling crowd. One appeared to be a Buddhist monk, deep in contemplation, who calmly floated several feet off the ground. Another was a bearded flagellant, who spun through the air like a whirling dervish, while furiously whipping himself with a leather belt. Finally, the third, and furthest off the ground, was a small, annoyed-looking girl whose arms didn’t even extend beyond the sleeves of her outfit. Raising her camera, Kate prepared to take a picture of this somewhat comical scene. However, no sooner had she snapped the photograph, then she felt someone crash into her, nearly knocking her off her feet.
“Woah!” the photographer yelped as she struggled to keep her balance.
“O-Oh gosh! I-I’m so sorry!” A nasally voice apologized hastily, shouting to be heard over the din of the crowd, coupled with the loud rapping that was now blasting from the room’s various speakers. “I-I hope I didn’t ruin your picture…”
“Nah, it’s fine,” Kate replied, taking a look at her camera’s display. “And don’t worry about the bump,” she added with a grin. “Ya kinda have to expect gettin’ shoved around a little in a crowded place like this. I’m Kate, by the way,” she introduced herself, while holding out her hand. “Kate Carson.”
“I’m Olivia Bell,” the bespectacled bluenette replied with a big smile as she took the offered hand. “And this is my best friend, Xolys!” she added, pulling a small, seemingly scratch-built robot from her backpack and presenting him to Kate.
Olivia Bell, huh? I thought she looked kinda familiar…
“Hey little guy,” Kate told the robot, taking one of his electrical wire tendrils between two fingers and giving it a small shake. “Nice to meet ya! You too, Olivia.”
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, Miss Carson,” Xolys replied.
“Y-Yes! It’s very nice to meet you, too!” Olivia added.
“Gotta say, I wasn’t expecting to literally run into the famous video game character come to life and his partner today,” Kate noted with a chuckle, while reflecting on all the various differences that iterations of the same individual could display across multiple universes. Yet, even if those differences could be quite drastic, there were also plenty of similarities…
“Are you a Nomad, too?!” Olivia asked with exceptional eagerness, her eyes beginning to sparkle. “Is that camera how you fight?! Oh! I bet it totally is! Like, it’s a super awesome magitech invention that was made by your mad scientist best friend, and it lets you create negative copies of anything you take pictures of with it, which can then fight on your behalf!” she rambled, eyes getting bigger and smile getting wider with each passing second. “It probably has lots of other cool abilities too, like freezing people in place and speeding up or slowing down time for anyone you aim it at! But its most simple feature is also its most useful, since any time you take a picture of someone, you get to find out everything about them!”
While Olivia continued to babble, Kate began to grow increasingly pale, and one of her eyes had begun to twitch. When the bluenette finally stopped, Kate simply blinked three times, momentarily reduced to stunned silence. “T-That’s, uh, oddly specific…” she replied in a dazed deadpan once she’d finally regained her ability to speak. “But, nope, I’m not a Nomad!” she added with a nervous chuckle. “Just a humble freelance photographer! My last job got finished waaaay faster than I was expecting it to,” she explained. “So I thought I’d take a little vacation down in sunny Brazil, and since I’m here, I figured I might as well make a little money on the side. So, yeah, just a photographer takin’ pictures for a magazine,” she reiterated, holding up her camera for emphasis. “In fact, I try to avoid gettin’ into fights if I can help it.”
“My apologies,” Xolys intoned. “My dear Olivia can get rather… carried away…”
“Gosh!” the bespectacled bluenette exclaimed, her enthusiasm worryingly undiminished. “So, do you wanna interview us?!” she asked the photographer, her jubilant face now only a few short inches away from Kate’s own. “Oh, wow! I’ve never been interviewed before! This is so exciting! Let’s see, my favorite color is eldritch blue, my favorite author is H.P. Lovecraft, and my favorite pizza topping is fried octopus tentacle, but most places don’t seem to have it, which is really strange, because it tastes so good, especially when—”
“Woah! Woah!” Kate yelped, while holding up both hands, her fingers splayed wide. “I’m just a photographer! I leave the interviews to the actual journalists.”
“O-Oh… Okay…” Olivia replied, her demeanor suddenly becoming quite sullen. “S-Sorry for getting ahead of myself….” she apologized. “It’s just that, I’ve never been interviewed before, well, except for that first time, but that one had to be cut short because they said they were having technical issues, so I was really looking forward to finally getting a chance to do my first real interview…”
“H-Hey,” Kate spoke up, feeling kinda terrible about dashing the poor girl’s hopes. “I’m sure there are plenty of other reporters here who would love to give you an interview,” she added.
“You really think so?!” Olivia asked, rapidly returning to her typical exuberance as she brought her face less than an inch away from Kate’s.
“U-Uh, y-yeah!” Kate replied with a nervous chuckle as she leaned back in an attempt to put as much space between her and Olivia as possible. “Y-You’ll probably bump into one in no time!”
“Oh, wow! I really hope so! Oh! Before we go, could you at least take our picture?!” Olivia asked as she hugged Xolys to her chest.
“Sure!” Kate replied with a grin as she readied her camera. “Like I always say, it’s the pictures that tell the story.”
Striking the best pose they could, given the circumstances, Olivia and Xolys waited for Kate to get the perfect angle, and then…
*SNAP!*
“Okay, looks great!” Kate announced after examining her camera’s display. “Welp, guess I’ll see ya around,” she added as she got ready to depart. “Good luck in the tournament!”
“O-Okay!” Olivia called to the departing photographer. “A-And thanks so much!”
Yeesh… Kate thought as she hurried away. She’s even more excitable than the last version of her I met…
While Kate knew that there were other important personages she would need to get photos of, like SHINING’s newest Justice Rider and Horizon Frontiers’ own recently unveiled rider knockoff, the photographer figured the best time for that would be during a match. After all, who wanted to see a superhuman fighter just standing around? Watching one about to deliver a charged-up attack in the midst of a pulse-pounding battle was what people were really hungry for, and Kate was fully prepared to give them what they wanted. But first, she wanted to take care of her own need for sustenance.
Well, can’t say they half assed the catering, she observed as she looked over the massive spread in the center of the hall.
Even with all the fighters in attendance, it seemed like no one had even managed to make a dent in the extravagant feast, and Kate was sure she could indulge to her heart’s content without anyone batting an eye. As she began adding items to her plate, she heard the sound of a mid-air explosion, but it only succeeded in making the photographer smirk. Chances were, it was merely one of the Nomads giving a demonstration of their abilities, and if it was something more dangerous, there were plenty of others on hand to deal with it. Indeed, the anthropomorphic bat and armored amazon on the other side of the table seemed more interested in gushing over a fiery-haired, androgynous individual than paying the recent detonation any mind. No sooner had Kate finished piling her plate, then the announcer declared that the first round of matches was about to begin.
Guess I should head over to the stands, the photographer noted. Wonder who I should watch first… I really need to get some good shots of Horizon Rider and Justice Rider Blaze, but I’m pretty sure they’ll both make it to round two, so maybe I should start with checking out Olivia and Xolys’s match…
Upon venturing towards the stands, Kate would notice how little room there was to sit down. This appeared to be a pretty large event if the television cameras were anything to go by, almost like the venue couldn’t contain it all. Most of those seated didn’t look like normal pedestrians. It looked like it was mostly made up of contestants, with the occasional reporter thrown in for good measure. It was a collection of weirdos that made the few normal looking people stick out like a sore thumb. Normal looking people like Kate.
Thus, she was likely to become the target of unsolicited conversation.
She was approached by a man who could have played the big green giant in his younger days. But now he was much too old. His skin was pale, his beard as thick as moss, and there were even a few twigs nestled in his unkempt hair. He held his viridian cloak closed as he approached. The only reason Kate noticed him aside from everyone else looking at her was because of his height. His tall, lanky frame made him an oddity even among the other tall fighters, who had far thicker frames.
"She’s carrying a camera?" The druid stroked his beard. "Is she a photographer or a journalist?" He leaned in as his amber eyes examined her camera closer.
“Oh, uh, hey there,” Kate said with a slightly awkward smile as she stopped to let the elderly druid examine her camera. “I’m just a simple photographer,” she explained. “Is there, uh, somethin’ I can help ya with?”
The druid stood up straight. "Oh, I was lost in thought." It seemed like he was talking to himself rather than Kate. "But I’m glad you’ve offered your help. I’m having a hard time seeing the announcer, and I can’t help but feel that something is amiss. Almost like the world I’m in isn’t quite right." He pointed past Kate’s head. "Additionally, there are two nomads that look like they are ready to fight. That would not be an issue if it was part of the tournament, but it sounds like they’re squabbling over something else." Sure enough, a tiny blond girl and a guy who looked oddly like Elroy were having a heated discussion. Or at least it looked like the blond was getting heated. Her fingers were coiled around her sword hilt. "You seem like a nice lady. Would you mind speaking with them? I’d rather not involve security."
Squabbling Nomads? Trouble seeing the announcer? Not in the right world? What the hell was Kate supposed to do about any of that? She was just an ordinary photographer, and the match was just about to start. She didn’t have time to deal with the “problems” of a senile old druid who probably wandered through a random portal after eating one hallucinogenic mushroom too many. Still, she couldn’t just tell the guy to screw off so…
“Well, I’m not really sure if I’m the best person to break up an argument,” Kate replied with a chuckle as she turned to look at the pair the druid had pointed out. “But I guess I could give it a shot,” she conceded, snapping a quick picture of the two Nomads in an effort to gain some insight into the reason for their confrontation. “As for the announcer, I can’t see ‘em either, but I think the most important thing is being able to hear ‘em, y’know?”
As if to prove the photographer’s point a deafening voice called out,
“BEGIN!”
Crap… Hope I can deal with this garbage without missing too much of the match…
On Kate’s way over, her camera did tell her a few details. The Elroy-looking fellow was Daniel Castro, a mexican football player gone nomad. He worked for SHINING, but wasn’t quite as high profile as the other people Kate wanted to photograph. The other one was Oriko Ishii, but she wasn’t an actual nomad. She was a magical girl that went by the title Oros the Swift. Were they analogs from her world? A glance at their behaviors wouldn’t make it seem evident.
It seemed that Oriko had it out for a rapper and destroyed some speakers. Not wanting to get blamed for it, she set things up to frame Dan for the whole thing. Dan had been disqualified from entering the contest, but he soon figured out what had happened. He had approached Oriko to talk about what happened, but she denied everything. Still, being found out made her irritable, and she called one of the contestants autistic. When told to knock it off, she misgendered someone with they/them pronouns and was promptly disqualified along with Dan. Oriko blames Dan for setting her up, but Dan just wants an apology. Neither of them are backing down, and things are starting to escalate.
”If you played your cards right, we’d both still be in this thing! You’re a member of SHINING after all, they’d have overlooked it.” Oriko folded her arms inside her kimono. ”But no, you cracked like an egg and admitted to something you didn’t do. That doesn’t give you permission to try and drag me down with you!”
”I’m not even mad I was disqualified. Honestly? I’m a little relieved.” Daniel didn’t budge. He was apprehensive about fighting, but he held his ground without trying to appear too aggressive. ”But what you did was wrong. Taking out Jaden’s speakers made everyone a lot happier. But those were also WFC property. We can’t just go smashing people's stuff.”
”No wonder Mexico is still ruled by its cartells. You guys just roll over and let your aggressors do whatever they want to you.”
”Hey...”
”Well I’m built of sterner stuff than you, and-”
Both nomads turned to look at Kate when she approached.
”The worm wins.” Dan stated. Oriko gave the slightest nod of her head, like there was great shame in agreeing with this statement.
”Who cares about that fight anyway? It’s just some American ginger with a gun fetish facing off against- Is that Xolys?”
“Yup,” Kate confirmed. “He’s a lot bigger when he’s—Woah!”
Oriko picked up Kate by the back of her shirt and marched towards the stands. Dan merely huffed and walked after them. When Kate was lowered back down, it was in a seat between Oriko and Dan.
Welp, at least they’ve stopped tryin’ to fight each other, Kate reflected. And I’m actually getting to watch the match, so I suppose this counts as a successful outcome…
”To pick up our conversation from earlier, the worm most certainly wins. If it doesn’t, it’s because that girl is going to screw it up somehow.”
Dan raised an eyebrow. Kate could practically sense the desire to express something, but he regained control before his intrusive thoughts won. ”I like her outfit. She really went in on the blue look.”
”Why am I not surprised?” Oriko grumbled under her breath.
While the pair bantered, the cowgirl had opened fire with her sizable weapons, although her target wasn’t Xolys, but Olivia…
Yikes… As much as Kate hated to admit it, Oriko was right. Olivia was undoubtedly Xolys’s biggest weakness, although at present, it seemed that was less to do with any lack of skill on the bluenette’s part and more with simple naiveté.
Thankfully, it wasn’t hard for Xolys to intercept the cowgirl’s ki bullets with his massive body, the multiple impacts sending showers of sparks flying off the eldritch machine’s technomantic armor.
“Hey! You’re supposed to be fighting Xolys, not me!” Olivia called out, even as she used her custom game controller to instruct her monstrous partner to lash out at the cowgirl with one of his technomantic tendrils via a series of quick button taps.
“You’re on the battlefield…” the cowgirl said as she dodged Xolys’s technomantic tentacle in a superhuman burst of agility and pulled out a grenade that was painted with the stars and stripes. “That means you’re a combatant!”
She threw the grenade and it exploded with a massive burst of red, white, and blue.
“B-But…! Uh… T-That’s not…!” Olivia stammered, before instructing Xolys to begin rapidly spinning his myriad tendrils around himself in an effort to disperse the patriotic-themed smoke.
“So, uh, why’d you two wanna fight in this thing so badly, anyway?” Kate asked her new companions. “I mean, I know a Power Stone’s up for grabs, but what were ya plannin’ on doin’ with it if ya won it?”
”It wasn’t about the stone for me.” One of Dan’s agents stopped by with a tray full of refreshments, which he moved onto his lap. ”It was just to get some combat experience against other nomads. Getting to fight against Justice Rider Blaze would have been amazing, but there’s always next year. It’s not like I’m in danger of fading into irrelevance.” He offered the tray to the others, and Oriko grabbed a drink off it.
”I wanted to wipe that smug grin off of Jayden’s face. I mean, no way is he winning, but I wanted to be the one to do it. Second goal was to rise above all of these other weirdos and prove I’m the strongest. But I guess it’ll be more interesting next year when someone has the power stone. At least then I can look forward to a worthy opponent.”
“So, uh, maybe all this was for the best then, huh?” Kate observed, while grabbing a drink for herself from the tray. “Besides,” she added, turning to Oriko after taking a sip of the ice cold beverage. “If you’re really The Oros the Swift, then I’m sure you’ll be able to spin this to your advantage. Y’know, say somethin’ like, ‘Justin was so afraid of facing me that he bribed the officials to get me disqualified’.” It might not have been true, and a colossal asshole like Jaden, the “Rapping Ronin”, might have been a far more likely candidate to do such a thing, but after learning about Oriko’s crush on Justin, Kate just had to see what the blonde magical girl’s reaction would be if she used him as an example instead.
”I guess.” Oriko did a double take. ”Wait, Justin? The cute cyborg guy?” She averted her eyes. ”Why would I slander him? E-even if I could beat him-”
Dan raised his hand to interject. ”Cute cyborg?”
”Y-you know what I mean!” Oriko folded her arms, but her face was getting more red by the second. ”He’s blond, has a boyish face, always has those headphones on. I also heard he likes dancing, and if it’s anything like he fights it’s probably really good.”
”I thought you said no one here could beat you?”
”Probably not. But you don’t-” She sighed and tightened her arms. ”I mean this is the world’s best. Just because I could have beaten everyone doesn’t mean he’s bad at fighting, it means he can’t measure up to me!”
”I see.” Dan looked back at the arena. ”I wonder if he’s humble enough to apologize.”
”Ugh!” Oriko also looked ahead. ”You’re more tenacious than a cockroach.”
For her part, Kate couldn’t keep herself from chuckling at the exchange her little “suggestion” produced. “Sorry, I meant to say Jaden,” the photographer admitted. “Just a minor slip up,” she added innocently. “It’s probably because their names both start with ‘J’.”
By this point, the cowgirl had been ensnared by Xolys’s techno tendrils and was now being reeled into range of the technomantic terror’s other appendages. The trans-phasic energy scythe-tipped limbs darted out to repeatedly jab the cowgirl with a series of powerful blows, and although the attacks were blunted due to the rules of the tournament, they were still more than sufficient to batter a Nomad senseless. However, before she could be knocked unconscious, the cowgirl reached down and pulled out two grenades, which promptly exploded. The force of the twin detonations sent her hurtling backwards and severely damaged several of Xolys’s appendages. However, the crimson-haired cowgirl was still being tightly held by a single techno-tendril, and Xolys’s cyclopean, neon blue eye was beginning to glow ever-brighter…
An instant later, a churning beam of unreality lanced out to slam into the cowgirl with staggering power. She quickly rolled to the side to dodge the beam, before pulling out her machine guns and blazing away at the tendril that had her bound. Such concentrated firepower was enough to sever the tendril, the part wrapped around the futuristic cowgirl disintegrating in a shimmer of blue particles. Yet, even before those particles had fully faded, three more tendrils shot out in quick succession to hold her in place, while Xolys’s eye began to glow again, clearly powering up for another blast…
Yet, even as the techno-tendrils coiled around her, the cowgirl pulled out a bazooka and shot a rocket right into Xolys’s face. It shot across the arena, before being annihilated mid-flight by the eldritch energies of Xolys’s unreality beam. A moment later, each of the three tendrils holding the cowgirl in place sent a torrent of eldritch electricity shooting into her, which caused her body to violently convulse. However, even these spasms couldn’t prevent her from making one final gesture of defiance…
“Oh crap!” Olivia cried as a grenade was chucked towards her.
Even as a techno tendril whipped out to knock her out of the grenade’s path, Xolys fired another unreality beam at the convulsing machine gunner.
“Are you all right, Olivia?!” Xolys asked, his voice filled with concern.
“Y-Yeah, I’m okay,” Olivia replied shakily as she tried to catch her breath after having the wind knocked out of her. “T-Thanks, Xolys.”
“AAAAAAND THE AMERICAN DREAMER IS OUT!”
The announcer shouted with wild exuberance.
“THIS MATCH GOES TO OLIVIA AND XOLYS!”
“Welp, that was sure one heck of a match, huh?” Kate noted.
”It was okay.”
”I liked it a lot!” Dan grinned.
“Guess you were right about Xolys comin’ out on top,” Kate added with a grin.
Oriko folded her arms. ”They’ll go down the next round.”
”That worm looks unbeatable though.”
“So, you two gonna stick around for the rest for the tournament, or…?” The photographer’s voice trailed off as her phone started ringing. Retrieving it from her jacket pocket, she tapped the device and held it to her ear. “Hello? Oh, hey! What’s up? Ouch… Well that sucks… Oh? Huh, that’d be fun to see, and I should be able to manage it. So, do ya want me to start workin’ on that before or after the ‘caustic bovine’ thing?”
“NOW, DAMN IT!!!” the voice on the other side of the phone shouted, the volume being so loud that a cringing Kate had to hold the phone a fair distance away so as not to be deafened.
“Sheesh… Okay, okay, chill out!” she told the other party. “I’m pretty sure I’ve already got two of the photos ya want, but I’m kinda in the middle of a job, so I can’t leave to get the others just yet. Huh? Really? Well, I’ll keep a lookout, but with all the possible universes they could’ve wound up in, the odds of any of ‘em showin’ up here are kinda slim. Okay, see ya.” With that she returned the phone to her pocket. “Sorry about that,” the photographer apologized. “Just an old friend in a bit of a bad mood.”
Oriko shrugged her shoulders. ”Whatever. You seem like you can be insufferable when you want to be.” With a sigh, she reclined. ”I guess I can watch a few more matches. Gotta see Jayden lose to ‘bizby land’ so that I can rub it in his face afterwards. How about you, Dan?”
”You still haven’t apologized.” He sighed. ”But I am enjoying myself. It’s inspiring watching strong fighters go head to head. ”
”Sounds like we’re going to be here a while.”
“So, uh, I guess I’ll be seein’ ya around,” Kate told the pair as she got up to head back to the main reception hall. “Oh!” the photographer added, pulling out her phone once more. “And if ya happen to see either of thesetwo,” she continued, showing them images of the individuals in question on her phone’s screen. “Can ya shoot me a text?”
I’d ask about the wolf girl, too, but she could look like practically anything…
Oriko raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. She just nodded along and looked ahead. Dan raised his hand like a child in school. ”Don’t we need your number to text you?”
“Yup, it’s right here,” Kate replied, taping her phone and bringing up her contact info.
”Right.” Oriko and Dan pulled out their phones to start adding Kate, only Oriko froze when she realized they both had the same phone case. ”Is that-” She lifted a hand to her mouth. ”Is that a red cauldron you have on your phone?”
”The case?” He looked at it. ”I think so.”
Oriko pulled Dan closer. To look at the phone. Maybe, ”It even has the same pattern on it.”
”Okay?”
After some time, Oriko nodded. ”Very well. I apologize for getting you thrown out of the tournament.”
Dan raised an eyebrow, but he was starting to smile. ”It’s fine. Getting Jaden to stop singing was the right thing to do.”
”Speaking of singing…” Oriko bat her eyes before looking over her shoulder at Kate ”Was there anything else? It sounded like you had someplace to be.”
“Nope, that’s all!” Kate replied. “And since it looks like Horizon Rider and Justice Rider Blaze both won their matches, I’m gonna see if I can talk whoever’s in charge of pairing opponents to match them up against each other for round two,” she added with a grin. “Gotta get some good shots of both of ‘em, so might as well kill two birds with one stone, right? Well, you two have fun!” she called over her shoulder as she joined the crowd heading back to the reception hall.
Heh… Y’know, they actually make a pretty cute couple…
Meanwhile, back at the Meeting…
Connie
3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 5 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 5
Oddball: Nightmares | Tentacles
Enhanced Weapon | Power Artifact | Mystic Artifact | Ally | Interdimensional Home
Focused | Mental Link | Hidden Death | Mana Font | Mystic Might
Alien Mind | Formless | Rival Force | Clueless
Mia
3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 5 | 8 | 7 | 22 | 5
Wood | Barrage
Enhanced Weapon | Dual Weapon | Purification Artifact | Big Red Button
Blessing | Divine Competence | Gifted Item | Mana Font | Mystic Might
Rites| Arrogance | Big Brother | Clueless
(But actually just Connie)
As she listened to the debate over where to move the meeting, Connie realized that she might have a possible solution, and so, as soon as there was a slight pause in the discussion, the masked maiden timidly raised a trembling hand.
“U-U-Um, i-if you’d l-like, w-we c-could m-move the m-meeting to m-my i-interdimensional home,” she offered. “I-It’s l-larger than a n-normal one, s-so e-everyone s-should be able to f-fit…”
“There is no fucking way I’m eating that,” Nyxia told Suki, even as a trembling finger pointed at the gurgling slop the piranha-mouthed girl had so creatively named “Endless Eclipse”.
The others seemed to have similar sentiments, with the blonde who’d been sitting next to The Neon Tempest going so far as to actually run from the meal as fast as her legs could carry her. Earthshaker was the only exception to this otherwise all-pervasive disgust, and The Neon Tempest watched with astonishment as the tribal girl not only began serving everyone a bowl of the bubbling goop, but upon completing that task actually ate a spoonful of it!
“D-Delicious?!” Nyxia echoed, even as her visage contorted with revulsion. “Are you out of your fucking mind?! I can’t fucking believe you actually put that shit in your mouth!”
However, before Roche could respond, Suki decided to sample her own twisted creation, but not before changing back into her magical girl form. As far as Nyxia was concerned that was proof enough of how hazardous this toxic waste masquerading as food was to one’s health, and what happened next only reinforced that sentiment…
As The Neon Tempest watched, Suki’s serving exploded out of her bowl to not only splatter all over her face (served the psycho right), but also fly back into the larger pot. A few seconds later, and something that, while possibly not a Miseria, certainly looked like one, emerged from it. “The fuck is that…?” Nyxia wondered aloud, even as the creature lurched into horrifyingly swift motion in pursuit of the perhaps-not-so-wisely-fleeing blonde…
“Well, at least things just got more entertaining!” The Neon Tempest declared with a sadistic giggle as she aimed her massive weapon at the departing monstrosity and disgorged a wildly crackling torrent of incandescent annihilation. “Ya might make me wanna vomit, but my precious little baby is gonna EAT YOU UP!!! HAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!”
Lunella observed Orion's fiery display with a focused expression, her eyes tracing the dance between his flames and the elusive Shadowy Manifestations. Recognizing the potency of his elemental mastery, she decided to complement his efforts with her own unique abilities.
As Orion launched torrents of flames, Lunella stepped forward, drawing upon the lunar magic that flowed within her. “In the name of the moons’ grace, I shall weave a tapestry of light to guide your flames, Orion,” the young Lunatic told her companion with a serene smile, her gentle voice carrying a melodic quality. Retrieving her Crescent Blade from the folds of her robe, she raised the shimmering weapon high, infusing it with the essence of moonlight. Focusing on precision and timing, she synchronized her movements with Orion's attacks.
With a graceful wave of her luminous weapon, Lunella directed beams of silvery moonlight toward the shadowy forms, weaving her magic to enhance Orion's assault. The ethereal beams danced alongside his flames, creating a harmonious interplay of fire and moonlight against the encroaching darkness.
The combination of Orion's fierce flames and Lunella's guiding moonlight worked in tandem, creating a potent synergy that aimed to repel the Abyssal threat. As they fought side by side, the elemental and lunar energies intertwined, casting a brilliant display that pushed back the shadows, if only momentarily. The Celestial Defenders found strength in their unity, determined to withstand the ominous forces that sought to consume Nexustead.
Before Willow could continue with her inane banter, Earthshaker emerged from the kitchen to inform them that their meal would be ready soon. The transformed girl then proceeded to take a seat at Nyxia’s table, choosing to sit on the bench across from her. However, since the Neon Tempest was sitting on the table itself and facing the kitchen door, this meant that the club’s rule keeper was now staring at her bare back. “Enjoying the view?” Nyxia sneered, turning her head to face her supposed “partner”. “You better hope Suki doesn’t catch you staring,” she added with a smirk. “Or are the two of you not an item?”
Speaking of Suki, the piranha-toothed girl chose that moment to reveal what her cooking had accomplished, even if Nyxia found herself wishing she hadn’t…
The smell alone made the Neon Tempest want to gag, but that was nothing compared to the sight of it. When the pot’s lid was opened, she was presented with what could have easily been a half-dead Miseria, writhing in its pitiful death throes. Indeed, what filled the pot looked like nothing more than a pile of bubbling, viscus mucus, or perhaps toxic waste. Whatever it was, it was nothing Nyxia wanted to be anywhere close to, let alone put in her mouth… Still, Suki had asked for her honest opinion, and Nyxia was more than happy to provide it.
“W-What the fuck is this shit?!” she snarled as her body visibly recoiled from the “meal”, her visage one of utter disgust. “Somethin’ ya dredged up from the fuckin’ toilet?!”
Thankfully for Pentius-04, her bubbly charge had calmed down considerably after various disheartening statements had been made. Although a small part of 04 felt bad for the idealistic girl, a far larger part was immensely grateful for how much the greenette’s sullen demeanor served to aid in the completion of her own objective. Even Chloe’s latest comments toward her were taken as more of a compliment than anything else. Yes, 04 reflected, things were going much smoother now, which, of course, meant that it was time for another awkward situation to manifest itself. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was MDP who initiated things by revealing that she knew of someone capable of hiding Penrose and placing a fake city atop it. As it happened, 04 also knew such a person, and she was pretty sure it was the same individual the Princess of Dreams was referring to. This was a problem, not only because said individual had absolutely zero interest in helping the inhabitants of Penrose, but also because bringing them up would inevitably focus everyone’s attention on 04 herself.
Maybe Lily didn’t hear her… And perhaps the others will simply ignore her ramblings as mere whimsical nonsense…
And maybe Penny will choose this moment to dump MDP and reveal she’s getting engaged to Oros.
Magical Dream Princess
3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 4 | 9 | 4 | 24 | 9
Oddball: Sweet Dreams | Barrage
Wealth and Resources (not while tf'd) | Enhanced Weapon | Power Artifact | Dual Weapon | Natural Aging | Money | Intuition
Focused | Mental Link | Hidden Death | Mana Font | Mystic Might
Alien Mind | Formless | Rival Force | Clueless
“Like, she totally wotally does~! (giggle!)” MDP replied to Lily’s inquiry. “And, like, Magical Dream Princess will totally wotally asky wasky~!” the cheerful girl added. “But, like, Magical Dream Princess thinkie winkies it’ll be even better wetter if everybodywody asky waskies together wether~! (giggle!)”
As if this wasn’t bad enough, Miko had to ask for this person’s name…
Please say you forget, please say you forget, please say you forget…
“Like, she’s a really super duper cooly wooly mad scientist wientist person werson namey waymied Nykannis Wannis~! (giggle!)” MDP revealed with a happy giggle. “Like, she got super duper angry wangry when Magical Dream Princess forgot her namey wamey last timey wimey, so, like, Magical Dream Princess worked super duper hard to always walways remember wember it from now onsie wonsie~!” the whimsical girl declared, sounding very proud of herself.
Job Satisfaction | Chatty | Mana Font | Mystic Might
Cagey | Expendable | Big Brother
To the Angel’s considerable shock, no sooner had she mentioned the Keeper of the Keys, then a rose-haired girl approached and said that she might be able to pass a message on to the mysterious individual.
“Oh, goodness! That would indeed be most helpful, kind champion,” the Angel told the newcomer with a bright smile. “Thank you so very much for this remarkably generous offer!”
Holy shit… Is this really happening?
“If this humble servant may be permitted a request of her own, there is a group of suffering souls that she has promised to free from their myriad torments,” the Angelic beauty continued, clasping her hands together in a gesture of supplication. “Would you perhaps be able to intercede with the most noble Keeper on their account?”
Yeah, the sooner I get that bunch of losers off my ass, the better…
Connie
3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 5 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 5
Oddball: Nightmares | Tentacles
Enhanced Weapon | Power Artifact | Mystic Artifact | Ally | Interdimensional Home
Focused | Mental Link | Hidden Death | Mana Font | Mystic Might
Alien Mind | Formless | Rival Force | Clueless
Mia
3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 5 | 8 | 7 | 22 | 5
Wood | Barrage
Enhanced Weapon | Dual Weapon | Purification Artifact | Big Red Button
Blessing | Divine Competence | Gifted Item | Mana Font | Mystic Might
Rites| Arrogance | Big Brother | Clueless
Connie’s mask formed a genuine smile when Kayli praised her suggestion, its stark white cheeks also turning a slight shade of red. “T-Thank you…” she whispered, feeling a little embarrassed from the attention, but also comforted by her guardian’s kind words.
More surprising by far, however, was Chloe’s response. It was substantially less playful and mocking than anything she had said up to this point, almost as if the junior coin broker was affording Connie a measure of respect she felt the others undeserving of. Was Chloe actually intimidated by her after hearing about what had happened to New York’s broker? Connie couldn’t begin to say, but she was appreciative of the noticeable lack of condescension shown towards her nonetheless.
“That was a wonderful suggestion, little sister,” Gaia whispered. “And I think it might have actually shaken her up, even if only slightly,” she added with a small smirk.
Shadow Dragon
twave
BrokenPromise
FaithfulMuse
Noctis
Majoraa
TaintedMushroom
MrSkimobile
Izurich
