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Chaos of Victory
- Thread starter enigmaMystere
- Start date
TempestZeta
Rolling Gacha
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- Aug 2, 2021
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Liveryn is here?
We are going to kill Liveryn
We are going to kill Liveryn
enigmaMystere
Making the rounds.
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- Aug 12, 2024
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- 449
How about now?
But then Fragile dies, doesn't she?
Rusa
Getting some practice in, huh?
- Joined
- May 24, 2020
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- 59
They aren't directly linked, its just that they have a suicide pact if either is working for Sixo again. So if Liveryn dies and Fragile doesn't know of Sixo's involvement or Sixo isn't involved, she's clear
Happy to see the Nikke who puts the Failure in Girlfailure Liveryn here, unsurprised she's delivering virus bomb packages. Hoping that with this Commander she might be able to develop as a person, or barring that, at least decide the side with Gachaman is the more profitable side to be on
11. To the Surface
New
enigmaMystere
Making the rounds.
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Within the next thirty minutes, Counters - that is, Rapi, Anis, Renamon and I - find ourselves at an entirely different elevator than the first one we used. Maiden left to report back to Ingrid after she got her phone back from me, and Poli left for the precinct to prevent anyone else from drinking that coffee. We agreed to meet back up after the mission to try and locate Liveryn and prevent her from giving any further virus bombs.
For now, we wait here for our last two squadmates. It is taking a bit of time, so half of us are leaning against any place that is a comfortable height. Renamon decided that sitting on a short pillar would be the best option, while Rapi stays standing, staring straight out at the hallway.
Anis speaks up, her voice trying to stay upbeat but subtly wavering. "So, keeping an eye out for other problems?"
"Two Corrupted Nikke attacked the Commander specifically in the short time that we were in the Ark," she responds, her brow furrowing. "And Marian's hands were moving toward his neck before she grabbed the gun. That's three times, and that makes a pattern."
"Can you prove she was reaching toward his neck?" Renamon asks, tilting her head.
"…no," she admits, frowning deeper. "Her arms twitched toward his face, so it isn't clear what she was trying to do."
"So right now it's just a coincidence," Anis says, despite sounding more tense than she was before. "Can't fault you for being cautious, though."
"Cautious about what?" A familiar voice says that causes the woman in yellow to tense up. As one, we all turn to see iDoll Ocean walking up, her body successfully repaired.
"The Nikke that attacked us," I carefully respond.
She works her mouth for a moment before shaking her head. "That doesn't make sense. Didn't she get shot by the other Commander?" I nod once, and she grips the straps to two medical boxes on her body. "Then why would you have to worry about her?"
"We don't," Anis snaps at her, a fiery storm of anger in her eyes. "We are worried about other Corrupted Nikke, you dumb-!" She cuts herself off, taking deep breaths before turning back to me. "So, who's our last member?"
"I don't actually know," I admit, rubbing the back of my neck. "I was going to ask Poli, but Ingrid said she already chose someone to be our fifth."
"They can do that?" Renamon asks, surprised.
"They have as much power as the Deputy Chief," Rapi responds. "If Ingrid wants to assign someone to us, we can't refuse."
"They're trying to kill us," Anis suddenly blurts out, forcing everyone's eyes to move to her. "Grouping us all together again? Sending us back up to the surface? Exceeding the amount of Nikkes that are allowed by the Central Government?" She gestures to thin air, her hands clenching angrily. "They want to have us all killed without anyone noticing!"
"What reason could they possibly have for doing that?" Shifty's voice cuts through Anis's rant.
"Gah!" The shortest blonde yelps, looking panicked. "You scared me! Where did you even come from?"
Their operator calmly explains to her, "I heard there's a new mission, so I came to assist." She continues, as though explaining a complicated subject to a toddler. Or maybe just algebra. "If they wanted you dead, you'd be dead already. They wouldn't bother with sending you back up to the surface." What, would they send Corrupted Nikkes our way, instead? "In other words, this is a normal operation."
"Normal as can be," Anis mutters, and I pat her shoulder reassuringly.
Rapi, ever the dutiful soldier, responds diligently. "If it's an order, I'll follow it." Her gaze drifts to me, her expression falling to something far more concerned. "But Commander… are you okay with this?"
"As far as I'm concerned, you're my family." The words spill out of me without a single thought, but I find that I do not disagree with any of them. I offer each of the girls a smile, placing a hand on my chest as I bow gratefully. "I believe in each and every one of you."
"Hey now!" Anis yelps, blushing in a rather adorable manner. "Where'd all that confidence come from all of a sudden?" She chuckles, punching my shoulder lightly. "Well we trust you too, Commander. For the time being, that is," she teases.
"Wait," Rapi interrupts, turning her head to the only way to the elevator. "Someone's coming." Anis hums in acknowledgment as we all turn to look at the person rounding the corner.
I blink at the surprisingly white uniform of the girl who appears, who looks slightly shorter than Anis. She startles when she sees us all staring at her, but recovers quickly enough. One hand adjusting her red framed glasses and brushing her white hair behind her ear, she introduces herself. "Hello. My name is Neon. I was sent to take part in this investigation." She smiles brightly, closing her blue eyes in the process. "Nice to meet you."
Shifty clicks her keys for a moment. "I got the personnel transfer notice just now. Is she wearing a white sailor outfit?"
"With a skirt and matching cap, yes," I respond.
"That is her," she confirms.
I nod and reach my hand out to our latest member, smiling warmly. "Welcome to the team." She promptly brightens up and grabs my hand with both of hers, shaking it once before letting go.
"Thank you, Commander!"
Meet all of Squad Counters! Gain a Silver Random Ticket!
I smile, looking out over my team. So this is what the real Squad Counters looks like, is it? I like it. And hey, maybe this roll will help us out further? I let it spin.
Anis interrupts my thoughts as she reaches past me to poke Neon's shoulder. "Hey. What type of Nikke are you, anyways?"
Neon seems to fluster for a moment before she tilts her head slightly, hiding her eyes as the light glints off her lenses. "Ah, yes, I believe I'm a spy."
…what. I am so stunned I miss the window with my roll again.
Anis looks just as dumbfounded as I feel. "Huh?"
Neon continues as if none of us are staring at her in disbelief. "My boss, Ingrid, instructed me to do my utmost in assisting you, after which I am to report back to her." She smiles brightly at the five of us. "This is what a spy does, no?"
Anis slowly pulls her hand back, quite uncertain. "I… guess so?"
"I've always wanted to be a spy!" She proclaims like someone who achieved a childhood dream. "I'm looking forward to working with you all. I'll try to be the best spy I can!"
I cannot help myself, smiling at her enthusiasm. "I look forward to working with you as well."
Anis decides to pull me off to the side, staring me down intensely. "You sure this isn't going to be a problem down the line?"
I chuckle and pat her head, making her hiss and duck away. "Don't worry, we can just all sign the contract. That should help us out, at least."
"And you think she won't just tell Ingrid?" She jabs me in the chest, making a valid point.
In exchange, I offer my rebuttal. "There is a good chance she'll tell, but I have to show some amount of trust." I wilt under her squinted gaze, knowing that she is judging me, and offer my other reason. "I don't want to lose you girls. I don't want to lose anyone ever again."
Her expression loses a measure of its ferocity, and she sighs, crossing her arms under her ample- I swiftly avert my gaze to her face, catching the amused smirk before she becomes serious once more. "Commander, I don't think compromising your secret is worth a chance of bringing us back."
"It's not just a chance," I try to convince her. "It's a guarantee that you will be back to life in two days, a full heal in a day as long as you're in the familiar space, which might very well be a separate plan of reality for protection, and an increase in power due to the Summoner trait I just got."
Her brow twitches twice. "And you didn't signal that you got said trait why?" I start sweating as I recall that I did indeed promise to mention whatever I got. She glares into my eyes for a long moment before sighing, holding out her hand. "Fine. Give me the damn contract."
I nod and quickly hand it over, watching as she snags a pen from a nearby clipboard and signs the contract. She freezes, eyes moving to her hands in awe as Rapi discretely takes the pen and signs as well.
Get Anis of Counters as your Familiar! Gain one Silver Random Ticket!
Get Rapi of Counters as your Familiar! Gain one Gold Random Ticket!
I blink owlishly at both Rapi's action and the messages, not having expected her to jump into signing like that. I look at Anis, but she seems stunned into silence by her sudden enhancement. Shoulders drooping slightly, I turn to the last two members of our squad. "Did you two want to sign, too?"
"Why?" Ocean asks, slightly wary due to Anis's reaction.
"You can become stronger," I try to shorten my explanation, "and free repairs in exchange for becoming my Familiars."
Finally! Respect the Capitals!
I mentally wave her off as the two look at each other. Neon walks forward and takes the pen, eyes gleaming. "Anything for more firepower!" Fire what? Before I can ask for clarification, she signs her name, humming happily.
Get Neon of Counters as your Familiar! Gain one Silver Random Ticket!
Ocean looks at each of the others, fidgeting slightly as she tries to convince herself. In the meantime, I roll the tickets I just got, wondering if Nandi can show me that one I missed.
Sure thing!
Thanks, Nandi. Alright, so what I got for meeting the full squad is…?
[Arc Reactor]
|Elite Item|
MCU - The Arc reactor is a revolutionary technology created by one of the greatest minds of the universe, Tony Stark. Even a tinker would find it difficult to replicate the technology due to the new element. The Reactor is so efficient that it can run indefinitely without replacement and provide more than 5 gigajoules of energy per second.
Thank you? Good to know I have my own personal generator, I suppose. How much is a gigajoule, anyways?
The average household uses about forty to ninety gigajoules.
Five gigajoules does not seem like much, then.
Each year.
…I stand corrected. I hope my embarrassed blush is not visible as the first roll ends.
[Omni Phone]
|Rare Item|
A mobile phone that has everything you need, being able to connect to a network regardless of distance, more storage space than you can count in numbers, a firewall that would take a machine god an aeon to crack and enough processing power to make a supercomputer blush.
Oh neat, upgrade to my current phone. I will have to wait until we are up on the surface to pull it out, but it is a great device to have. On top of that, this should help put Dragon quite a bit!
Ah, Ocean's looking to me for reassurance. I offer her a warm smile, hoping to let her know that I will accept whatever she decides. She looks to my right just as the next roll ends.
[Heat Object]
|Common Ability|
Allows you to heat up any object by touching it. The more energy you expend, the hotter and faster you can get the target object to heat up.
Helpful? I don't know, seems like just a facet of Wind Alteration, all things considered. Maybe something to use if I specifically need that and nothing else?
…yeah, I have nothing.
Oh, Ocean is grabbing the contract, so she must have decided to sign it. Why does she look so panicky? I glance at Anis to my right, noting her putting on an innocent facade. She smiles at me. I narrow my eyes at her as the last roll ends. What did she do?
[Bitch Breaker]
|Uncommon Trait|
Sometimes all a bad attitude needs is a good pounding. You are an expert at correcting attitudes through sex correction.
My train of thought derails instantly, and I can feel my face burn up from my blush. Anis gives me an odd look, but that does not matter because what the heck is this trait!? Is it possible to forget I ever got this?
Nope.
I feel myself deflate at this. Darn it. I guess Ocean is currently signing, so that's always a good thing, right? Right?
Get Yoyo of Counters as your Familiar! Gain one Bronze Random Ticket!
See, good news, even if it is only a bronze ticket. I roll it, gently patting Ocean on the shoulder as I gesture toward the elevator. We all pile on as I figure out how to explain my blessing to the newest members of my squad.
[Junimo]
|Common Familiar|
Stardew Valley - Junimos are lesser forest spirits and are called the keepers of the forest. They are supernaturally good at maintaining forests, wildlands, and farms, as well as farming effectively, but lack any offensive abilities. You get 50 Junimos, and that number increases as you get stronger.
Could be helpful, if I ever start a farm or maybe a grove. Maybe I could make a fruit or something and ask them to plant it or something? I wonder what they look like.
My mind keeps returning to that last message, and I turn to my friends, asking the question that is on my mind.
"Who is Yoyo?"
AN: So... family issues caused this one to have issues. I didn't have the energy for rewriting everything, so I hope you are alright with the current version.
Side note, I reworded one of the descriptions because honestly, it was too crass for my tastes. Hope that isn't an issue.
For now, we wait here for our last two squadmates. It is taking a bit of time, so half of us are leaning against any place that is a comfortable height. Renamon decided that sitting on a short pillar would be the best option, while Rapi stays standing, staring straight out at the hallway.
Anis speaks up, her voice trying to stay upbeat but subtly wavering. "So, keeping an eye out for other problems?"
"Two Corrupted Nikke attacked the Commander specifically in the short time that we were in the Ark," she responds, her brow furrowing. "And Marian's hands were moving toward his neck before she grabbed the gun. That's three times, and that makes a pattern."
"Can you prove she was reaching toward his neck?" Renamon asks, tilting her head.
"…no," she admits, frowning deeper. "Her arms twitched toward his face, so it isn't clear what she was trying to do."
"So right now it's just a coincidence," Anis says, despite sounding more tense than she was before. "Can't fault you for being cautious, though."
"Cautious about what?" A familiar voice says that causes the woman in yellow to tense up. As one, we all turn to see iDoll Ocean walking up, her body successfully repaired.
"The Nikke that attacked us," I carefully respond.
She works her mouth for a moment before shaking her head. "That doesn't make sense. Didn't she get shot by the other Commander?" I nod once, and she grips the straps to two medical boxes on her body. "Then why would you have to worry about her?"
"We don't," Anis snaps at her, a fiery storm of anger in her eyes. "We are worried about other Corrupted Nikke, you dumb-!" She cuts herself off, taking deep breaths before turning back to me. "So, who's our last member?"
"I don't actually know," I admit, rubbing the back of my neck. "I was going to ask Poli, but Ingrid said she already chose someone to be our fifth."
"They can do that?" Renamon asks, surprised.
"They have as much power as the Deputy Chief," Rapi responds. "If Ingrid wants to assign someone to us, we can't refuse."
"They're trying to kill us," Anis suddenly blurts out, forcing everyone's eyes to move to her. "Grouping us all together again? Sending us back up to the surface? Exceeding the amount of Nikkes that are allowed by the Central Government?" She gestures to thin air, her hands clenching angrily. "They want to have us all killed without anyone noticing!"
"What reason could they possibly have for doing that?" Shifty's voice cuts through Anis's rant.
"Gah!" The shortest blonde yelps, looking panicked. "You scared me! Where did you even come from?"
Their operator calmly explains to her, "I heard there's a new mission, so I came to assist." She continues, as though explaining a complicated subject to a toddler. Or maybe just algebra. "If they wanted you dead, you'd be dead already. They wouldn't bother with sending you back up to the surface." What, would they send Corrupted Nikkes our way, instead? "In other words, this is a normal operation."
"Normal as can be," Anis mutters, and I pat her shoulder reassuringly.
Rapi, ever the dutiful soldier, responds diligently. "If it's an order, I'll follow it." Her gaze drifts to me, her expression falling to something far more concerned. "But Commander… are you okay with this?"
"As far as I'm concerned, you're my family." The words spill out of me without a single thought, but I find that I do not disagree with any of them. I offer each of the girls a smile, placing a hand on my chest as I bow gratefully. "I believe in each and every one of you."
"Hey now!" Anis yelps, blushing in a rather adorable manner. "Where'd all that confidence come from all of a sudden?" She chuckles, punching my shoulder lightly. "Well we trust you too, Commander. For the time being, that is," she teases.
"Wait," Rapi interrupts, turning her head to the only way to the elevator. "Someone's coming." Anis hums in acknowledgment as we all turn to look at the person rounding the corner.
I blink at the surprisingly white uniform of the girl who appears, who looks slightly shorter than Anis. She startles when she sees us all staring at her, but recovers quickly enough. One hand adjusting her red framed glasses and brushing her white hair behind her ear, she introduces herself. "Hello. My name is Neon. I was sent to take part in this investigation." She smiles brightly, closing her blue eyes in the process. "Nice to meet you."
Shifty clicks her keys for a moment. "I got the personnel transfer notice just now. Is she wearing a white sailor outfit?"
"With a skirt and matching cap, yes," I respond.
"That is her," she confirms.
I nod and reach my hand out to our latest member, smiling warmly. "Welcome to the team." She promptly brightens up and grabs my hand with both of hers, shaking it once before letting go.
"Thank you, Commander!"
Meet all of Squad Counters! Gain a Silver Random Ticket!
I smile, looking out over my team. So this is what the real Squad Counters looks like, is it? I like it. And hey, maybe this roll will help us out further? I let it spin.
Anis interrupts my thoughts as she reaches past me to poke Neon's shoulder. "Hey. What type of Nikke are you, anyways?"
Neon seems to fluster for a moment before she tilts her head slightly, hiding her eyes as the light glints off her lenses. "Ah, yes, I believe I'm a spy."
…what. I am so stunned I miss the window with my roll again.
Anis looks just as dumbfounded as I feel. "Huh?"
Neon continues as if none of us are staring at her in disbelief. "My boss, Ingrid, instructed me to do my utmost in assisting you, after which I am to report back to her." She smiles brightly at the five of us. "This is what a spy does, no?"
Anis slowly pulls her hand back, quite uncertain. "I… guess so?"
"I've always wanted to be a spy!" She proclaims like someone who achieved a childhood dream. "I'm looking forward to working with you all. I'll try to be the best spy I can!"
I cannot help myself, smiling at her enthusiasm. "I look forward to working with you as well."
Anis decides to pull me off to the side, staring me down intensely. "You sure this isn't going to be a problem down the line?"
I chuckle and pat her head, making her hiss and duck away. "Don't worry, we can just all sign the contract. That should help us out, at least."
"And you think she won't just tell Ingrid?" She jabs me in the chest, making a valid point.
In exchange, I offer my rebuttal. "There is a good chance she'll tell, but I have to show some amount of trust." I wilt under her squinted gaze, knowing that she is judging me, and offer my other reason. "I don't want to lose you girls. I don't want to lose anyone ever again."
Her expression loses a measure of its ferocity, and she sighs, crossing her arms under her ample- I swiftly avert my gaze to her face, catching the amused smirk before she becomes serious once more. "Commander, I don't think compromising your secret is worth a chance of bringing us back."
"It's not just a chance," I try to convince her. "It's a guarantee that you will be back to life in two days, a full heal in a day as long as you're in the familiar space, which might very well be a separate plan of reality for protection, and an increase in power due to the Summoner trait I just got."
Her brow twitches twice. "And you didn't signal that you got said trait why?" I start sweating as I recall that I did indeed promise to mention whatever I got. She glares into my eyes for a long moment before sighing, holding out her hand. "Fine. Give me the damn contract."
I nod and quickly hand it over, watching as she snags a pen from a nearby clipboard and signs the contract. She freezes, eyes moving to her hands in awe as Rapi discretely takes the pen and signs as well.
Get Anis of Counters as your Familiar! Gain one Silver Random Ticket!
Get Rapi of Counters as your Familiar! Gain one Gold Random Ticket!
I blink owlishly at both Rapi's action and the messages, not having expected her to jump into signing like that. I look at Anis, but she seems stunned into silence by her sudden enhancement. Shoulders drooping slightly, I turn to the last two members of our squad. "Did you two want to sign, too?"
"Why?" Ocean asks, slightly wary due to Anis's reaction.
"You can become stronger," I try to shorten my explanation, "and free repairs in exchange for becoming my Familiars."
Finally! Respect the Capitals!
I mentally wave her off as the two look at each other. Neon walks forward and takes the pen, eyes gleaming. "Anything for more firepower!" Fire what? Before I can ask for clarification, she signs her name, humming happily.
Get Neon of Counters as your Familiar! Gain one Silver Random Ticket!
Ocean looks at each of the others, fidgeting slightly as she tries to convince herself. In the meantime, I roll the tickets I just got, wondering if Nandi can show me that one I missed.
Sure thing!
Thanks, Nandi. Alright, so what I got for meeting the full squad is…?
[Arc Reactor]
|Elite Item|
MCU - The Arc reactor is a revolutionary technology created by one of the greatest minds of the universe, Tony Stark. Even a tinker would find it difficult to replicate the technology due to the new element. The Reactor is so efficient that it can run indefinitely without replacement and provide more than 5 gigajoules of energy per second.
Thank you? Good to know I have my own personal generator, I suppose. How much is a gigajoule, anyways?
The average household uses about forty to ninety gigajoules.
Five gigajoules does not seem like much, then.
Each year.
…I stand corrected. I hope my embarrassed blush is not visible as the first roll ends.
[Omni Phone]
|Rare Item|
A mobile phone that has everything you need, being able to connect to a network regardless of distance, more storage space than you can count in numbers, a firewall that would take a machine god an aeon to crack and enough processing power to make a supercomputer blush.
Oh neat, upgrade to my current phone. I will have to wait until we are up on the surface to pull it out, but it is a great device to have. On top of that, this should help put Dragon quite a bit!
Ah, Ocean's looking to me for reassurance. I offer her a warm smile, hoping to let her know that I will accept whatever she decides. She looks to my right just as the next roll ends.
[Heat Object]
|Common Ability|
Allows you to heat up any object by touching it. The more energy you expend, the hotter and faster you can get the target object to heat up.
Helpful? I don't know, seems like just a facet of Wind Alteration, all things considered. Maybe something to use if I specifically need that and nothing else?
…yeah, I have nothing.
Oh, Ocean is grabbing the contract, so she must have decided to sign it. Why does she look so panicky? I glance at Anis to my right, noting her putting on an innocent facade. She smiles at me. I narrow my eyes at her as the last roll ends. What did she do?
[Bitch Breaker]
|Uncommon Trait|
Sometimes all a bad attitude needs is a good pounding. You are an expert at correcting attitudes through sex correction.
My train of thought derails instantly, and I can feel my face burn up from my blush. Anis gives me an odd look, but that does not matter because what the heck is this trait!? Is it possible to forget I ever got this?
Nope.
I feel myself deflate at this. Darn it. I guess Ocean is currently signing, so that's always a good thing, right? Right?
Get Yoyo of Counters as your Familiar! Gain one Bronze Random Ticket!
See, good news, even if it is only a bronze ticket. I roll it, gently patting Ocean on the shoulder as I gesture toward the elevator. We all pile on as I figure out how to explain my blessing to the newest members of my squad.
[Junimo]
|Common Familiar|
Stardew Valley - Junimos are lesser forest spirits and are called the keepers of the forest. They are supernaturally good at maintaining forests, wildlands, and farms, as well as farming effectively, but lack any offensive abilities. You get 50 Junimos, and that number increases as you get stronger.
Could be helpful, if I ever start a farm or maybe a grove. Maybe I could make a fruit or something and ask them to plant it or something? I wonder what they look like.
My mind keeps returning to that last message, and I turn to my friends, asking the question that is on my mind.
"Who is Yoyo?"
AN: So... family issues caused this one to have issues. I didn't have the energy for rewriting everything, so I hope you are alright with the current version.
Side note, I reworded one of the descriptions because honestly, it was too crass for my tastes. Hope that isn't an issue.
NooneImportant
Know what you're doing yet? Because I don't!
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- 1,242
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enigmaMystere
Making the rounds.
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2024
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- 42
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- 449
To be completely fair, I did leave hints for this revelation.
Keksimus
Not too sore, are you?
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Lel, Anis is about to fuck her up (again)
MechPilot?Not!
Making the rounds.
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Going back from chapter one after binging.
Anis just threatened Yoyo into signing magical NDA? Now she's also revivable, lol. Stuck with her for life. Just wait until
Poli is great. My favorite of the police Nikkes. Maiden and Alice were the first Nikkes I three started. So I'm glad to see Maiden so soon, and Alice is going to be so happy to meet her Rabbity with magic powers.
Bitch breaker? After those previous comments? Were they in the know, or did author pick that one for funsies? (Does it work on mortal enemy?)
Changing descriptions is fine, even changing how it functions a bit is fine. How many readers would even recall the exact descriptions anyways?
Edit. Still hard to read previous chapter. For me the text was white, after liking it the text turned light gray.
Just hyper busted given you know what. Not to mention it makes someone harder to kill.
this one trait got me wondering if you pick the exact trait or roll randomly with crazy luck.
Good luck having to fight for the survival of mankind with half of Commander's girlfriends pregnant. I mean, it's sort of a fight for the future of mankind?
Mother whale?
Start up a Counters Band. Neon can be on percussion. Electric guitar for Rapi.
Hmm. Which character Nikke would Anis hate so much? HMMMMMMMMM.
I was too late to guess! Maybe it was just to predictable for others to mention?(JK) Not that anyone imagined you would take Yoyo and place her at the start of the story as a dying Nikke captured by blacksmith.
Anis just threatened Yoyo into signing magical NDA? Now she's also revivable, lol. Stuck with her for life. Just wait until
Poli is great. My favorite of the police Nikkes. Maiden and Alice were the first Nikkes I three started. So I'm glad to see Maiden so soon, and Alice is going to be so happy to meet her Rabbity with magic powers.
Bitch breaker? After those previous comments? Were they in the know, or did author pick that one for funsies? (Does it work on mortal enemy?)
Changing descriptions is fine, even changing how it functions a bit is fine. How many readers would even recall the exact descriptions anyways?
Edit. Still hard to read previous chapter. For me the text was white, after liking it the text turned light gray.
Last edited:
Fragment of Serenity
Yu-Shan's Paperwork Ninja
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Commander can handle any fallout with either headpats or by the power of his dick.
I have faith. It'll get wild and crazy, but I have faith none the less.
I have faith. It'll get wild and crazy, but I have faith none the less.
enigmaMystere
Making the rounds.
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2024
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- 449
Yeah, I got really lucky with that one. And hey, maybe the Commander can be the one giving blood transfusions, this time around.
I did fudge one roll. I forgot to turn on Classic Familiars, and got DIO from the roll gained from the Mortal Enemy Curse. I turned it on, rolled again, got Royal Beastkin.
It'll probably come up later when Sakura's Bond Story happens.
…I'm going to be honest, I did not even consider this. Would that actually work? What about Land Eater? Indivillia? The Four Beasts?
This is hilarious. Renamon on bass. Dragon working the lights. Yoyo in the corner with the electric triangle.
It took a surprising amount of time for anyone to realize who she was (or at least mention it). I actually had to put her name out there.
"I like my playthings… extra durable."
Also you got cut off, what were you about to say?
Rabbity will get to show her his secret weapons for real, this time. ^^
Honestly? Just the timing of the roll. Barely missed getting a new skill.
Not sure, just felt it was fair to let the readers know I messed with something.
…dang it. Any clue how to fix that?
enigmaMystere
Making the rounds.
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He is more inclined to use the former than the latter, admittedly, as the Commander has certain morals that contradict what he got.
Glad you have faith in our favorite Commander.
Fragment of Serenity
Yu-Shan's Paperwork Ninja
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Given how his rolls are going, its more of a 'noodle event' use of his dick. He wont' actually have to use it, it'll just... sit there... menacingly.
His crotch will start aura farming, as it were.
enigmaMystere
Making the rounds.
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It was put into content review because of the Breaker trait. They're more strict than QQ.
NooneImportant
Know what you're doing yet? Because I don't!
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Meet Potential Dick!
12. Friction
New
enigmaMystere
Making the rounds.
- Joined
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- Likes received
- 449
"Who is Yoyo?"
The question echoes through the elevator, lending the air a sudden weight. I barely wonder if I said something wrong before Anis grabs Ocean by the neck, picking her up and slamming her against the wall.
"I knew it!" She hisses, drawing her free hand back and curling her fingers one by one against her palm. "Damn it, Yoyo, are you going to ruin this for me, too?" She clenches her fist so tight that her knuckles pop. "Not again." She lets loose, but it stops not even an inch from where it started. "Rapi, let me go."
"No." Anis snaps her head towards me, her eyes widening as she realizes that I have a firm grasp on her elbow with both arms, straining to hold her newfound strength back. "I refuse to let you get in trouble."
"No one would know," she hisses, hoisting Ocean even higher. "Then we'd be free of her forever."
"Except that Shifty is listening," I remind her, which makes her freeze. "She may be friendly to us, but I don't plan on testing her generosity."
"If you had landed that punch," Shifty helpfully adds, "I would have been forced to include it in the report."
Anis glares at the poor girl, whose hands are uselessly gripping at her arm. I can feel her trembling in my grip for a moment before she abruptly lets go, dropping Ocean onto her butt. "Fine. But I work with her under protest." She yanks her arm out of my grip and walks to the opposite side of the elevator, crossing her arms and glaring at the woman she assaulted.
"As long as it doesn't cause issues in the field," I gently respond, carefully helping the helmeted girl onto her feet. "I'm sorry, I have no idea what caused that."
"…was it that… Yoyo thing?" She asks, uncertain.
"Likely," I admit, moving to stand in the middle of the elevator to provide a barrier between them. "Anis, I know I have no right to request anything of you, but I would be willing to listen if you want to get something off your chest."
She stares blankly at me for a moment, then turns her head to the side. "I'm not mad at you, Commander. I'm upset that someone I'd rather stay in the past is here in front of me."
I nod, offering her a small smile before turning to Rapi, gesturing to her with two fingers. The familiar motion catches both her and Anis's attention as they recall the hidden meaning behind it. "Please make sure they are separated by two people at all times. I'd rather there not be a slap fight." The shorter blonde looks thoughtful at my words, and I immediately regret giving her ideas.
"No promises, Commander." Is that a small smile? Did Rapi just tell a joke??
Ocean frowns, tapping her chin as she tries to think. "Yoyo? Wasn't she that one pop star from a while back? She sort of just vanished, didn't she?"
"Yep," Anis bites off, still refusing to look at her. "Vanished, and for good reason, too."
"Hmm…" The mass-produced Nikke scratches her head thoughtfully. "Maybe I could just go by a different name?" She suggests, shrugging. "Commander, can you pick one for me?"
I blink, surprised that she left such an important decision to me, but I nod anyway. I move to turn towards her when her phone rings, a poppy tune filling the air.
"All eyes on me.~"
Ocean's face - or at least the visible part of it - devolves into a massive blush that she desperately tries to cover up. "I'm sorry, sir, I'll take care of it!" She pulls a small flipphone out of a pouch on her harness and flips it open to answer it. "Hello? No, I'm not interested in health insurance. Please stop calling, this is the twentieth time this week." She snaps it closed and tucks it away, bowing apologetically to me. "Sorry, Commander."
"It's fine," I say, gently petting her shoulder. "As for a name…" I think of the song that was just playing, then her old name. "…how about Miyo?"
"Miyo?" She tilts her head at the name, slowly nodding in acceptance. "Miyo is a good name, Commander. Thank you."
I offer her a small smile, then turn and gently address Anis's concerns. "If Miyo ever causes you stress, come to me and I'll do everything in my power to help." A warm grin forms on my lips. "Though from the looks of it, Miyo is an entirely different person from Yoyo. So the past might stay in the past."
The short girl scoffs, turning to give me a deadpan look. "I'll believe it when I see it, Commander."
"Then hopefully you'll see the proof you need soon," I respond, patting her shoulder just as the elevator doors open up to show the surface.
Neon is the first out, looking at the surroundings with a bright smile. "So this is the surface!"
"First time?" Anis says with a cheeky grin.
"Roger," Neon agrees as the rest of Counters fans out around the area to ensure it is clear. "It's so… big. The sky isn't buzzing. It's nothing like I've ever seen before." She takes a deep breath closing her eyes in what must be the most situationally dense move I can think of. "The air composition is the same, but somehow it just feels different."
"It'll wear off in a day or two," Anis responds with a shrug, shifting her grenade launcher into her hands. "We're guaranteed to run into Raptures within the hour." She turns Neon around with one hand and starts frog marching her along. "This is no time for sightseeing. If you stay too long, you'll get a nice heavy dose of electron beams straight to the brain."
"Then we should hurry," Renamon says, bouncing on her heels as she holds on to First Affection, Marian's gun.
"The objective of this operation," I say, pulling out my Omni Phone and reading the data Dragon helpfully imported for me, "is to investigate the control room of the power station." I tap my earpiece as Anis tries to get a closer look at my new phone. "Shifty, if you'd please."
"Yes, Commander. Scanning the area." I hear her fingers fly across her mechanical keyboard as the clacks echo in my ear. "Aerating. Clearing out Alva Particles." I should ask about those the next time we are free. "Concentration forty-two point twenty-three percent… twenty-one point forty-eight percent… Alva Particle concentration two point zero-one percent. Scanning finished." She sends the scan over to my phone, and I get a perfect picture in seconds. This is a great phone. "Give it a few minutes to transfer."
"It's done," I reply, cutting her short with a sputter.
"Oh! Wow, you must still have a strong signal, then! So, uh…" She tries to work past her embarrassment to give me her report. "R-right, according to the scan," she says, recovering once she's back in her element, "you'll have to follow the maglev train tracks to reach the power station. A high-voltage current is running through the entire line."
"It is?" Renamon says, surprised. "I'd have thought it would have run out of power after about one hundred years."
"It is directly connected to the power plant," Shifty points out, which makes sense. "It is part of the reason the Central Government is interested in this facility."
"Makes sense," I repeat my thought out loud. "Should we head across, then?"
"I would advise against that," Shifty denies, her voice filled with concern. "It's not an issue for Nikkes, but you…"
I grimace, not liking the image that puts in my head. Worse, my mind tries to bring Renamon into the picture and I have to force my mind blank.
"It's no big deal, Commander," Anis says, patting my back in a manner somewhere between pitying and consoling. "Don't be upset. After all, you're human."
…not quite? I think I'm some mix of human, Newtype, and Royal Beastkin. What would that be called?
Royal Newman?
Sounds pretentious.
"Where is the current coming from?" Rapi speaks up, standing between Anis and Miyo.
"Retrieving history," Shifty says, typing once more. As she does, Rapi makes the gacha gesture once more, and I nod away from the elevator in case there are cameras. "The city was closed off five years ago to prevent any Raptures from escaping. Seems it was deliberately leaked to the outside. The line was close to completion, so it was drawing electricity on its own."
"What about the humans who are still in the city?" Anis asks, following as we start moving out.
Wait, what? People are here on the surface? How?
There is a long moment where Shifty does not respond, so she continues, "Well, considering we don't know what we'll run into, it's best they stay inside."
"Our first order of business is cutting off power to the line," Rapi interjects, bringing everyone back to the pressing issue. "Is there any way we can do that?"
"Yes, I will mark the location of the control room on the map," Shifty responds peppily.
"Is everyone ready?" I ask, glancing over each of the girls. They nod, yet I notice Renamon is more hesitant than the others, and that Anis keeps shooting small glares at Miyo. I try to ignore it for now, clapping my hands together to make sure their eyes are on me. "Alright, let's go."
I turn to walk away, but Anis grabs my arm, smiling in a manner that makes me think is being forced. "Commander. Didn't we talk about sharing what you got?"
"…ah, right," I say, blushing softly in embarrassment. "We did. Though," I glance around the area, "can we please talk about it outside the view of the cameras?"
"What are we talking about? What did the Commander get?" Neon sticks her head over the blonde woman's shoulder. "Is it a secret weapon?" She gasps audibly. "Is it the secret to more firepower!?"
"…maybe?" I admit, I have no idea what secrets the Chaos Gacha holds. Maybe there would be something to further improve their weapons? Or some way to improve their very bodies? Questions for later, when I have the time to ponder them.
We head a good while away, toward the control room Shifty helpfully marked on my map. Along the way, I gather a notice for recruitment for commanders, something about a fight for humanity. At the qualifications, my eyebrows raise. Healthy and strong? Did they fight on the front lines back then?
My train of thought is roughly derailed as Anis yanks me into a building that had seen better days as a warehouse. Not so much guiding me as she is dragging, the spunky blonde puts me on top of a ratty old couch and stands before me, her arms crossed expectantly. "Come on," she says as the other file in, "tell us what you got since last time."
I blink, casting my mind back to when I last shared my rolls with her. Right, I shared Dragon and the water jug, but not much else after the Black Smith fight. I should rectify that.
"Okay," I say, pulling out a sheet of paper to show her. "This is a Job Application Form."
"Dear god," Anis dully says with a deadpan expression.
"There's more," I try to clarify.
"No!" She gasps in mock surprise.
I give her a look before continuing. "This form guarantees employment when handed to an employer. You have to make sure everything is properly filled out, though."
"…so you could use it to take the place of a CEO?" Anis asks, now actually invested in the unassuming item.
I think for a bit before shrugging helplessly. "No way to know unless we try, but do you really think that'd be the best use for it?"
"Maybe for one specific CEO?" Neon says with a hum from right behind Anis, startling her into jumping aside. "Anything else, Commander?"
My gaze goes distant. "…did I ever mention my increased gun handling ability?"
"Not really," the short blonde says, shaking her head.
"Oh. Well, I got that." I rack my brain for anything else I have not told her. "I got a Dragon Ball," I say, putting away the form and taking out the ball in question.
Renamon, who cannot see what I am holding from her point of view, visibly recoils at this. "A dragon's what!?"
"Not what you're thinking," I quickly clarify, lifting it enough to show her. "If I get seven of these, then we can get a wish granted."
"Can we wish the Rapture Queen dead?" Rapi asks, tilting her head slightly.
"I feel like that might be just a bit beyond the scope of its power?" I mumble, looking at the sphere as if it had the right answers. I shake my head and put it back in the Item Space, pulling out the Cookie Jar in its place. "I got this. Infinite cookies from this, so long as we avoid breaking it."
"So if we break it, no more cookies?" Neon says with a curious smile.
"More like a universe of cookies will come exploding out of it," I respond, making Anis freeze as she reaches into the jar. "It's perfectly safe," I try to reassure her, and she pulls out a chocolate chip cookie. "See? I bet it's delicious." I let everyone take one before sending it away. "Alright, now, let's see what else I haven't shared… I got an ability that makes any food I make healing, but it's dependent on the quality of the ingredients."
"Which you now have a great supply of," Anis points out with a grin, chomping into her cookie. "Yum!"
I nod, then frown thoughtfully. "We really need to do this update more often. There is so much left…"
"Go through the rest quickly," Rapi urges, peeking out the windows. "We need to get moving soon."
"Right…" I sigh and rattle them off as fast as I can think of them. "Items are Can of Whoopass, Cursed Ticket, Arc Reactor, and Omni Phone." I show the phone with the map on it. "Abilities are tinkering with computers and heating up objects. A group of Familiars called Jumino, who help with maintaining wilderness, farms, and farming. Traits gained are Summoner, which increases the power of my Familiars, which includes all of you, and…" I grimace, hoping they will not force me to elaborate. "…one that I don't see ever becoming helpful."
Anis smirks, sidling up next to me and elbowing my side. "Come on, we're all friends here. Tell us!"
I groan and quickly shut down the subject. "No. I refuse to acknowledge it, and I would like it if you could respect that." Anis flinches as if struck, and I quickly realize my voice is much sharper than intended. I wince. "Please," I add, quieter.
The Nikkes all stare at me, then look at each other. Miyo shrinks in on herself as though that will deflect attention away from her. Rapi pulls Anis to the side and starts whispering to her, something about boundaries and curiosity before I realize that I am being rude and focus away from them. I turn to look at Neon who approaches me, and I give her a small smile.
She does not hesitate to speak her mind. "Can I see the Can?"
Uncertain, I pull it out to show her, moving it away when she tries to grab for it. "Look with your eyes, not your hands." Though she pouts, I let her look over every inch of the surface, the warnings, the name, the pull tab, and, oddly enough, a nutrition facts section that says it may include known allergens. Eventually she pulls away, satisfied, and I dismiss it back into the Item Space.
"Neat!" She tilts her head, light catching her glasses just right to hide her eyes. "Now, about that Arc Reactor…"
"I don't think it'll help you with firepower," I say, gently patting her shoulder. "Don't worry, the moment I can improve your weapon or even your body, I'll let you know. Promise."
"I'll hold you to that, Shishou!" She declares, clenching her fist in front of her excitedly.
I blink blankly at her, not quite sure what that means.
Think of it like a student of martial arts addressing her master.
Oh, thank you. Wait, no-!
"We should hurry out," Rapi says, stepping up to the two of us. "We've spent enough time here."
"Right," I say, frazzled beyond belief. I glance at Miyo, who has been silent this whole time. She offers me a weak smile before turning away and walking out the door. Poor girl, having your whole world turn upside down like that…
I lead the rest of Counters out of the warehouse, following after Miyo before she can get too far away. Anis shifts so that she is beside me, and I regard her with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm sorry."
My other eyebrow joins the first as I stare at her in stunned silence.
"I shouldn't have pushed," she grumbles, "but I needed to put my mind on something…" She glares, and I take note of her gaze boring a hole in the back of Miyo's head. "…less annoying."
"…next time, just ask for something to focus on," I lightly rebuke her, patting her head and watching her lean into it. "Or I can just pet you."
"Nope!" She practically rips herself away from my hand, speed walking to the back of the formation as she keeps repeating herself.
I chuckle quietly, hoping this is the last bit of drama for this leg of the mission. For now, we walk along under a silent, wide-open sky.
AN: Sorry for the long wait, was hoping to get SpaceBattles to finish the content review, but they seem to be dragging their feet.
As always, I hope you enjoy, and please tell me what you think!
The question echoes through the elevator, lending the air a sudden weight. I barely wonder if I said something wrong before Anis grabs Ocean by the neck, picking her up and slamming her against the wall.
"I knew it!" She hisses, drawing her free hand back and curling her fingers one by one against her palm. "Damn it, Yoyo, are you going to ruin this for me, too?" She clenches her fist so tight that her knuckles pop. "Not again." She lets loose, but it stops not even an inch from where it started. "Rapi, let me go."
"No." Anis snaps her head towards me, her eyes widening as she realizes that I have a firm grasp on her elbow with both arms, straining to hold her newfound strength back. "I refuse to let you get in trouble."
"No one would know," she hisses, hoisting Ocean even higher. "Then we'd be free of her forever."
"Except that Shifty is listening," I remind her, which makes her freeze. "She may be friendly to us, but I don't plan on testing her generosity."
"If you had landed that punch," Shifty helpfully adds, "I would have been forced to include it in the report."
Anis glares at the poor girl, whose hands are uselessly gripping at her arm. I can feel her trembling in my grip for a moment before she abruptly lets go, dropping Ocean onto her butt. "Fine. But I work with her under protest." She yanks her arm out of my grip and walks to the opposite side of the elevator, crossing her arms and glaring at the woman she assaulted.
"As long as it doesn't cause issues in the field," I gently respond, carefully helping the helmeted girl onto her feet. "I'm sorry, I have no idea what caused that."
"…was it that… Yoyo thing?" She asks, uncertain.
"Likely," I admit, moving to stand in the middle of the elevator to provide a barrier between them. "Anis, I know I have no right to request anything of you, but I would be willing to listen if you want to get something off your chest."
She stares blankly at me for a moment, then turns her head to the side. "I'm not mad at you, Commander. I'm upset that someone I'd rather stay in the past is here in front of me."
I nod, offering her a small smile before turning to Rapi, gesturing to her with two fingers. The familiar motion catches both her and Anis's attention as they recall the hidden meaning behind it. "Please make sure they are separated by two people at all times. I'd rather there not be a slap fight." The shorter blonde looks thoughtful at my words, and I immediately regret giving her ideas.
"No promises, Commander." Is that a small smile? Did Rapi just tell a joke??
Ocean frowns, tapping her chin as she tries to think. "Yoyo? Wasn't she that one pop star from a while back? She sort of just vanished, didn't she?"
"Yep," Anis bites off, still refusing to look at her. "Vanished, and for good reason, too."
"Hmm…" The mass-produced Nikke scratches her head thoughtfully. "Maybe I could just go by a different name?" She suggests, shrugging. "Commander, can you pick one for me?"
I blink, surprised that she left such an important decision to me, but I nod anyway. I move to turn towards her when her phone rings, a poppy tune filling the air.
"All eyes on me.~"
Ocean's face - or at least the visible part of it - devolves into a massive blush that she desperately tries to cover up. "I'm sorry, sir, I'll take care of it!" She pulls a small flipphone out of a pouch on her harness and flips it open to answer it. "Hello? No, I'm not interested in health insurance. Please stop calling, this is the twentieth time this week." She snaps it closed and tucks it away, bowing apologetically to me. "Sorry, Commander."
"It's fine," I say, gently petting her shoulder. "As for a name…" I think of the song that was just playing, then her old name. "…how about Miyo?"
"Miyo?" She tilts her head at the name, slowly nodding in acceptance. "Miyo is a good name, Commander. Thank you."
I offer her a small smile, then turn and gently address Anis's concerns. "If Miyo ever causes you stress, come to me and I'll do everything in my power to help." A warm grin forms on my lips. "Though from the looks of it, Miyo is an entirely different person from Yoyo. So the past might stay in the past."
The short girl scoffs, turning to give me a deadpan look. "I'll believe it when I see it, Commander."
"Then hopefully you'll see the proof you need soon," I respond, patting her shoulder just as the elevator doors open up to show the surface.
Neon is the first out, looking at the surroundings with a bright smile. "So this is the surface!"
"First time?" Anis says with a cheeky grin.
"Roger," Neon agrees as the rest of Counters fans out around the area to ensure it is clear. "It's so… big. The sky isn't buzzing. It's nothing like I've ever seen before." She takes a deep breath closing her eyes in what must be the most situationally dense move I can think of. "The air composition is the same, but somehow it just feels different."
"It'll wear off in a day or two," Anis responds with a shrug, shifting her grenade launcher into her hands. "We're guaranteed to run into Raptures within the hour." She turns Neon around with one hand and starts frog marching her along. "This is no time for sightseeing. If you stay too long, you'll get a nice heavy dose of electron beams straight to the brain."
"Then we should hurry," Renamon says, bouncing on her heels as she holds on to First Affection, Marian's gun.
"The objective of this operation," I say, pulling out my Omni Phone and reading the data Dragon helpfully imported for me, "is to investigate the control room of the power station." I tap my earpiece as Anis tries to get a closer look at my new phone. "Shifty, if you'd please."
"Yes, Commander. Scanning the area." I hear her fingers fly across her mechanical keyboard as the clacks echo in my ear. "Aerating. Clearing out Alva Particles." I should ask about those the next time we are free. "Concentration forty-two point twenty-three percent… twenty-one point forty-eight percent… Alva Particle concentration two point zero-one percent. Scanning finished." She sends the scan over to my phone, and I get a perfect picture in seconds. This is a great phone. "Give it a few minutes to transfer."
"It's done," I reply, cutting her short with a sputter.
"Oh! Wow, you must still have a strong signal, then! So, uh…" She tries to work past her embarrassment to give me her report. "R-right, according to the scan," she says, recovering once she's back in her element, "you'll have to follow the maglev train tracks to reach the power station. A high-voltage current is running through the entire line."
"It is?" Renamon says, surprised. "I'd have thought it would have run out of power after about one hundred years."
"It is directly connected to the power plant," Shifty points out, which makes sense. "It is part of the reason the Central Government is interested in this facility."
"Makes sense," I repeat my thought out loud. "Should we head across, then?"
"I would advise against that," Shifty denies, her voice filled with concern. "It's not an issue for Nikkes, but you…"
I grimace, not liking the image that puts in my head. Worse, my mind tries to bring Renamon into the picture and I have to force my mind blank.
"It's no big deal, Commander," Anis says, patting my back in a manner somewhere between pitying and consoling. "Don't be upset. After all, you're human."
…not quite? I think I'm some mix of human, Newtype, and Royal Beastkin. What would that be called?
Royal Newman?
Sounds pretentious.
"Where is the current coming from?" Rapi speaks up, standing between Anis and Miyo.
"Retrieving history," Shifty says, typing once more. As she does, Rapi makes the gacha gesture once more, and I nod away from the elevator in case there are cameras. "The city was closed off five years ago to prevent any Raptures from escaping. Seems it was deliberately leaked to the outside. The line was close to completion, so it was drawing electricity on its own."
"What about the humans who are still in the city?" Anis asks, following as we start moving out.
Wait, what? People are here on the surface? How?
There is a long moment where Shifty does not respond, so she continues, "Well, considering we don't know what we'll run into, it's best they stay inside."
"Our first order of business is cutting off power to the line," Rapi interjects, bringing everyone back to the pressing issue. "Is there any way we can do that?"
"Yes, I will mark the location of the control room on the map," Shifty responds peppily.
"Is everyone ready?" I ask, glancing over each of the girls. They nod, yet I notice Renamon is more hesitant than the others, and that Anis keeps shooting small glares at Miyo. I try to ignore it for now, clapping my hands together to make sure their eyes are on me. "Alright, let's go."
I turn to walk away, but Anis grabs my arm, smiling in a manner that makes me think is being forced. "Commander. Didn't we talk about sharing what you got?"
"…ah, right," I say, blushing softly in embarrassment. "We did. Though," I glance around the area, "can we please talk about it outside the view of the cameras?"
"What are we talking about? What did the Commander get?" Neon sticks her head over the blonde woman's shoulder. "Is it a secret weapon?" She gasps audibly. "Is it the secret to more firepower!?"
"…maybe?" I admit, I have no idea what secrets the Chaos Gacha holds. Maybe there would be something to further improve their weapons? Or some way to improve their very bodies? Questions for later, when I have the time to ponder them.
We head a good while away, toward the control room Shifty helpfully marked on my map. Along the way, I gather a notice for recruitment for commanders, something about a fight for humanity. At the qualifications, my eyebrows raise. Healthy and strong? Did they fight on the front lines back then?
My train of thought is roughly derailed as Anis yanks me into a building that had seen better days as a warehouse. Not so much guiding me as she is dragging, the spunky blonde puts me on top of a ratty old couch and stands before me, her arms crossed expectantly. "Come on," she says as the other file in, "tell us what you got since last time."
I blink, casting my mind back to when I last shared my rolls with her. Right, I shared Dragon and the water jug, but not much else after the Black Smith fight. I should rectify that.
"Okay," I say, pulling out a sheet of paper to show her. "This is a Job Application Form."
"Dear god," Anis dully says with a deadpan expression.
"There's more," I try to clarify.
"No!" She gasps in mock surprise.
I give her a look before continuing. "This form guarantees employment when handed to an employer. You have to make sure everything is properly filled out, though."
"…so you could use it to take the place of a CEO?" Anis asks, now actually invested in the unassuming item.
I think for a bit before shrugging helplessly. "No way to know unless we try, but do you really think that'd be the best use for it?"
"Maybe for one specific CEO?" Neon says with a hum from right behind Anis, startling her into jumping aside. "Anything else, Commander?"
My gaze goes distant. "…did I ever mention my increased gun handling ability?"
"Not really," the short blonde says, shaking her head.
"Oh. Well, I got that." I rack my brain for anything else I have not told her. "I got a Dragon Ball," I say, putting away the form and taking out the ball in question.
Renamon, who cannot see what I am holding from her point of view, visibly recoils at this. "A dragon's what!?"
"Not what you're thinking," I quickly clarify, lifting it enough to show her. "If I get seven of these, then we can get a wish granted."
"Can we wish the Rapture Queen dead?" Rapi asks, tilting her head slightly.
"I feel like that might be just a bit beyond the scope of its power?" I mumble, looking at the sphere as if it had the right answers. I shake my head and put it back in the Item Space, pulling out the Cookie Jar in its place. "I got this. Infinite cookies from this, so long as we avoid breaking it."
"So if we break it, no more cookies?" Neon says with a curious smile.
"More like a universe of cookies will come exploding out of it," I respond, making Anis freeze as she reaches into the jar. "It's perfectly safe," I try to reassure her, and she pulls out a chocolate chip cookie. "See? I bet it's delicious." I let everyone take one before sending it away. "Alright, now, let's see what else I haven't shared… I got an ability that makes any food I make healing, but it's dependent on the quality of the ingredients."
"Which you now have a great supply of," Anis points out with a grin, chomping into her cookie. "Yum!"
I nod, then frown thoughtfully. "We really need to do this update more often. There is so much left…"
"Go through the rest quickly," Rapi urges, peeking out the windows. "We need to get moving soon."
"Right…" I sigh and rattle them off as fast as I can think of them. "Items are Can of Whoopass, Cursed Ticket, Arc Reactor, and Omni Phone." I show the phone with the map on it. "Abilities are tinkering with computers and heating up objects. A group of Familiars called Jumino, who help with maintaining wilderness, farms, and farming. Traits gained are Summoner, which increases the power of my Familiars, which includes all of you, and…" I grimace, hoping they will not force me to elaborate. "…one that I don't see ever becoming helpful."
Anis smirks, sidling up next to me and elbowing my side. "Come on, we're all friends here. Tell us!"
I groan and quickly shut down the subject. "No. I refuse to acknowledge it, and I would like it if you could respect that." Anis flinches as if struck, and I quickly realize my voice is much sharper than intended. I wince. "Please," I add, quieter.
The Nikkes all stare at me, then look at each other. Miyo shrinks in on herself as though that will deflect attention away from her. Rapi pulls Anis to the side and starts whispering to her, something about boundaries and curiosity before I realize that I am being rude and focus away from them. I turn to look at Neon who approaches me, and I give her a small smile.
She does not hesitate to speak her mind. "Can I see the Can?"
Uncertain, I pull it out to show her, moving it away when she tries to grab for it. "Look with your eyes, not your hands." Though she pouts, I let her look over every inch of the surface, the warnings, the name, the pull tab, and, oddly enough, a nutrition facts section that says it may include known allergens. Eventually she pulls away, satisfied, and I dismiss it back into the Item Space.
"Neat!" She tilts her head, light catching her glasses just right to hide her eyes. "Now, about that Arc Reactor…"
"I don't think it'll help you with firepower," I say, gently patting her shoulder. "Don't worry, the moment I can improve your weapon or even your body, I'll let you know. Promise."
"I'll hold you to that, Shishou!" She declares, clenching her fist in front of her excitedly.
I blink blankly at her, not quite sure what that means.
Think of it like a student of martial arts addressing her master.
Oh, thank you. Wait, no-!
"We should hurry out," Rapi says, stepping up to the two of us. "We've spent enough time here."
"Right," I say, frazzled beyond belief. I glance at Miyo, who has been silent this whole time. She offers me a weak smile before turning away and walking out the door. Poor girl, having your whole world turn upside down like that…
I lead the rest of Counters out of the warehouse, following after Miyo before she can get too far away. Anis shifts so that she is beside me, and I regard her with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm sorry."
My other eyebrow joins the first as I stare at her in stunned silence.
"I shouldn't have pushed," she grumbles, "but I needed to put my mind on something…" She glares, and I take note of her gaze boring a hole in the back of Miyo's head. "…less annoying."
"…next time, just ask for something to focus on," I lightly rebuke her, patting her head and watching her lean into it. "Or I can just pet you."
"Nope!" She practically rips herself away from my hand, speed walking to the back of the formation as she keeps repeating herself.
I chuckle quietly, hoping this is the last bit of drama for this leg of the mission. For now, we walk along under a silent, wide-open sky.
AN: Sorry for the long wait, was hoping to get SpaceBattles to finish the content review, but they seem to be dragging their feet.
As always, I hope you enjoy, and please tell me what you think!
Apfelkuchen
Certified Applepie
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Thanks for the new chapter and I enjoy our slightly clueless commander
Zeldomnyo
May you always have a good story to read.
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I seriously cannot wait for the day that he tricks somebody into opening that can. Personally I'm hoping it's for someone really high up in the military who causes him too many problems. But honestly I think it'll be hilarious no matter what
enigmaMystere
Making the rounds.
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I have no idea who will open the can, but I have rolled the familiars already for it, and I'm all for what I got.
Probably thanks to Summoner, as it helps build relationships with Familiars.
MechPilot?Not!
Making the rounds.
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Syuen, you better not try any funny shit. Commander is gonna have you cleaning toilets. Though she could use getting knocked down a few pegs away from the bratty monster character. Maxwell tried, but she did a pretty poor job.
It's good to see the Counters getting along so quickly. I don't know why you think it has to do with the familiar thing. It's obviously about the meat.
Speak of meat, the commander is obviously sore about the BitBrea thing. Shame he didn't share, it would be interesting to see how Anis reacts.
enigmaMystere
Making the rounds.
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You mean the meat that Miyo and Neon haven't had yet?
As for your other points, Syuen used to be my most hated character, but got superseded rather quickly.
And I think Anis would want him to use it on Yoyo, if she were still around.
MechPilot?Not!
Making the rounds.
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see
What character, Crow? The Queen? It's Crust, isn't it?
Miyo dodged a bullet. Though given it'd be from the commander, maybe she's missing out. He's gonna be a legend, as well as being handsome and the only human target for romance. The guy's only option is a harem route, and the stuff he rolls will likely inevitably push him more in that direction.
They know it exists in their hearts.
What character, Crow? The Queen? It's Crust, isn't it?
Miyo dodged a bullet. Though given it'd be from the commander, maybe she's missing out. He's gonna be a legend, as well as being handsome and the only human target for romance. The guy's only option is a harem route, and the stuff he rolls will likely inevitably push him more in that direction.
enigmaMystere
Making the rounds.
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I forgot who Crust was for a second. My bad.
Miyo dodged a… Golden Shot. Badum tssh.
13. Do Not Use When Alone
New
enigmaMystere
Making the rounds.
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"Anis! Hit that cluster!"
"Okay, Commander!" She launches her grenade, exploding the group with ease. Their bodies go flying limply through the air.
"Rapi, keep those stragglers back!"
"Yes, Commander!" Several fast shots pierce through the survivors of the barrage. They fall with warbling screeches.
"Neon, to your left!"
She swiftly turns and fires her shotgun point blank, dispatching the Rapture mere moments before it jumps on her. "Thank you, Shishou!"
I nod, using View Air to its fullest so that we avoid strikes from blind spots. I pause for a moment before freezing a Rapture sneaking up on me in place, Wind Alteration coming in handy. Please stop me from taunting the universe, Nandi, I really did not want us to be ambushed a block away from the warehouse.
Murphy is as undeniable as death, my friend. Beware Murphy's Law.
The warning would have been appreciated earlier. Why are half of these Raptures coming from underground, though?
Likely an ambush tactic.
Great. Being attacked from above and below. I pull out the butcher's bag and search for the toughest meat I can find. I pull out some sort of yellow-white disc in response, staring at it for a moment as I wonder what the heck it is.
Abalone.
Thank you. I repeat what I did before with the turkey, forming a small air cannon with the abalone as the bullet. I stretch out View Air as far as I can to get a good idea of which one this group's leader might be. As I search, I direct Miyo to go help Renamon, as she was clipped by one of the bullets. I get a familiar twinge from Newtype's sensing ability, and I duck just in time to avoid one of those particle beams Anis mentioned earlier. I turn and fire the abalone at the perpetrator, surprising myself when the meat pierces the optic with ease. It shudders and explodes, leaving the other Raptures to start scurrying about without direction. It appears I hit the leader.
Defeat your tenth Rapture without help! Gain a Silver Random Ticket!
Defeat the leader of a Rapture group by yourself! Gain a Silver Random Ticket!
I blink, then gesture that I got more stuff to Rapi. "Finish off this group before they can reorganize," I instruct the others before I start rolling.
The spin of the wheel sets the background noise for the sounds of gunfire and explosions. I watch my squad tear apart the stragglers with a small smile, glad that they can get along well enough for this much at least. My gaze drifts to Anis, who explodes a group that Miyo is aiming at. I guess it was a bit much to ask for her to accept her that quickly.
[Pip-Boy 3000]
|Uncommon Item|
Fallout - The Pip-Boy, otherwise known as the Personal Information processor, is a more versatile and robust computer that is worn on the wrist and powered by an internal fission battery. Pip Boy is capable of autonomously monitoring the health of its wearer, connecting to networks, map areas, shining light etc. An all-around solid multitool.
My brow furrows at this item, deciding to summon it to see what exactly this thing is. A metal bracer forms around my left arm, bulky and bronze. I slowly turn my arm over, revealing a large screen with a single dial to its left and a trio of buttons below it. I rub the screen as lines of code go streaming past. It takes a while, so I tap the gauge in the upper left before moving lower to the rotating switch in the lower left. I barely grasp the latter when a two dimensional cartoon man appears on the screen and gives me a thumbs up.
"Hey, what's that?" I jump as Neon's voice loudly resounds in my ear, covering it as I shift away from her. "Oh, did you get it from that gacha thingy?"
I give her a small nod, then look back at my new device, pressing the third button and watching as it moves to a radio. There is no station available, but a song begins to play regardless.
"Huh. So… is this like background music?" Neon asks, tapping the screen. "It's not a touch screen like our phones…"
"No, it's not," I agree, gently pulling my arm away from her as the second roll finishes.
[The Santa Clause]
|Common Trait|
You are under the same Clause as Santa himself, meaning that people do not mind you entering places you shouldn't be, or lingering in places you are not meant to. But they can still get offended and angry if you cause a disturbance or do something that would offend them.
I blink, tilting my head slightly at this. I suppose this means Santa is real. As for the trait, it appears as if it would be good for getting to places I would otherwise have no access to. Getting in, however, seems to be the main point of contention. For now, I need to get my squad away from the area. There is no telling whether other Raptures will be attracted to the gunfire.
"Clear," Rapi says, turning to look at me with a nod.
"Alright, let's move on," I say, gesturing to the path that my phone indicates. I glance down to see the Pip-Boy displays a map with the path as well. "Well that's handy."
"Yep!" Neon points at the gauge on the corner. "I bet this is a Geiger Counter!"
"A what?" Anis says, sounding uncertain.
"What makes you say that?" Rapi says, sounding mildly interested.
"The guy who appeared on the screen!" She extends her arm out and raises her thumb, closing her left eye in an almost perfect copy of the cartoon's gesture. "He did that old test to see if you were safe from a nuclear blast! 'If it's smaller than your thumb, you're safe!'"
…how. That was a popular myth pushed by a game! You don't even have that game here!
Neon must notice my expression, because she puts both hands on her waist and beams proudly. "You can't love firepower if you don't know how to stay safe!"
"Right." I reach out and gently pat her head, surprising her with the gesture. "Good job, I would never have guessed that."
"Eheh," she says, grinning happily at me.
Anis grabs my hand off the shorter girl's head and starts dragging me along, leaving the rest of the squad to catch up. "Yeah, yeah, we're wasting too much time! The sooner we get finished, the sooner we can have the Commander's meat!"
Miyo and Neon both gawp at the busty blonde, and even I have to raise my eyebrows at Anis's phrasing. Rapi sighs and explains to the other two, "There is a burlap sack with actual meat inside that the Commander got earlier today." The other two make quiet noises of understanding.
"Sure," I say with a small smile. "We can have a cookout when we're done with the mission. I promise."
"Great! Let's get to that switch, then," Anis says, noticeably dragging me to the direct opposite side of the street from Miyo. I sigh to myself, realizing the one-sided feud is not going away any time soon.
Still, I offer Neon a grateful smile. "Thank you for the warning. We would've been caught completely unaware, otherwise."
The white-haired woman blinks owlishly behind her glasses. "Warning?"
"Yes, the warning," Rapi says, an eyebrow raised. "Did you not make that sound when you discovered Raptures about to ambush us?"
"No, I made that 'ah' sound because of something else," Neon tries to explain.
Anis promptly stops, making me bump into her back from the suddenness. She takes a deep breath and turns to Neon, serious. "Let's get this straight, then. There's an unwritten rule that any Nikke who comes up to the surface must follow." She holds up a single finger, her frown deepening. "You don't blurt things out indiscriminately. Got it?"
"To be fair," I gingerly point out, "she did end up warning us of the ambush."
"A single lucky coincidence does not mean she should give us all anxiety on a whim," Anis argues back.
"I-I understand," Neon says, bowing apologetically. "Is this okay?"
"Don't do it again," Anis responds, wagging her finger.
"What was that all about?" Rapi asks, having followed along in the conversation silently.
"Thinking back on the sound," Renamon muses, "it was as if she thought of something."
"I did!" The shortest of us all confirms. "If the current running through the tracks is the issue," she starts, her glasses glinting, "then why doesn't the Commander wear rubber boots?"
I blink a couple times in the long silence that follows. "…Neon."
"Yes, Shishou?"
"Did you bring any rubber boots?" I say, keeping my voice carefully neutral.
"…no?" She starts looking unsure.
"I didn't bring any either," I point out, fighting the urge to smile because this is serious, dang it. "On top of that, there's no guarantee it would even stop the current. Rubber is an insulator, but it isn't perfect." I pat her on the shoulder. "There's a reason electricians don't work while a current is running through the wires."
"Oh. I thought it was because they were scared," she freely admits. Wow, that is… kind of rude. She must see my thoughts on my face because she hastily continues, "Because the only electricians I know are Nikkes!"
"…right," I say, slightly skeptical. "It was a nice idea, but it isn't very practical." I lower my hand, checking the Pip-Boy briefly.
Neon catches the motion, eyes gleaming with another idea. "I got it! You get stuff from that gacha, yes?" I hesitantly nod. "Then you just need to roll it until you get something like unbreakable rubber boots!"
I cannot fight the smile that forms on my face this time. "As much as I wish it, the gacha doesn't work that way. I need to accomplish stuff to get those tickets."
"What kinds of stuff?" She presses like a child never told no.
"Well, I just got this from defeating ten Raptures single-handedly," I give an example, holding up the arm with my new device. "I also got stuff specifically from each of you signing the contract."
"Then it's simple!" Neon says, grinning brightly. "Shishou just has to defeat one of us!"
"No." I immediately veto the idea, feeling a little queasy at the thought. "I refuse to fight any of you. Not unless your lives depended on it."
There is silence for a long while as we just stand there. Tentatively, Renamon reaches out to touch my shoulder. "Or if your life depends on it, right?"
"Hmm?" I glance back at her, my gaze raising slightly as I review exactly what I said. "…oh. Yeah, I guess if my life is on the line, but you all are the first priority."
"That's sweet of you," Miyo starts, fidgeting as everyone's attention moves to her, "but we still have to protect you with everything we can. We don't really have a choice."
"That is fine," I respond, offering her a reassuring smile. "We can protect each other. That's part of what being a squad is, yes?"
"…you're a strange one," a certain short blond says, shaking her head. "I'm glad no other squad has you."
…was I not supposed to hear her whispers? I will pretend that I did not.
"So fighting us is out." Neon touches her chin with a finger, frowning in thought, before turning to our grenadier and pointing at my face. "Anis, I choose you!"
The blonde woman in question looks confused. "Choose me for what?"
"To kiss the Commander!"
"WHAT!?" She shouts, immediately clamping her hands over her mouth.
"It's perfect! Clearly he hasn't been kissed before, so it would get him a ticket, yes?" Neon says, nodding proudly at her logic.
"No!" Anis hisses, leaning close and poking her in the sternum. "You don't just kiss someone willy-nilly! You don't-!" She cuts herself off, glaring into my eyes briefly before whispering at Neon, "You don't do that unless you're close!"
"You were holding each other's hands earlier," she helpfully points out, causing Anis's face to break out into a massive blush. "See? You do like him!" She concludes, grinning cheekily.
"Why you-!"
"Girls," I interject, trying to ignore my own warming cheeks as they turn to me, "we really should focus on getting to our objective. It won't hurt us to simply turn off the power, for now." I gesture to the path we are following, gratefully taking the canteen Rapi offers and sipping to wet my throat.
Get your first (indirect) kiss! Gain a Bronze Random Ticket!
I nearly choke on my water from the unexpected message, hacking harshly as I double over, canteen off to the side to avoid spittle. Nandi, what the heck!
What? I'm just reading off the achievements! Time to roll!
The sound of a wheel spinning fills my head, and a strong hand pats my back to help me dislodge the liquid attempting to invade my larynx. I take a few deep breaths, musing how I can recall random bits of biology but nothing about my military school years.
Year. Singular.
What? That is dumb! No one can internalize tactics from that little time!
You're right. They can't.
I get ready to ask her what that means when the wheel finally stops, a message filling my vision.
[Extremely Loud Metal Pipe]
|Trash Item|
An otherwise ordinary-looking aluminum pipe that, when dropped, produces an extremely loud clattering noise, enough to cause hearing damage in proximity.
…you know, even for a bronze ticket, that is extremely underwhelming. I stand back up, leaning on Rapi for support as I hand the canteen back to her. She takes it, eyeing my face momentarily before looking down at her canteen. Her own face gains the faintest dusting of pink as she takes her own sip.
Become Rapi's first male crush! Gain a Gold Random Advantage Ticket!
Have Rapi accept an indirect kiss from you! Gain a Silver Random Ticket!
My mind starts to run off with itself before I immediately clamp down on my thoughts with a single question. What is an advantage ticket?
An Advantage Ticket rolls twice and you get to choose which one you take!
Okay, sure, roll that one so I can see how it works firsthand. The sound of the wheel fills my thoughts as I try not to think of the implications of another member of my squad gaining a crush on me. Quickly, I think of something else to try to distract me. Why does it specify a male crush?
Because Rapi, for the longest time, only had one crush, and she was a girl.
…huh. I would never have guessed. What happened to her?
What?
You said "was". Something had to have happened.
Not my story to tell. Oh look, your rolls have finished!
Two options appear in front of my face, and I take the time to read over them, silently gesturing to the rest of Counters that I got something.
[One with the Blade]
|Elite Trait|
You are one with your weapon, whatever item you wield gets your physical stats added to its own stats. As long as you are holding it, that copper coin in your hands is tougher than diamond, a regular bronze sword could split the heavens as long as you are strong enough yourself.
I blink, furrowing my brow as I consider what this means. So this probably cannot work with guns, since I would no longer be holding the bullets… right? I scratch my chin before pushing the ponderance to the back of my mind. Questions for later. For now, what is the other option?
[Harem King]
|Rare-
Option number one, please! Oh, and please roll the silver one. The sound of the wheel fills my mind once more as I pick up a stick off the ground, eyeing the sword-like shape briefly before slamming it into a nearby rock formation. The rock craters, yet the stick is completely undamaged. Neat.
The wheel stops, and I can hear Nandi laughing uproariously. I glance around the group, wondering if their stunned expressions is the reason for her sudden amusement.
Nope!
Then what-
[Harem King]
|Rare Trait|
You are a harem king to be, your preffered partners are more attracted to you and society as a whole does not see a problem with you having a harem. In addition, your partners do not mind you dating others either, they might still have their own problems but the concept of a harem isn't one of them.
…you have got to be kidding me.
Nope! Congrats!
What does that even mean? You know I did not want this.
For this!
Roll the same reward twice in the Chaos Gacha! Gain a Silver Random Ticket!
Alright? Is it really that big a deal?
Do you know how many things are available in the Chaos Gacha? A ton! It's pulling from the Multiverse! I think it should be higher, but the rest of heaven thinks this is high enough already!
The rest of heaven-?
Rolling!
The sound of the wheel is louder this time, making me grimace and struggle to form coherent thoughts. I just stand there, waiting for the sound to end as I wave to Anis, smiling as I try to calm down her concerned expression. I glance at Rapi, who looks oddly pleased for some reason I cannot fathom.
[Soft Hugger]
|Uncommon Trait|
Sometimes all you really need is a hug. Your hugs feel really nice and comforting, they also help dispel negative emotional states. Your hugs are literally therapeutic. Go figure.
…is the gacha trying to turn me into the ultimate support? I sigh and shrug, leading my squad down the street as I figure out how to share my latest rolls with them. Who knows how they will take these new developments?
AN: Bronz says that the Chaos Gacha will be updated soon to be a bit more complex. Do you think I should hold off on further rolling until said major update happens, or should I just keep going and see if I can work in the update once it happens?
"Okay, Commander!" She launches her grenade, exploding the group with ease. Their bodies go flying limply through the air.
"Rapi, keep those stragglers back!"
"Yes, Commander!" Several fast shots pierce through the survivors of the barrage. They fall with warbling screeches.
"Neon, to your left!"
She swiftly turns and fires her shotgun point blank, dispatching the Rapture mere moments before it jumps on her. "Thank you, Shishou!"
I nod, using View Air to its fullest so that we avoid strikes from blind spots. I pause for a moment before freezing a Rapture sneaking up on me in place, Wind Alteration coming in handy. Please stop me from taunting the universe, Nandi, I really did not want us to be ambushed a block away from the warehouse.
Murphy is as undeniable as death, my friend. Beware Murphy's Law.
The warning would have been appreciated earlier. Why are half of these Raptures coming from underground, though?
Likely an ambush tactic.
Great. Being attacked from above and below. I pull out the butcher's bag and search for the toughest meat I can find. I pull out some sort of yellow-white disc in response, staring at it for a moment as I wonder what the heck it is.
Abalone.
Thank you. I repeat what I did before with the turkey, forming a small air cannon with the abalone as the bullet. I stretch out View Air as far as I can to get a good idea of which one this group's leader might be. As I search, I direct Miyo to go help Renamon, as she was clipped by one of the bullets. I get a familiar twinge from Newtype's sensing ability, and I duck just in time to avoid one of those particle beams Anis mentioned earlier. I turn and fire the abalone at the perpetrator, surprising myself when the meat pierces the optic with ease. It shudders and explodes, leaving the other Raptures to start scurrying about without direction. It appears I hit the leader.
Defeat your tenth Rapture without help! Gain a Silver Random Ticket!
Defeat the leader of a Rapture group by yourself! Gain a Silver Random Ticket!
I blink, then gesture that I got more stuff to Rapi. "Finish off this group before they can reorganize," I instruct the others before I start rolling.
The spin of the wheel sets the background noise for the sounds of gunfire and explosions. I watch my squad tear apart the stragglers with a small smile, glad that they can get along well enough for this much at least. My gaze drifts to Anis, who explodes a group that Miyo is aiming at. I guess it was a bit much to ask for her to accept her that quickly.
[Pip-Boy 3000]
|Uncommon Item|
Fallout - The Pip-Boy, otherwise known as the Personal Information processor, is a more versatile and robust computer that is worn on the wrist and powered by an internal fission battery. Pip Boy is capable of autonomously monitoring the health of its wearer, connecting to networks, map areas, shining light etc. An all-around solid multitool.
My brow furrows at this item, deciding to summon it to see what exactly this thing is. A metal bracer forms around my left arm, bulky and bronze. I slowly turn my arm over, revealing a large screen with a single dial to its left and a trio of buttons below it. I rub the screen as lines of code go streaming past. It takes a while, so I tap the gauge in the upper left before moving lower to the rotating switch in the lower left. I barely grasp the latter when a two dimensional cartoon man appears on the screen and gives me a thumbs up.
"Hey, what's that?" I jump as Neon's voice loudly resounds in my ear, covering it as I shift away from her. "Oh, did you get it from that gacha thingy?"
I give her a small nod, then look back at my new device, pressing the third button and watching as it moves to a radio. There is no station available, but a song begins to play regardless.
"Huh. So… is this like background music?" Neon asks, tapping the screen. "It's not a touch screen like our phones…"
"No, it's not," I agree, gently pulling my arm away from her as the second roll finishes.
[The Santa Clause]
|Common Trait|
You are under the same Clause as Santa himself, meaning that people do not mind you entering places you shouldn't be, or lingering in places you are not meant to. But they can still get offended and angry if you cause a disturbance or do something that would offend them.
I blink, tilting my head slightly at this. I suppose this means Santa is real. As for the trait, it appears as if it would be good for getting to places I would otherwise have no access to. Getting in, however, seems to be the main point of contention. For now, I need to get my squad away from the area. There is no telling whether other Raptures will be attracted to the gunfire.
"Clear," Rapi says, turning to look at me with a nod.
"Alright, let's move on," I say, gesturing to the path that my phone indicates. I glance down to see the Pip-Boy displays a map with the path as well. "Well that's handy."
"Yep!" Neon points at the gauge on the corner. "I bet this is a Geiger Counter!"
"A what?" Anis says, sounding uncertain.
"What makes you say that?" Rapi says, sounding mildly interested.
"The guy who appeared on the screen!" She extends her arm out and raises her thumb, closing her left eye in an almost perfect copy of the cartoon's gesture. "He did that old test to see if you were safe from a nuclear blast! 'If it's smaller than your thumb, you're safe!'"
…how. That was a popular myth pushed by a game! You don't even have that game here!
Neon must notice my expression, because she puts both hands on her waist and beams proudly. "You can't love firepower if you don't know how to stay safe!"
"Right." I reach out and gently pat her head, surprising her with the gesture. "Good job, I would never have guessed that."
"Eheh," she says, grinning happily at me.
Anis grabs my hand off the shorter girl's head and starts dragging me along, leaving the rest of the squad to catch up. "Yeah, yeah, we're wasting too much time! The sooner we get finished, the sooner we can have the Commander's meat!"
Miyo and Neon both gawp at the busty blonde, and even I have to raise my eyebrows at Anis's phrasing. Rapi sighs and explains to the other two, "There is a burlap sack with actual meat inside that the Commander got earlier today." The other two make quiet noises of understanding.
"Sure," I say with a small smile. "We can have a cookout when we're done with the mission. I promise."
"Great! Let's get to that switch, then," Anis says, noticeably dragging me to the direct opposite side of the street from Miyo. I sigh to myself, realizing the one-sided feud is not going away any time soon.
Still, I offer Neon a grateful smile. "Thank you for the warning. We would've been caught completely unaware, otherwise."
The white-haired woman blinks owlishly behind her glasses. "Warning?"
"Yes, the warning," Rapi says, an eyebrow raised. "Did you not make that sound when you discovered Raptures about to ambush us?"
"No, I made that 'ah' sound because of something else," Neon tries to explain.
Anis promptly stops, making me bump into her back from the suddenness. She takes a deep breath and turns to Neon, serious. "Let's get this straight, then. There's an unwritten rule that any Nikke who comes up to the surface must follow." She holds up a single finger, her frown deepening. "You don't blurt things out indiscriminately. Got it?"
"To be fair," I gingerly point out, "she did end up warning us of the ambush."
"A single lucky coincidence does not mean she should give us all anxiety on a whim," Anis argues back.
"I-I understand," Neon says, bowing apologetically. "Is this okay?"
"Don't do it again," Anis responds, wagging her finger.
"What was that all about?" Rapi asks, having followed along in the conversation silently.
"Thinking back on the sound," Renamon muses, "it was as if she thought of something."
"I did!" The shortest of us all confirms. "If the current running through the tracks is the issue," she starts, her glasses glinting, "then why doesn't the Commander wear rubber boots?"
I blink a couple times in the long silence that follows. "…Neon."
"Yes, Shishou?"
"Did you bring any rubber boots?" I say, keeping my voice carefully neutral.
"…no?" She starts looking unsure.
"I didn't bring any either," I point out, fighting the urge to smile because this is serious, dang it. "On top of that, there's no guarantee it would even stop the current. Rubber is an insulator, but it isn't perfect." I pat her on the shoulder. "There's a reason electricians don't work while a current is running through the wires."
"Oh. I thought it was because they were scared," she freely admits. Wow, that is… kind of rude. She must see my thoughts on my face because she hastily continues, "Because the only electricians I know are Nikkes!"
"…right," I say, slightly skeptical. "It was a nice idea, but it isn't very practical." I lower my hand, checking the Pip-Boy briefly.
Neon catches the motion, eyes gleaming with another idea. "I got it! You get stuff from that gacha, yes?" I hesitantly nod. "Then you just need to roll it until you get something like unbreakable rubber boots!"
I cannot fight the smile that forms on my face this time. "As much as I wish it, the gacha doesn't work that way. I need to accomplish stuff to get those tickets."
"What kinds of stuff?" She presses like a child never told no.
"Well, I just got this from defeating ten Raptures single-handedly," I give an example, holding up the arm with my new device. "I also got stuff specifically from each of you signing the contract."
"Then it's simple!" Neon says, grinning brightly. "Shishou just has to defeat one of us!"
"No." I immediately veto the idea, feeling a little queasy at the thought. "I refuse to fight any of you. Not unless your lives depended on it."
There is silence for a long while as we just stand there. Tentatively, Renamon reaches out to touch my shoulder. "Or if your life depends on it, right?"
"Hmm?" I glance back at her, my gaze raising slightly as I review exactly what I said. "…oh. Yeah, I guess if my life is on the line, but you all are the first priority."
"That's sweet of you," Miyo starts, fidgeting as everyone's attention moves to her, "but we still have to protect you with everything we can. We don't really have a choice."
"That is fine," I respond, offering her a reassuring smile. "We can protect each other. That's part of what being a squad is, yes?"
"…you're a strange one," a certain short blond says, shaking her head. "I'm glad no other squad has you."
…was I not supposed to hear her whispers? I will pretend that I did not.
"So fighting us is out." Neon touches her chin with a finger, frowning in thought, before turning to our grenadier and pointing at my face. "Anis, I choose you!"
The blonde woman in question looks confused. "Choose me for what?"
"To kiss the Commander!"
"WHAT!?" She shouts, immediately clamping her hands over her mouth.
"It's perfect! Clearly he hasn't been kissed before, so it would get him a ticket, yes?" Neon says, nodding proudly at her logic.
"No!" Anis hisses, leaning close and poking her in the sternum. "You don't just kiss someone willy-nilly! You don't-!" She cuts herself off, glaring into my eyes briefly before whispering at Neon, "You don't do that unless you're close!"
"You were holding each other's hands earlier," she helpfully points out, causing Anis's face to break out into a massive blush. "See? You do like him!" She concludes, grinning cheekily.
"Why you-!"
"Girls," I interject, trying to ignore my own warming cheeks as they turn to me, "we really should focus on getting to our objective. It won't hurt us to simply turn off the power, for now." I gesture to the path we are following, gratefully taking the canteen Rapi offers and sipping to wet my throat.
Get your first (indirect) kiss! Gain a Bronze Random Ticket!
I nearly choke on my water from the unexpected message, hacking harshly as I double over, canteen off to the side to avoid spittle. Nandi, what the heck!
What? I'm just reading off the achievements! Time to roll!
The sound of a wheel spinning fills my head, and a strong hand pats my back to help me dislodge the liquid attempting to invade my larynx. I take a few deep breaths, musing how I can recall random bits of biology but nothing about my military school years.
Year. Singular.
What? That is dumb! No one can internalize tactics from that little time!
You're right. They can't.
I get ready to ask her what that means when the wheel finally stops, a message filling my vision.
[Extremely Loud Metal Pipe]
|Trash Item|
An otherwise ordinary-looking aluminum pipe that, when dropped, produces an extremely loud clattering noise, enough to cause hearing damage in proximity.
…you know, even for a bronze ticket, that is extremely underwhelming. I stand back up, leaning on Rapi for support as I hand the canteen back to her. She takes it, eyeing my face momentarily before looking down at her canteen. Her own face gains the faintest dusting of pink as she takes her own sip.
Become Rapi's first male crush! Gain a Gold Random Advantage Ticket!
Have Rapi accept an indirect kiss from you! Gain a Silver Random Ticket!
My mind starts to run off with itself before I immediately clamp down on my thoughts with a single question. What is an advantage ticket?
An Advantage Ticket rolls twice and you get to choose which one you take!
Okay, sure, roll that one so I can see how it works firsthand. The sound of the wheel fills my thoughts as I try not to think of the implications of another member of my squad gaining a crush on me. Quickly, I think of something else to try to distract me. Why does it specify a male crush?
Because Rapi, for the longest time, only had one crush, and she was a girl.
…huh. I would never have guessed. What happened to her?
What?
You said "was". Something had to have happened.
Not my story to tell. Oh look, your rolls have finished!
Two options appear in front of my face, and I take the time to read over them, silently gesturing to the rest of Counters that I got something.
[One with the Blade]
|Elite Trait|
You are one with your weapon, whatever item you wield gets your physical stats added to its own stats. As long as you are holding it, that copper coin in your hands is tougher than diamond, a regular bronze sword could split the heavens as long as you are strong enough yourself.
I blink, furrowing my brow as I consider what this means. So this probably cannot work with guns, since I would no longer be holding the bullets… right? I scratch my chin before pushing the ponderance to the back of my mind. Questions for later. For now, what is the other option?
[Harem King]
|Rare-
Option number one, please! Oh, and please roll the silver one. The sound of the wheel fills my mind once more as I pick up a stick off the ground, eyeing the sword-like shape briefly before slamming it into a nearby rock formation. The rock craters, yet the stick is completely undamaged. Neat.
The wheel stops, and I can hear Nandi laughing uproariously. I glance around the group, wondering if their stunned expressions is the reason for her sudden amusement.
Nope!
Then what-
[Harem King]
|Rare Trait|
You are a harem king to be, your preffered partners are more attracted to you and society as a whole does not see a problem with you having a harem. In addition, your partners do not mind you dating others either, they might still have their own problems but the concept of a harem isn't one of them.
…you have got to be kidding me.
Nope! Congrats!
What does that even mean? You know I did not want this.
For this!
Roll the same reward twice in the Chaos Gacha! Gain a Silver Random Ticket!
Alright? Is it really that big a deal?
Do you know how many things are available in the Chaos Gacha? A ton! It's pulling from the Multiverse! I think it should be higher, but the rest of heaven thinks this is high enough already!
The rest of heaven-?
Rolling!
The sound of the wheel is louder this time, making me grimace and struggle to form coherent thoughts. I just stand there, waiting for the sound to end as I wave to Anis, smiling as I try to calm down her concerned expression. I glance at Rapi, who looks oddly pleased for some reason I cannot fathom.
[Soft Hugger]
|Uncommon Trait|
Sometimes all you really need is a hug. Your hugs feel really nice and comforting, they also help dispel negative emotional states. Your hugs are literally therapeutic. Go figure.
…is the gacha trying to turn me into the ultimate support? I sigh and shrug, leading my squad down the street as I figure out how to share my latest rolls with them. Who knows how they will take these new developments?
AN: Bronz says that the Chaos Gacha will be updated soon to be a bit more complex. Do you think I should hold off on further rolling until said major update happens, or should I just keep going and see if I can work in the update once it happens?