Merc Green: Surrender, or else!
Yoshiori: Or else what!? BANG
Merc Green: Aaah!
Yoshiori: Weakling! You'd die in a REAL battle!
Monomasa: I'll handle this. Yoshiori, get the thing.
Yoshiori: Okay, I'm off to get the thing! Kick some ass!
Monomasa: I got it. Monomasa Whip!
Merc Red: Augh!
Barrel: Whoo, these villains sure are tough.
Gammei: Strange times. We can't keep losing, Barrel!
Ryekie: Yeah! We're pro heroes!
Barrel: Right! We gotta show our stuff too!
Kyoichi: Yeaaah, that's kinda not happening here!
Toshu: Stop being a wimp. Samurai Swing!
Merc Yellow: Aahh!
Kyoichi: T-thanks Toshu...
Toshu: Hmph. A samurai does not turn tail and run at the first sign of trouble.
Kyoichi: But I'm not a samurai
Toshu: STOP RUINING THE MOMENT I'M TRYING TO BE COOL
Shoen: We have the upper hand now. Think we can break through if we keep it up?
Victom: We can't let our guards down. They still outnumber us.
Shoen: Agreed. Stay sharp and look out for an opportunity.
Merc Blue: This isn't working! I better go for the noncombatants!
Crowne: WAIT WHAT
MC: HELP
Sui: Think again!
Mokdai: Knew it! Mokdai Punch!
Merc Blue: Wha--AAAH
Melide: Are these people really the nation's defenders?
Exio: I mean, there's a reason "if you want to defeat a general, shoot his horse" is military wisdom. We've got that covered though.
Sadayoshi: How are we being pushed back despite the numbers advantage!? Well I didn't want to use stronger moves against citizens, but--
Akashi: Gee, thanks for holding back!
Sadayoshi: !! (barely grazes Akashi's attack and starts soloing him)
Sadayoshi: We can still be lenient! Stand down, and I will lighten your punishment!
Akashi: Piss off! You'd still be treating us as in the wrong anyway!
Sadayoshi: Why won't you agree to our plan to sacrifice a megalopolis to save the rest of the people!?
Akashi: Why in hell would we agree to not be part of the people you'd be saving!? (charges in)
Akashi: You said Orient City's your home! Do you seriously not want to save it!?
Sadayoshi: Of course not! It's where the people and the places I love are! But when I thought about the whole country, there wasn't any other option!
Akashi: SO!? Are they holding you at gunpoint to agree!? Have we not beaten in the point that you have a personal opinion on this to death yet!?
Sadayoshi: !!
Akashi: An opening! (bashes Sadayoshi away)
Merc Red: Colonel! ...ah!
Yoshiori (driving a huge truck into the area): Beep beep, outta the way assholes! Now get in losers, we're getting out of here!
MC: Okay! / I'm scared of sitting in the rack! / Ooh, breezy!
(B) Yoshiori: It's cool, I'll go as safe as I can!
(C): Yoshiori: Ha ha, you're funny.
Barrel: (gasps) Truck rack riding is illegal!
Yoshiori: Bitch, they are going to arrest you!
Gammei: ...Barrel, get in! I'll allow it and look the other way!
Barrel: W-well...okay!
Ryekie: Hey, you better drive safely alright!? Especially so the non-heroes don't get thrown out!
Yoshiori: Yeah, yeah I know! Are you guys in yet!? We're going on ahead!
Sadayoshi: ...w-wait! Ugh...
Crowne: (frown)
Yoshiori floors the gas. Those who lived within defined lines watched with mixed emotions as those who refused to be boxed in zoom off. In moments, the party disappears into the distance.
Merc Red: Damn them! Colonel, aren't we going after them!? Your orders!
Sadayoshi: ... (destransforms and stares at his hands)
Merc Red: ...Colonel?
Sadayoshi: ...what I want to protect. My own feelings...the people and city I love...
Over with the party
Yoshiori drives the truck north up the highway, closer and closer to the quarantine borders.
Ryekie: ...oh. So you hid out near the quarantine borders to patch up and had Yoshiori gather information?
Exio: I'll just say it's nice to have a good doctor as a customer. It's how I stayed alive. It's better than that one time I took even worse injuries and couldn't get treated.
Monomasa: Yoshiori has scouting experience from when he was part of his homeland's army, plus he has his special Presence Concealment vs. non-heroes and non-Observers. It's not that hard for him to go get information from the National Defense Department hidden areas.
Barrel: Honestly I thought the Invisible Soldier was an urban legend, but I never thought I'd work with him like this...
Kyoichi: Is it really okay for you to show a secret like that since we're usually enemies?
Yoshiori: You'll figure it out sooner or later if we're working together. We might as well tell you ourselves then.
Toshu: He makes sense. We're currently going rogue against the state as things are.
Gammei: So you were bluffing about having spies earlier?
Melide: ...no. We gained information by gradually taking strategic steps. It's just...we also wanted some insurance.
Shoen: So you sent him in to get conclusive evidence?
Furlong: Does that mean there really are villain agents in the upper government levels?
Victom: It happens with groups that big, especially ones that keep kicking each other down.
Sui: We live in a world where we go up by playing dirty against each other? This sucks.
Exio: That's not limited to politics. Disputes like that happen in any setting where social status and honor are things. Greed knows no bounds.
Mokdai: ...huh?
MC: What's up? / Something about the conversation hit you?
(B): Mokdai: Oh, no! It's not to do with what we're talking about now.
Mokdai: I was thinking something felt up for a little while. Don't you think it's weird we got this close even with all that noise we made earlier? Like, it wouldn't be weird for people to chase us or border guards to come attack, but I haven't seen them or any normal people at all.
Yoshiori: ...yeah it's weird to me too. It doesn't even seem like people are watching us to see what happens. It's too quiet. Get ready for anything happening.
Akashi: Like that giant monster?
Yoshiori: Dunno. Just be ready to fight.
Crowne: Urgh... (grabs the back of her neck)
MC: Crowne?
Crowne: I've been getting the chills just now. I don't think it's just my imagination... (looks towards the city)
Crowne: ...it must be them.
Exio: ...
Later, when the party reaches the city with no issues
Akashi: ...we're here. That was anticlimactic.
Mokdai: No one was at the gates. Creepy...
Sui: ...I get the feeling someone's watching.
Ryekie: You've gotten sharper, Sui. That means you're picking up hero skills too. And this isn't just anyone watching us. It's someone who wants to kill us.
Crowne: ...! Here it comes!
Ryekie: Justice Rock Throw!
Ryekie knocks down a spear that stabs into the ground by Crowne instead.
Melide: ! That's the same spear that stabbed Exio!
???: HAHAHAHA!
MC: WHOMST
Crowne Alter walks out.
Crowne Alter: FINALLY you shits are here!
Crowne: YOU
Exio: So the weird chills Crowne felt was because of getting closer to someone with her same existence.
MC: So, that really is Crowne's...?
Crowne Alter: Did you finally figure it out, dumbass? Yeah I'm Crowne Applefield, a what-if version of that dumb bitch over there.
Crowne: !!!
Barrel: What!? Why are you here then!?
Furlong: We can use our Parallel Weapons because they come from parallel what-if worlds, but...!
Victom: I've never heard of anyone actually coming from a parallel world!
Crowne Alter: That's 'cuz I'm special, jackass. There's barely any Observers capable of what I can do, aside from MC over there. Assface up there really likes you for some reason, always nagging me about how you're the only one I can't kill. Now look at me and tell me if it looks like I give a shit. You piss me off and that's all the goddamn reason I need to murder your ass!
MC: OH NO
Crowne Alter: Don't think you're alone. There's also Exio and Bitchtits over there on my hit list too. Actually you know what? Fucking everyone who wouldn't let me be me can kiss their asses goodbye!
Crowne Alter starts cackling as dark light shines around their arms. When they wave their arms out, a familiar sensation fills you as a familiar silhouette appears.
MC: There's Monster Procy and Monster Gomeisa now!
Gammei: Why are they there!?
Ryekie: That's not actually them! They're just Monsters that look like them.
Mokdai: But we struggled when it was just Monster Procy!
Melide: There may be more of them, but look closer.
Monster Procy and Gomeisa: Bzsz Wehrrr (flicker)
Monomasa: Are they weakening?
Sui: ...it feels the same as when we faced my mother.
Crowne Alter: Do you guys know how long I had to wait for your stupid faces to show up? But now you finally are! You're all gonna die!
Exio: It looks like...the Monster and parallel world paths are wavering. It's likely because of the other Crowne's wavering heart.
MC: What?
Exio: A Path's stability is highly influenced by an Observer's mental state. Mental exhaustion and instability on their part leads to the path being unstable as well, along with dragging down the power of Heroes and Monsters.
Melide: ...if they came here the same way Monsters do, they can't leave the city. Moving too far from their exit point weakens their existence. They must have waited here and called over Monsters in the meantime and kept the path open, which would've sapped their energy the whole time.
Toshu: They want to kill us that badly?
Shoen: Or in other words, they cut at their heart for that goal...
Kyoichi: ...wait. Are they why there aren't any guards around!?
Akashi: Oh my god, that's awful!
Crowne Alter: Awful? YOU guys are the awful ones here! Do you know how much effort it takes to reject Mister Broke Ass's calls!? Whatever! Hurry up and transform already since I apparently want to see a fight!
Ryekie: There's no other way out of this. MC, transform us!
MC: Right! Execute!
The party transforms.
Crowne Alter: Hahaha! The worm brigade is all here! I'mma crush and stomp every last one of you, and then I'mma rip and tear my other self with my own goddamn hands! EVERY ONE OF YOU SHITHEADS DIE RIGHT HERE!
Monster Procy and Gomeisa: Rrgh. Argh.
Crowne: Bitch!
Meanwhile in Space
Broker: ...it's finally started. Ridiculous. A lot of effort went into that one but it's time to write them off. Oh well. Disposal time.
BATTLE START
No comments:
Post a Comment