Neptunia: Merc's Involvement

Chapter 17: Lowee - Kidnapped

"Why?"

"Why not? I don't need a reason to help others." He said, giving Ram the same answer that he gave to Rom.

"Because you're a bad guy."

"Okay then answer me this Ram. Why do you think I'm a bad guy?"

"I once read in a book that people who were initially tasked with helping the CPUs would end up turning on them and take their Shares."

Alex looked at Ram resting over his shoulder while he carried her.

It seems he was right about the reason she kept targeting him.

Those dumb, yet brutal pranks were probably a way to make him go away and leave.

"Well well, seems you figured out my master plan. I'm a big, bad guy that will strike down all you CPUs and take your Shares so zip it and behave." Said Alex with sarcasm as Ram then slowly turned her head and looked at Alex.

Although she was still convinced within herself that he was a bad guy, she didn't say another thing afterwards.

After returning to the starting point , Alex looked at the door leading to the room where Blanc and Mina were and reached out for it, but the door opened before he could grab the handle and showed Mina standing on the doorway

"Alex...And R-Ram!?"

"Why is she with you?" Asked the CPU, who was confused by this sight.

"Got bored of waiting so I went to check on the twins. Found this one nearly unconscious in the hallway." Replied the young boy while putting Ram down.

"Dear goodness!" Said Mina as she approached Ram, who stood in front of Alex while looking down. "Ram, I thought I told you already to stay in bed!"

"I can't…I need to help Rom…"

Seeing how Ram was simply worried about Rom, the Oracle smiled and comforted her.

"Ram, there's no need to worry. Alex and Lady Blanc already took care of gathering the Shares." She said in a kind tone "We were just making the crystals right now."

The CPU candidate's eyes widened when hearing this revelation as she turned her head and looked at Alex.

"Told you they were making the crystals, didn't I?" He said.

Ram was silent for a moment or two, but when she was about to say something, a loud rumbling sound in the distance caught everyone's attention.

"The hell was that?" Asked Alex while turning around.

"It sounded like a wall crumbling." Answered Mina

"I…I think it came from my and Rom's room!" Shouted Ram

Alex and Blanc immediately headed out into the hallway and ran towards Rom and Ram's room.

They quickly opened the door but only found the empty room along with the destroyed wall.

Seeing the destruction around them, the first thing they did was search for Rom, but it was to no avail as she was nowhere to be seen.

While Blanc inspected the bed, Alex walked towards the hole in the wall and looked at it.

Whatever caused this, it was surely huge.

"Lady Blanc, Alex!"

Alex and Blanc turned their heads around and saw Mina and Ram on the doorway, both of then looking at the destroyed room with shock.

"What happened here!? Where's Rom!?" Asked Ram, getting scared after seeing the state of her now destroyed bedroom.

Suddenly, the sound of an explosion coming from outside caught everyone's attention.

They looked through the hole and saw a column of smoke rising in the air, along with a few explosions happening one after the other around the first one.

"Dear goodness! What's happening now!?" Asked Mina while looking at the destruction taking place in the distance.

"Whatever it is, I get the feeling it might have something to do with what happened here" Answered Alex.

"Mina, I'll go check it out...You finish making the crystals."

The Oracle nodded in agreement to her CPU's request before Blanc transformed and flew towards the area where the explosions came from.

Alex was about to follow her, until he felt someone tugging on his wrist.

When he turned his head around to look, Alex saw Ram holding onto him.

"You...you better help her...otherwise I'll know you're really a bad guy!"

This was a rather surprising request for her to make, especially to the one guy she didn't trust at all. Nonetheless, the young boy looked at her in the eye for a moment before facing forward once more.

"I told you already, didn't I? I'm gonna force both of you to get better. I guarantee it." He said as he ran out of the castle and made his way over to where the calamity was at.

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Chapter 17: Complete