Neptunia: Merc's Involvement

Chapter 41: Final Act - First Blood

"I can't believe this crap!" Said an angered White Heart.

"It seems destroying the body wasn't enough to stop the Deity of Sin after all." Added Green Heart.

"We'll need to figure out a way to stop her once she revives again but for now, we need to deal with the four felons first." Explained Purple Heart.

While flying towards the Graveyard, the CPUs went over the plan and tried thinking how to take on all of the four felons at the same time, but Alex on the other hand had his mind fully focused on thinking about his dream, and about the things his doppelganger said.

'It was just a bad dream...Just a very bad dream...' He thought with a stern expression. '...right?'

"Ow! Al-Alex!?" Said Purple Heart.

"Ouch! Hey, that hurts!" Yelled Black Heart.

"Eh?"

The young boy didn't notice it at first, but while thinking about the Alex he saw in his dream, his grip on the forearms of the two CPUs carrying him became a lot stronger. So much that it was hurting them.

"Ah...So-Sorry..." He said as he eased up his grip on their forearms.

"Damn it, what's with you!? You've been acting weird since this morning!" Snarled the irritated CPU of Lastation.

Alex simply lowered his head and tried to stay quiet for the rest of the way while Purple Heart looked at him with slight concern.

She could tell something was bothering him, but it didn't seem to be related to the four felons or to Arfoire and what it was exactly that bothered him, she could not tell.

After arriving, it didn't take long for them to find them, as it seemed they were waiting for their arrival.

"CPUs, we've been waiting for you..." Said Magic.

"Bwahahahaha! Finally! They're finally here!" Yelled Judge with a laughter a sane person wouldn't be able to pull off.

"It seems my little cuties aren't here...what a letdown..."

"That pervert really should have stayed dead..." Said White Heart while looking at the dissapointed Trick with disgust.

"It seems that bulky brute has lost the little sanity he had left." Added Green Heart while looking at Judge laugh like a complete maniac.

"Wait, aren't they missing one?" Said Black Heart after noticing Brave wasn't with them.

"One of our own couldn't understand the mercy of our goddess and dared defy it...We had no other choice but to be rid of him through force."

"Hihihihi, it was soooo fuuun! Destroying him was so fun!" Said Judge while still laughing like crazy.

"You...You slayed your own ally!?" Replied Purple Heart with shock.

"Those who aren't of use to our goddess are trash, and those who dare defy her deserve nothing but death." Said Magic as her cold and emotionless answer made the CPUs feel sickened to the bone.

Alex had the feeling Brave wouldn't agree with something as crazy as mass genocide, but to think they would kill one of their own without a shred of empathy or regret. It just emphasized on how the four felons really were heartless beasts rather than individuals.

"Enough chatter. Once our goddess revives, you lot shall be offered as her sacrifices."

"Not if we take you down first!" Said Black Heart while taking an assault stance.

At that moment, everyone dashed forward as the fight between the four felons and the CPUs began anew.

Green and White Heart would deal with Trick while Purple and Black Heart would handle Judge and last but not least, Alex would duke it out against Magic.

The fighters moved all over the graveyard, using their weapons or their magic to attack each other with everything they had.

Weapons and magic clashed countless times as both sides went against the other one with the full intent to kill.

Purple and Black Heart were handling Judge pretty well despite his tough body and unpredictable way of attacking.

Trick also seemed like he wouldn't last much longer against White Heart's wrath and Green Heart's precise attacks and even if he was alone, Alex was able to stand on equal footing against Magic this time, as he wasn't worn out from earlier battles like yesterday.

"Is this all the strength you can muster, boy?" Asked Magic while struggling against him.

Despite being able to stand on equal footing against her, that was as far as it went. Magic could notice his skills were blocked by something and decided to take this fight to the skies making it an even more difficult fight for the young man.

It certainly added up to the difficulty factor and having the words his doppelganger said to him earlier still echoing within his mind didn't help either.

During the intense and constant clash of scythe and sword, Alex was lured into Magic's feint and ended up falling for it.

The leader of the ASIC took advantage of this and attacked the young boy, leaving a deep bleeding injury in his shoulder and causing his sword to fly away, falling into the ground where it got stuck.

As her eyes shortly looked at her surroundings, Purple Heart saw Alex's sword flying away from his hand and landing on the ground.

"Ally!" She said while quickly turning around and flying towards him with all haste.

"Neptune!?" Said Black Heart with shock as she saw her flying away.

Alex looked at his sword, then at Magic, who had already raised his scythe to deliver the killing blow.

"Die..."

After saying her final words to him, Magic lowered her weapon with all her might. The young boy tried stepping back, but he could tell he wouldn't be able to dodge in time and prepared himself for the worse.

'I screwed up!' He thought while looking at the blade heading right towards him.

The young boy thought he would definitely die, until he suddenly saw something getting between him and Magic before blood flew into the air, but it wasn't his blood. Instead, it was the blood of Planeptune's CPU.

"Eh?"

Alex looked in shock as he saw Purple Heart in front of him with her eyes and mouth wide open, and blood flying off of her back.

That moment seemed to run so slowly that time itself felt like it had stopped, until the CPU moved forward and fell onto him.

As he quickly held her within his arms, it took a moment for his brain to process what had just happened and notice Purple Heart was within his arms, bleeding profusely from the deep wound on her back.

"Ne...Neptune?"

"Ally...are you okay?" She said shortly after reverting back to human.

"Neptune!" Yelled the young boy.

Seeing the state Neptune was in, Alex quickly snapped out of it and tried holding her until he suddenly felt something wet and warm in his hand after touching her back. He moved his hand a bit and saw it was drenched in blood. Lots of fresh blood.

"Neptune!" He said while looking with shock and horror at Planeptune's CPU. "Why!? Why did you do that!?"

"Ain't it obvious?" Said the CPU slowly while raising her head to look at him even more slowly with her usual smile. "It's because…we're friends..."

Neptune kept smiling at Alex for a moment or two before slowly closing her eyes and loosing consciousness as her head rested on the young man's chest

"Neptune?" Said Alex while softly shaking the CPU, but got no answer out of her.

At that moment, Alex had another fuzzy and blurry vision, as this time he saw himself holding an adult woman, the same one from the nightmare in Leanbox, with blood pouring from her back in his arms.

He wasn't aware of it at the time, but now, a second life had been lost within his arms.

"NEPTUNE!"

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Chapter 41: Complete