little stars that remembers .01 an adventure beginning .01
『 』
----------------------------------------
Sunshine beams through the gap of the curtains of a secluded room, hinting it's already morning. Silence continued to roam until the alarm clock rang...
Slowly, the teenage boy, who appeared to have dark purple hair and monochromatic eyes, laid on his bed leaned on the direction of the sound and pat the device, immediately stopping the clock to make any more sound. His arm continued to sway down in tiredness and leaned back to his original position as he faces the ceiling...
" ...What day is it now...? " he asked the empty ceiling.
A wild answer then made its way to his ears and woke him up— or at least his eyes finally widened properly.
" It's already Monday, bro. School time! " said a girl with a bright morning smile as she approach the teenager boy in his bed. The girl is seen to be in a school uniform under an apron, seemingly younger than the boy. She resembles the boy in appearance, whereas, the girl carries long straight hair.
" Breakfast? " the little girl offered...
----------------------------------------
Niko's POV
[ Niko ] " Nn.. What's for breakfast? "
[ ??? ] " Your favorite, bacon. Lots! "
[ Niko ] " Let us go. "
I am Niko James, a very good shut-in. I am still seventeen years of age and still taking school at FortStar Academy with my sister and childhood friends. Too short for an introduction, that about sums up the majority of my teenage life because, I hate to admit, my life has been pretty uneventful so far.
This is Jana James, my sister by blood and we're pretty close as siblings due to the fact that we're always left alone in the house by my mother who's been solely supporting us. As for our dad, he'd been away with our older sister several years ago. I think she's six years older than me. Every time we're left alone, Jana always tends to the home chores— she's very diligent, cheerful, caring, and a tad simple for everyone's taste but... she can be very snarky sometimes, too. Jana is fifteen years old, goes to the same academy as mine and is 2 years below me in grade, yet she's more successful than me as a student. You see, Jana here is actually a top student of her class and besides being academically great, she's also very athletic. Totally, an opposite of myself since I always hit home after school. Nonetheless, I could only be very proud of her and I am, greatly!
As I climb downstairs with my sister, a scent of good food is already lingering around the house. Jana did well this time again, I'm getting hungry already and I didn't get any dinner last night. What happened last night sucks... and I can't even remember what happened.
The silence broke again when Jana spoke.
[ Jana ] " Mom was out, so I cooked breakfast. "
[ Niko ] " Out again at this early of the morning? "
[ Jana ] " She had to, she have a job. "
[ Niko ] " ...Right. " said I joined with a sigh after.
[ Jana ] " Don't worry, I can cook on par with Mom!" she huffed with confidence.
[ Niko ] " I'm not worried about that. "
A yawn escaped me as I sit on the chair. It's not that I'm unenthusiastic knowing that my favorite breakfast is at the table but... I'm just too sleepy.
[ Jana ] " Don't nod off! I'll kick you! "
[ Niko ] " nooo... " I said on a slow, sloppy voice.
[ Jana ] " Coffee? "
[ Niko ] " I'll be fine... "
Coffee won't work, anyway.
[ Jana ] " Bro, you're nodding off. "
[ Niko ] " W-What? No. "
[ Jana ] " Are you not feeling well? "
[ Niko ] " I'm fine, I'm fine. Maybe I'm just lightheaded. "
[ Jana ] " Morning blues. What happened yesterday? Got you in a quarrel? "
[ Niko ] " No! I just strolled, right? ...Never mind. I think I'm just confused or something. "
[ Jana ] " Better be careful, bro. "
[ Niko ] " Yeah. "
School again, huh. I still want to sleep and I'm guessing I'll just doze off at class this time again.
...
.....
After the hearty meal and some showering, I finally got into my uniform with my necktie on, and bag packed and ready. The light of the sun penetrates the house so I closed the windows and drawn the curtains close one by one. With that, the house is secured.
[ Niko ] After I'm done putting my shoes on, I'm first to head before the door, " We're leaving. "
[ Jana ] " Okaaaay! " said Jana as she fix her notebooks in the bag.
After waiting, she surprised me with her return by popping beside me with a grin on her face,
[ Jana ] " I'm ready, bro. Hmhm~ "
As I open the door, the sun greets us with dazing light.
[ Niko ] " Aaah.. Jana, do we have an umbrella? "
[ Jana ] After locking the door, she turned my way and answered, " I put one in your bag. "
[ Niko ] " That so.. " I immediately reached for my bag hanging on my left shoulder with my other arm, there is my usual gray and blue umbrella tucked inside with my notebooks.
[ Niko ] " Thanks, Jana.. " I don't really see this inside my bag all the time, so my sister here deserves thanks!
[ Jana ] " No problem! By the way, the news said a storm is nearing our place. It'll last a week probably, so I put that inside your bag. " I pat her head and my hands met with a fluffy, soft hair. Jana seemed to want this from time to time, she seemed happy.
[ Niko ] " Copy that. What do you want when I get home later? "
[ Jana ] Her eyes suddenly catch up to her brightened mood as it glistens in excitement, " Oh, oh! I want some chocolates! "
[ Niko ] " I'll see what I can do, then.. " I opened the umbrella and my sister immediately hopped in the shadow it gave against the sunlight. From then on, we finally started to walk off the house.
[ Jana ] " Good luck, bro~! " this really fits her right, a cheerful sister.
I have another sister; she's the eldest among us three but she's living with my dad now. It would've been better if she's here with us...
My parents are separated for reasons we still don't know, either it's not time yet or they just won't say it no matter what. I've asked mom several times when I was younger but I was only met with uncertain answers and sometimes, she's changing the topic. It took the longest time before I stopped asking about it and decided to just forget about it. My mom's a woman of the present, or along those lines, she doesn't really give up her past for someone, not even to her kids.
...Not even to her kids? A-Are we somehow adopted!? It could make sense, right!? Maybe she can share it to someone in the family but why isn't she sharing it with us??
[ Jana ] " You're making a lot of faces, bro. Is something wrong? "
[ Niko ] Ah, Jana noticed me, " N-Nothing. I'm just thinking about something... " but Jana didn't bought it and just gave me a suspicious look.
[ Jana ] " Hmm~ Well if you're ready to share, I'm here, bro! "
An assurance I never deserved but needed, perhaps.
We live in a rural place called Ruhr. It's filled with nature— trees, mountains, and some scary ravines. The rivers here are clean as well and the town is as peaceful as it gets. Since it's very small, all the facilities are just near as they are just sticking together. Our small town is also surprisingly near the city with just a fifteen minute ride towards the city of Nesrea.
The school somehow, is farther from our home and this morning heat isn't helping at all. Though, at least, I'm wide awake now.
[ Jana ] " Bro... " my sister called me while walking with her to school.
[ Jana ] " ...No cutting classes, alright? "
[ Niko ] " I don't think so. "
[ Jana ] " I'll have Cecile and Mark get you later if you do that. "
[ Niko ] " I can escape from them! "
[ Jana ] " I'll help. "
[ Niko ] " Jeez, no. "
[ Jana ] " Are you really that not interested in taking school? "
[ Niko ] " It's not really that.. "
She laughed.
[ Niko ] " What. "
[ Jana ] " Nothing. I'll just go ahead; I know you want to cut classes. "
[ Niko ] " I can manage my grades... "
[ Jana ] " Alright, see yah, bro! "
[ Niko ] " Yeah. "
She have gone ahead running towards the direction to the school and from there, we separated ways. I went to the way where the arcade place is to see if that ace-wannabe is there again. Let's see if I can play with her again without getting any losses.
With that thought in mind, I grinned in excitement.
Cecile's POV
Niko is cutting classes... AGAIN!
『 Inside a classroom are two persons that's close to Niko. One is Cecile, a blond headed girl with long hair and sunken violet eyes. She usually carry a stern and annoyed look on her face, especially when around with her friends. When she's with other people, there's a cool facade she try to keep up and that's how she garnered a number of admiring fellows, most of them are girls though.
The other is Mark. Mark is a very nice guy that has a nonthreatening face. He got an undercut hair which is colored black, his eyes, then, are blazing red. While he look like someone that can't lay a hand on anyone, he has a pretty aggressive side and only Cecile and Niko knows this. Despite all what's said, he's a totally decent guy who just happened to have a fang on his teeth. 』
We already got the day half due to an event by the afternoon exclusive for the staff of the school. JUST A FEW CLASSES WON'T HURT, YOU KNOW?!
[ Mark ] " Your face is showing it, Cecile. "
[ Cecile ] " I have no one to pick on, that's why! "
[ Mark ] " Niko's out again, huh? "
[ Cecile ] " I'm going to his house as soon as the final class ends. "
[ Mark ] " Count me in. "
[ Cecile ] " YOU BET! "
[ Mark ] " Ohh... Wait a minute. "
[ Cecile ] " What is it? "
[ Mark ] " I think he's just at the arcade. "
[ Cecile ] " I THOUGHT SO TOO. We'll go there first. "
[ Mark ] " Alright. "
And that's it. Niko's going to get himself a beating.
...
.....
Dismissal 11:45
The class is finally adjourned and the heat's still at it. What a joke, that news about a storm coming for the rest of the week. I just sighed out of heat, taking the littlest breather I could get now that school's done for today.
[ Cecile ] " Alright, time to find Niko! "
[ Mark ] " You sure are fired up, Cecile. "
[ Cecile ] I also wanted to inform him about the danger lurking around Ruhr and its increased activity, " Say Mark, did you know the increased number of enemies? "
[ Mark ] " No, are they stronger than the others? "
[ Cecile ] " Seems so. "
[ Mark ] " We need to find Niko right now, he might get in danger. "
[ Cecile ] " What are we waiting for, then? "
[ Mark ] " Alright, let's go. " he packed his things faster and made a stand, ready to head out. We nodded at each other before we move.
After passing through the lockers to get our bags in, we broke out of school ahead anyone else behind and stepped out. Then, an odd thing happened.
[ Mark ] " Cecile.. "
[ Cecile ] " Yeah.. "
My eyes skimmed everywhere and surprisingly enough, the sun's shining color dulled overtime and the previously vivid view of Ruhr is now a monochromatic scenery as if it was filtered with B&W. This fading color is a sign that no ordinary human can perceive, only us who are capable can notice and feel the differences which always comes sudden and unexpected.
[ Cecile ] " Clouds are getting darker—"
[ Mark ] " I sure wish this is just because of the storm... "
[ Cecile ] " ...Let's get moving! " An enemy's around, this is what it means. This is the sign of a Crean entering the world of humans.
Oh Niko, you shouldn't have skipped classes today, you're making this a bit harder for us.
Niko's POV
[ Niko ] " Hmm... "
The ace-wannabe's not in here so I was just playing by myself. There's no challenger right now, huh. It sure is boring and the place isn't lively at this time of the day again. Usually, it is lively though, what gives, man?
I quit my game and headed out for some air with my bag and umbrella ready. Soon as I got out, the heat fades continuously until it got a bit chilly. However, this isn't the physical chill I know— it's the cold feeling of danger. It isn't that overwhelmingly serious but this feeling is something I became familiar with ever since. A phenomenon only a few could see and feel...
[ Niko ] " Hahh.. " I sighed out of heat.
An enemy is here. The surroundings are fading in color again. I don't have my friends with me so I can't hope to beat an enemy alone or even find it. So, I walked back to my home's direction.
It was a meaningless short walk because I wasn't thinking about the circumstances of my actions.
[ Niko ] I reached for my phone in my pocket and stared at it for a good second, " ... " Jana's still at school and she might get in danger. I can't retreat right before battle either and if something happens to anyone in this town, I won't be able to forgive myself. My friends, my sister, and my parents' faces came flooding in my mind, reminding me of them in this situation.
[ Niko ] A sigh left me yet again, " ..What is this, some scene from a comic book.. " and all this sighing robs away my right mood.
As I turn my back to the school's direction, a memory flashed in mind—
[ 𝙿𝚁𝙴𝙳𝙸𝙲𝚃 ]
[ Niko ] " Ngkh--! " a bullet shot through my head as my head turn back to the direction of the school. Blood gushed out my cranium and splashed parts of my brain out on the street. The bullet left a crack on the road, showing how powerful the weapon used against me.
—it is a memory of my death in the nearest future. I have a power to predict absolute futures but only at a moment away. I can't really use this to win the lotto, damn it! After watching myself die seconds later in my mind, I am able to manipulate the present I'm in to avoid death.
[ Niko ] " Heh—thanks, me. " I tilted my head away from the line of fire and let it break the road instead with my head. " Nevermind, I found you! "
The line of fire was straight and according to what just happened, I should figure which direction the enemy is firing from. Beyond the school, the back forest, an abandoned factory is there which stopped operating seven years ago. The bullet came through several areas with pinpointing ability. This enemy is probably a top-class sniper but I hope it's only useful for these long-range operations. I'd be lucky if it is useless on combat but I'll need help on this one for sure.
...
Half a decade ago, I received a power amidst a crisis I was put in along with the feeling of desperation. I was caught in a large incident and backed myself into a corner with my little sister. From there, I wished to all the gods that the enemies should just take me and spare my sister and from there as well, I was suddenly prompted an offer I never expected as the time stopped around us.
An angel of an enigmatic physical presence showed up in front of my eyes and mysteriously asked me inside my head. Without words, without gestures, I felt like I was asked and I knew I wanted to answer... salvation.
The mysterious phantom that seemed to have followed me until that event left me a power of prophecy, the power to see everything beyond the present. I called it, Laplace.
...
I contacted Mark's cell and got a quick answer, wow.
[ M ] " Niko! Are you at the arcades? " how did he know!?
[ N ] " A-ah, yeah— near the arcades, yeah. "
[ M ] " Cecile and I are coming to get you, please stay there—"
[ C ] Cecile's voice suddenly rang over the phone with her usual bossy attitude, " DON'T GO ANYWHERE, OKAY!? WE'RE NEAR THERE!! "
[ N ] " I got it already! "
Ah, I can see them from the distance but they have already hung up. It was quite the distance so I'll just meet them on the way; I don't want to be idle in this kind of situation after all.
Cecile's POV
[ Cecile ] " Did you see that fire from earlier? "
[ Mark ] " What, what fire? I didn't see any fire.. "
[ Cecile ] " I-I mean, there's a bullet that shot through the air earlier. From my calculations, it came from beyond the school and towards... "
[ Mark ] " Towards? "
[ Cecile ] " Towards where Niko should be, in that arcade place. "
[ Mark ] " But he's okay, right? We talked to him over the phone. "
[ Cecile ] " Yeah, that punk ass was targeted and survived a bullet! "
[ Mark ] " He can see the future after all. I have nothing to worry about in the first place, then! " he then laughed, thoroughly trusting Niko's survival.
We've been running nonstop from school to here and I'm about to reach my limit. Mark here isn't even exhausted yet, as expected from a fit guy like him, I'm envious! Gah, why do I need to—
[ Cecile ] " Mark, End up! " commanded I as my head turns to my back, seeing the bullet nearing us and from the looks of it, it's going to my direction.
[ Mark ] " Aye! "
[ 𝙶𝙾𝙻𝙳 𝙴𝙽𝙳𝚄𝚁𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴 ]
A yellow surge explodes within Mark's body center instantly as he speak his power language, Endurance Up. The yellow explosion left his skin golden, looking like a golden statue on a plain white uniform.
[ Cecile ] " Don't stop running! You'll see the bullet coming from near the school, time yourself well and slap it away! "
[ Mark ] " Huuph-! " he prepared a fist as he runs forward. The bullet became visible even for Mark to see and so he started to swing his arm, punching the bullet that emerged from the farthest and sending it back to its former direction. The projectile swayed upwards which blew some of the clouds away.
Mark Shin, a Superhuman. He has a power like that and while it's plainly titled, its skills cover a lot of strong blows. In terms of games, he can make 9999999 damage to anything. He carries destructive powers and can make an impregnable fortress. Endurance Up is one of his skills that steels his body to the maximum and can absorb any amount of pain.
[ Cecile ] " Hahh~ " my body's almost at it, so I stopped for a while to catch my breath. I was brought to my knees.
[ Cecile ] " Protect me.. for a while, will ya..? "
[ Mark ] " Say no more! "
We were attacked several times by the mysterious enemy but we managed to fend it all off by my command and Mark's ultimate defense. All this happened while I was resting on the road until...
[ Mark ] " There's Niko. " as we can see, Niko's running towards us with his hands waving up and about.
Mark's POV
Thank goodness the team's here, all and complete. My Endurance skill isn't going to last much longer after all, and if I am correct, these two are up for a fight again.
[ Niko ] He arrived almost in time, he came to meet us after all, " Yo, what's happening to Cecile? " he asked with a smug on his face.
[ Cecile ] " You MADE US RUN A MILE, YOU CLASS-CUTTING FOOL! "
[ Niko ] " A-Ahaha~ Sitrep! " he drifted the topic quickly by asking me with a pointed index.
[ Mark ] " Well, the enemy's beyond there. Cecile rested for a little and I was guarding her all the while. "
[ Niko ] " Okay, goodie. As I thought, the enemy's located beyond there. "
[ Cecile ] " His Gray Effect is large. Largest we've ever encountered. "
The Gray Effect is the dull atmosphere the enemy emits and it automatically traps Stars within it. That's the simplest understanding I was given since I don't understand what it really means technically, all I know when I was given this power is to destroy everything I acknowledge as enemies.
[ Cecile ] " I'm seeing bullets coming here in 3—no, 1 ! " I've seen it as I was still seeing the enemy's way. A clang rang by the impact I've given it through my punch.
[ Niko ] " We need to get there fast. We're still not sure if it's the only one—"
[ Mark ] " And if there's actually more, it might be just near that location. "
[ Cecile ] " We need a ride.. " Cecile then stood up and walked to the nearby van sitting on the side of the road.
[ Mark ] " Are you okay already, Cecile? "
[ Cecile ] " Yes, just cover me while I operate this one. "
[ Mark ] " You heard her, Niko. "
[ Niko ] " Why would I do anything for that girl? "
[ Cecile ] " What did you say!? "
[ Niko ] " I said nothing! "
[ Niko ] " The bullet's not fantastical, but it's somehow strong. I bet it's used for military in this world. "
[ Mark ] " We were talking about the increasing of Creans around our area. "
[ Niko ] " We? "
[ Mark ] " Ah, Cecile and I. We were talking about it this morning. "
[ Niko ] " This is the first I've heard it. "
[ Mark ] " I don't know the details but it sounds like Cecile knows something. "
[ Niko ] " The enemies are increasing, huh... Oh, to your forehead. " he saw a moment in the future again, amazing.
[ Mark ] " Wanna see me clash my head with that bullet, Niko? "
[ Niko ] " Ohoh! Try it! "
[ Mark ] " Alright! On your signal! "
[ Niko ] " Now! "
[ Mark ] " Already!? " I pushed my forehead against the bullet and it clanged louder than before.
[ Niko ] " Whoo! Nice going, Mark! "
[ Mark ] " ACK— That sniper's getting annoying. Are we its target after all? "
[ Niko ] " From what we've learned so far, Creans prowls the citizens of Earth—that could mean everyone, but his Gray Effect picked up a Star nearby and we became its priority to kill. "
[ Mark ] " Do they act on instinct? "
[ Niko ] " Maybe? "
[ Cecile ] " Oi, men! We're ready! "
[ Niko ] " Don't act like you're boss, damn it! " he said so as he approaches the van Cecile finally made working.
[ Mark ] " Isn't this hijacking? " I went to the back while Niko's beside the driver's seat.
[ Cecile ] " That little crime matters less if we're using it to save the day, Sergeant Mark! "
[ Mark ] " I'm a Sergeant now? "
[ Niko ] " Oh, I'm a General! "
[ Cecile ] " Shut up! I'm the General! You're a newbie! "
[ Niko ] " I've been at service for so long already! And you're giving me a title of a low rank, and a newbie even!? "
[ Cecile ] " Shut up, greenhorn! I'll roast you! "
[ Mark ] " Just step on it, Cecile! "
[ Cecile ] " That's General Cecile for you, Serge—"
I sneered at the two and saw their apologetic faces next. These two are playing around in an important mission!
[ Cecile ] " Y-Yes.. Sorry... "
[ Niko ] " F-Finally, we can now move! "
[ Cecile ] " Damn this Crean! I'll give him the best torture treatment around Ruhr! "
Cecile finally stepped on the accelerator and handled the bars quite well like a professional. Apparently, Cecile's a prodigy. Aside from her power called Cyber Codex, she's an outstanding person when it comes to academics and the knowledge of the world. Her power gave her a bit of an over-skilling because it enables her to master anything she puts her mind into easily. Her very downside, however, is her bodily condition. Her power didn't help her fragility as a human and she's very vulnerable to sickness just like before she was a Star.
We've been her friend since we found her in a playground back when we were still toddlers. Now, we're still the best of friends, I don't want to lose them, so...
[ Mark ] " Take this seriously, guys... "
Niko's POV
[ Niko ] " Man, we know it already.. "
[ Cecile ] " Four minutes. " she meant our ETA to the destination, " That Crean is a Rank-B but it has assassination skills. We're still in the red! "
[ Niko ] " Okay Mark, you know what! "
[ Cecile ] " Wait--!! "
Cecile's hands quickly turned the wheel to the left immediately and swerved the vehicle to where it wasn't supposed to. The vehicle fell on the grasslands nearby and forced us off-road.
[ Mark ] " What happened?? "
[ Cecile ] " Grab onto your seats! "
And that's what we just did. She owned the way, accelerating and maneuvering left and right as she goes. I saw several bullets coming our way from the Crean's location and she's probably evading them one by one.
[ Niko ] " Cecile, you gotta keep this up or else..! This vehicle isn't yours! "
[ Cecile ] " I get it already! " she's quite shaken, sobbing as she yell at the idea.
[ Mark ] " What can I do? "
[ Niko ] " Can you Habituate this van? "
[ Mark ] " This size is a big shot for me, man. "
[ Niko ] " Then, let's try getting—"
[ Cecile ] " We're almost there! " but as soon as she said that, a bullet grazed on the vehicle and made a serious enough dent on the right side of the van.
[ Cecile ] " Eep! I-Is that what I think it sounds like!? "
[ Niko ] " What, like the van just got damaged? "
[ Cecile ] " AAAAAAAAHH!! "
[ Niko ] " HAHAHAHA!! "
[ Mark ] " Oh god, what should we do, Cecile!? This isn't ours! "
Her face turned out troubled by the sound it made with her eyes pitted under while gritting her teeth.
[ Cecile ] Then she opened her dead eyes, " That low-tier creature will kinda pay. I dunno. I'll torture him. " and swore violence.
[ Niko ] " That's the plan, lol. "
[ Mark ] " We're almost at the factory! "
Our track continued on and finally shown our destination. It's the abandoned factory from seven years ago. The Gray Effect's suffocating us from here on since the source is just nearby and just as it got bad, it got even worse immediately after. Clouds from above the factory spiraled and formed a whirlpool...
[ Mark ] " Would you look at that... "
[ Cecile ] " Now that's our rift gate right there. "
[ Niko ] " Look, there are Rank-D Creans coming out from above it! "
Small dark entities of random abomination drops from the spiral of clouds forming from above. Their number increases by the time all to back that single Rank-B up in the center, serving as its reinforcements.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
The dread have finally shown itself and crawled on our skins and the chilling touch of this phenomenon is amplifying our thoughts about how we'll survive this. If only this were a game, we wouldn't mind going very agressive while being oblivious of dying since we could just load our game data in the end. We are given powers and abilities similar to those fantasy games kids play these days and we've been granted the hardest difficulty in existence. The same goes for everyone since the bars have been heightened and these magics we can perform could destroy just as much as it save lives.
I see the target, looming from above at a rooftop of the main building as it fixes its morbid looking weapon, a black Sniper Rifle.
[ Niko ] " Wait, a sniper rifle!? "
[ Cecile ] She sighed of disappointment and spoke up, " You just noticed? "
[ Niko ] " R-Right, it really was a sniper rifle. How did they get that!? "
[ Cecile ] But she only shrugged, " Now that we've seen a Crean who got a hold of this world's technology, this should be pressing enough for us to take action now, right? Pretty interesting, right!? "
[ Niko ] " Most of the time, your way of thinking scares me, Sil. "
[ Mark ] He clashed his right fist with his left palm, looking like a guy who desires a fight, " I don't care! That lowlife should be easy for us! "
For Mark, this might be a walk in the park...
When Creans came to this world, they were still on the primitive age that doesn't know strategy and doesn't possess any greater technology.
None of us don't want to lose against this new type of menace, so as soon as we get out of the van, we prepare ourselves to a sortie.
The opposing team consists of—
[ Cecile ] " Lucky 13. Thirteen enemies, including the Sniper. "
[ Niko ] " Is the number 13 really lucky? What about 'Friday the 13th'? "
[ Cecile ] " Do you really want an answer for that? "
[ Niko ] " No. "
[ Mark ] " Let's save the boss for the last! "
[ Cecile ] " That stupid sniper better be mine! "
[ Niko ] " Yeah, yeah. "
Mark's stature is pretty big and he can lift more than a hundred kilogram normally even without the use of his skills. I climbed to his back as he charge through the center of the crowd and felt like I am in a rodeo. He met with his first unfortunate victim, his fist draws back and push forward to its face, banging its head to pieces. The blood splattered by the Crean is black, genetically branding them as an animal or an alien of Earth. While I'm focusing on observing the Creans' behavior, two lowly Creans tries to backstab Mark but unfortunately, I'm covering him exactly where they're about to strike. The two of them holds up distorted axes and uses it to maim on Mark from behind.
[ Niko ] " No, you won't! "
I kicked both of the axes sideways only with my left foot in a split second and successfully disarmed them, throwing away the seemingly heavy axes from their hands... my foot hurts, though. My power, Laplace, comes with a passive skill called Echo Bio-Clock which lets me see reality half the time and act more than twice. For now, I could only do three actions in total per second.
With raging strength, I leapt off Mark's back, pouncing on the ground as I grip on each faces of the two Creans from before and slammed them down upon landing. The time they were stunned, I picked up the axe they were holding and I felt surreal dark aura from it. It was creepy.
[ Niko ] " Man... This sure is heavy. " I picked up an axe with a bit of a struggle and swing it down to both of the Creans, beheading them.
While Mark is busy, I've decided to watch Cecile fight and just by looking at her, she looked pretty cool.
Cecile's managing on her own, gracefully evading all the attacks with just a few centimeter apart away from each attacking blows. She kept doing these arm slaps to the Crean she's facing, probably to adjust the attack's landings. A Crean swings down an axe attack to Cecile but she only stepped aside as reaction to avoid the lethal attack. While the axe blade is buried on the ground, she climbed the long handle of the axe and kneed the Crean's face, cutting its consciousness. An enemy remains behind the Crean and Cecile went immediately to her next enemy by using the Crean she just knocked out as a stepping tool. Once she climb the Crean's back, she rolled as she jump towards the next Crean and showed her right leg in the form of an axe kick. Her ankle drops on the head of her enemy and ensured unconsciousness to it as well. Her two downed enemies are still alive but unconscious, so while they're dreaming, Cecile decided to pick up an axe as well to end their short lives but as soon as she try to pick up an axe off the ground...
[ Cecile ] " ...!! " she struggles to pick it up due to its weight.
[ Niko ] " Pft-! "
[ Cecile ] " AAH! Why are these so heavy anyway!? "
[ Niko ] " Need help, General~? "
[ Cecile ] " Oh, shut it! "
[ Mark ] " Habituate! "
[ Niko ] I never noticed that I was about to get attacked that time. A fire rang through the battlefield and the Sniper Crean's aiming at me. Thankfully, the Habituate was just on time to get applied to myself. The Habituate is an ability that turns something or someone invulnerable to any attacks for a very short duration, " That was close! Thanks! "
[ Mark ] " You owe me, Niko! "
[ Niko ] " Just one curry will make your day, right? "
[ Mark ] " Hah-! " Mark already downed six of the enemies, two for me, and another two for Cecile. It seems she managed to carry that axe after all, her enemies were beheaded as well.
[ Niko ] " Now, there's only three of them. Sniper included. "
The two stood side by side along with me, facing the Sniper and two of his minions.
[ Niko ] " You deserve the middle one. " I pointed to the Sniper.
[ Cecile ] " I'll kill you. "
[ Mark ] " *sigh* Let's get this over with. "
The Sniper stood from his place and slid its weapon away, giving up on the idea of using the rifle. It readies up by equipping two obsidian daggers from his behind instead.
[ Mark ] " It doesn't feel like he's a Sniper anymore... "
[ Niko ] " That Rank-B is better called an Assassin. "
[ Cecile ] " ... "
[ Niko ] " Are you going to be okay? "
[ Cecile ] " What a breath of fresh air. "
Rather than getting intimidated, Cecile gave off radiant confidence. This might be a turn of events but nothing gets past Cecile's calculations. So much for trust, I know Cecile will win this.
We charged through as well to our opposing creatures. Mark hit the first blood by hitting his knee to the other Crean's face. I am to face a subordinate as well.
Cecile's POV
I am to face the boss. This freaky horror embodiment is my enemy. Even for me, this Rank-B is intimidating enough to pull me out of my confident zone but the feeling of competition is more than overwhelming than to give in.
The Assassin stole the preemptive and made our distance closer by seconds. It continually strikes with its daggers but with the power of hinting, I could see the moment with numbers. I kept slapping its wrists as its stab attacks get closer and closer to me every time. This method gives me a second of opening to close in and enumerate a number of combat tactics to penetrate its weird defenses. Suddenly, the Assassin's pattern showed itself to end his stab attacks with a double blade strike— attacking with both of its arms like a scorpion. Before it finishes its final move, I quickly punched his left wrist and kicked the other, striking the Assassin's nerves to disarm the creature. The Crean pulled away and had no choice but to pick up its dropped weapon. One of the Assassin's knife is placed somewhere near me and as the enemy prepares itself due to what it have seen, I had enough time to waltz away a bit to pick up the other knife he was carrying.
This Crean learned fear,
[ Cecile ] " Now, we're on fair grounds, assassin... Not like I need this anyway. " I swayed the knife up and down, trying to provoke the enemy.
Still... even with this, the Crean's strength is far more than what I have. It might not work out unless I weaken the Crean first but I don't have time for that!
The Crean growled in rage before it charges towards me in speed.
This time, I'll make sure to knock that creature down.
The Assassin charged at me with its knife sticking out straight and forward. Upon close contact, I made slight movement to avoid the obsidian knife directed at me by tilting on the side. I raised a knee to its chin and as it connects, the impact produced a sound of a broken bone. Just as so, the Assassin howled in pain for a short time until it passes out. Then, the monster finally rested on the ground with a loud thud.
[ Mark ] " Whew.. I thought you'll find yourself in trouble when he growled at you earlier. "
I was panting a little heavier than before but I am still able to talk properly.
[ Niko ] " Not gonna lie, I was about to step in earlier. "
[ Cecile ] " This monster deserves it. "
[ Niko ] " Ehh, you're scaring me, man. "
[ Cecile ] " You want next? "
[ Niko ] " NO. "
[ Mark ] " It's still alive. What do we do? "
[ Cecile ] I glanced at the creature I just defeated, it's coughing and struggling to breathe, " Of course! We torture the monster! "
[ Mark ] " Do we really have to do that? "
[ Cecile ] " I happen to know how to tie a bondage getup, and luckily, there's a bundle of rope in the van. " I went back to the van to get the tools I need.
Niko's POV
[ Niko ] " Maaan, you'll never guess that she's the weakest in this trio. " in terms of physical strength, that is.
I picked my phone out from my pocket and contacted a certain person necessary for this kind of situation. While the phone rings on my ears, I watched the sky. The Gray Phenomenon is gradually fading but for what we know, it won't disappear yet because there's still a Crean alive.
I picked my phone out my pocket and immediately contacted a certain person necessary for this kind of operation. While the phone rings, I watched the sky... The black and white that filtered the blue sky is now fading gradually but for what we know, it won't disappear completely yet since there's still a Crean alive. The Crean being the one Cecile downed.
Creans are entities of random abominations and they appear to have dark skin and humongous in size. They are humanoid in different sizes and stature and their mind pattern is only to pillage and destroy. They also have the capability of killing people, gifted with elevated strength compared to a normal human being. Even us with power are incomparable in strength against them except ones who are gifted with powers that's centered to strength, like Mark.
[ Mark ] " The phenomena won't disappear, huh. "
[ Niko ] " Most probably because there's still this Crean alive. "
[ Mark ] " I'll hold him down. "
[ Niko ] " Ah- " the other end of my contact finally picked up.
[ N ] " Hey! What did you take so long for? "
[ ? ] " Sorry, sorry! Honestly, it has gotten pretty busy in here. "
[ N ] " Never mind that, we got some here as well. "
[ ? ] " "Got some?" You mean Creans? "
[ N ] " Lucky Thirteen. " Cecile's back and is already tying the Crean with just a rope.
[ ? ] " And what does that mean now? "
[ N ] " We downed thirteen of them. Uhh, from what I think— "
[ ? ] " I'm coming there! You guys overdid yourselves again! "
[ N ] " What, we successfully beaten them all in the end. "
[ ? ] " I get that you guys are quite strong but you're still unaware of your powers. "
[ N ] " Geez.. We already get it. " Cecile kept kicking the Crean's head on the ground. Mark is just watching on the sidelines, worried about Cecile's sadistic display.
[ ? ] " So long as you understand. Location? "
[ N ] " Ruhrean Plastic Factory. "
[ ? ] " We're going. 30 minutes! "
He hung up first.
[ Cecile ] " HAHAHA!! Take that! "
[ Mark ] " AAH! Don't! "
[ Cecile ] " Never!! "
She was about to swing down that axe to cut the Crean's arm from the shoulder.
[ Niko ] " If you do that, you'll never hear the end of it when Nickie comes. "
[ Cecile ] " Ah, did you already call him? "
[ Niko ] " 30 minutes, he said. "
[ Cecile ] Surprisingly, she took it calmly and briefly ended playing with the Crean, " They're taking this too, it seems. "
[ Mark ] " They're a better type of Crean, at least. There's something going on, probably... "
[ Cecile ] " You don't say. "
We are Stars. That's what we call ourselves, people of extraordinary powers. There are many of us yet few to carry the role of perishing the world's perils. We consist of less than a percent of the total population in the whole world.
We've been having this kind of event from time to time ever since we got these powers but nowadays, it became different. The officials under Nickie's supervision have been taking the Creans back to the organization for research. This time around, they have all the more reason to do so because this Crean somehow obtained a piece of technology they weren't supposed to have.
Battle End 13:54
...
.....
After minutes of waiting, Nickie finally arrived on his motorbike along with a number of officers in police uniform. They came as a group of vehicles with one large truck, most likely to keep the bodies.
[ Nickie ] " Niko! Cecile! Mark! "
『 A man came out of the leading vehicle in a hurry. The man appeared to be in a very formal working suit-- black blazers, white polo underneath tied with a black necktie, black pants and black shoes. His features also resembles one that of Niko's, a purple messy hair and grayish eyes under those reading glasses. 』
This here is Nickie James. While he's carrying the same surname as ours, he's only my cousin, a couple of years older however. He's also a Star and a high-ranking one at that, one that's able to hold himself against a large wave of enemies, larger than what we've just beaten.
[ Niko ] " Yo. "
[ Cecile ] " What's up, four-eyes? "
[ Mark ] " Thank you for backup. "
[ Nickie ] " Men! Bring that big-looking one to the truck. " his command is loud and clear, the many men under him obeyed with a salute.
[ Nickie ] " Any of you got hurt? "
[ Niko ] " Me, cos you're a minute late. "
[ Cecile ] " Me too, cos I wasn't able to torture the big guy. "
[ Nickie ] " You two, I swear... "
[ Mark ] " No injuries, Nickie. "
[ Nickie ] " No, there is! Their heads needs repair! "
[ N&C ] " HUH!? "
[ Mark ] " I kind of agree. "
[ N&C ] " EEH!? "
[ Nickie ] " *sigh* You guys should've called me before engaging. "
[ Niko ] " Maybe next time when you're not so busy? "
[ Nickie ] " Ah, that hurts me. Alright, alright, just because I'm a pretty busy person doesn't mean I don't have to look over you guys anymore. It's still my job to exterminate those pesky Creans. "
[ Cecile ] " Yet we're not of age to work with the organization.. "
[ Nickie ] " You and Mark are already of age, aren't you? You guys are just waiting for Niko, right? "
[ Mark ] " When Niko reaches 18, we will. "
[ Nickie ] " I would've liked it better if you two joined earlier. "
[ Nickie ] " But well, Niko's birthday is coming up soon anyway. "
[ Niko ] " Not sure if I should join the organization as well. "
[ Nickie ] " I've already told you the benefits. Since you guys loved beating up Creans so much, you'll like it there. "
[ Niko ] " ...I'll think about it. "
[ Man 01 ] " Sir James. The Crean's already inside, it's apparently a Rank-B Assassin. "
[ Man 02 ] " Sir! What shall we do with this huge sniper rifle? It seems to be distorted on some parts but it's certain that the Rank-B is the one who equipped this. "
[ Nickie ] " What? The Crean possessed a firearm? "
[ Cecile ] " Interesting, isn't it? "
[ Nickie ] " They're starting to grow... " Nickie paused for a bit and sunk deep into thinking.
[ Nickie ] " ...We're taking that Crean after all. Good job for today. "
[ Cecile ] " Oh, the sky's clearing up... "
As she said that, all of us looked above. The saturation of color finally changed and revealed an afternoon blue sky. Seeing that sky I'm familiar with again after a Gray Phenomenon makes me feel more at ease.
[ Nickie ] " They've already killed and preserved the body. "
[ Mark ] " What should we do next? "
[ Cecile ] " I wanna go to the mall. "
[ Niko ] " You always go to the mall. "
[ Nickie ] " Wait a minute. "
[ Cecile ] " Yeah? "
[ Nickie ] " Is that van yours? "
[ Cecile ] " ... "
[ Niko ] " Pft-. "
[ Cecile ] " Not ours! Goodbye! "
Afraid of the consequences, she left the scene along with Mark. Nickie and I remained...
[ Nickie ] " ...Did you guys... "
[ Niko ] " Not ours. "
[ Nickie ] " Niko. "
[ Niko ] " Yes, I am Niko. "
[ Nickie ] " Is this supposed to be here? "
[ Niko ] " Cecile drove us here from near the arcades. "
[ Nickie ] " But there's a huge dent. "
[ Niko ] " A Crean almost got us. "
[ Nickie ] " AAAHH!! This was a battle asset and you guys have to pay for the damage! "
[ Niko ] " Cecile said something like, "This van matters less than saving the world." "
[ Nickie ] " You guys, really... Fine, I'll pay for this but you guys find the owner. "
[ Niko ] " It's in front of the Haley's residences. Maybe it's theirs. "
[ Nickie ] " Fine, you can go now. Shoo, shoo! "
[ Niko ] I stuck a tongue out, " *bleh* Fine, fine. " and made my merry way.
I chased the two by the road leading down to the bus stop; we're intending to go to the mall located in Nesrea. It was a short moment until I catch up.
[ Niko ] " Mall, huh? Great timing. "
[ Mark ] " Why's that? "
[ Niko ] " I'm bringing chocolates for Jana. "
[ Cecile ] " I'll bring something for her as well~ "
[ Niko ] " She'll like that. Why don't you visit again this night? "
[ Cecile ] " Nah, I'm tired. I'm going home after this. "
[ Mark ] " I'll get something for Jana as well! "
[ Niko ] " What about you, Mark? Let's hang around my place. "
[ Mark ] " I have part-time job, sorry. "
[ Niko ] " You guys... It's just sometimes, yo. "
[ Cecile ] " Next time, maybe? "
[ Niko ] " Bleh. "
[ Mark ] " Hurry up, that's the bus! "
All of us hurried down the road and made it in time just before the bus was about to depart to Nesrea.
...
.....
Arrival 14:45
Nesrea, the city that sits next to Ruhr. A place that focuses on better economy and encourages marketing businesses. Compared to Ruhr, it's a modern city filled with large establishments and holds an incredible number of shops that sells almost anything necessary for a person. This is the place where Nickie was destined as well; he's ordered to hold a certain police department that secretly knows about Stars. The members of that very same department are the ones who came along with Nickie earlier.
[ Cecile ] " They sure are getting stronger by the time, eh? "
[ Niko ] " Already possessing weapons restricted to Earth... "
[ Mark ] " And here we thought they're just a primitive evil race... "
As we make our way through the side street crowd, we ponder on things about our lives. At our unfair age, we're bestowed a gift that nobody deserves to get, especially in this kind of world. Our world only consisted of humans that are weak against phenomenal threats such as the Creans.
...
One day, they just showed up. It was 56 years ago when all of this happened. The first Crean to ever reveal itself in this world is a Rank S-4 called the Magnuplaca. Its size is as large as a 12-storey building and it wreak havoc in Sterlingrand, a country in the East Agnesia continent. Apparently, all of it was caused by one accident and that was by merely stumbling upon it. Creans are invisible in the common eyes, so humans wouldn't be able to notice until they touch them; a direct contact of any way is the only thing that switches their invisibility off. This large entity, once revealed, raged through the town of Earlin and caused so much unnecessary deaths. It was taken care of immediately because there were Stars nearby that battled the enormous creature and after so much hardship, they finished in a span of five hours. News spread across the nation but thankfully, it stopped there. The government interfered in the event and the media were given a talking to about the incident. All was understood and closed but there still are people who spread this news by their own way, this sprouted rumors and additional mysteries to the world. Thankfully, the fact stayed as a rumor due to the lack of evidence kept by the powerful hands of the national government at that time but as years pass by, it couldn't stay as a secret. It is little progress but there were sighted Creans and Stars alike, Creans being as ominous as they are in the distance and Stars caught using their powers.
As for the Stars, they've existed since very long time ago, prior to 56 years ago. Cecile and I researched about the existence of Stars back then and found out that they started for more than 200 years ago. They lived in ultimate secrecy and have been battling Creans since times old. Creans back then were easy opponents but as time goes by, they grow in power but from what we see right now, the Creans took a sharp turn of progress. Their purpose as to why they're trying to invade Earth is because we possess technology that they lack and they're here to plunder the world of its capabilities for their own.
This is just mere thought but I think they have another motive behind just pillaging us of our needs.
...
We finally arrived at the mall,
[ Cecile ] " So, I, like, wanna play~? "
[ Mark ] " To the fifth floor, then! "
[ Niko ] " You seem to be into this, Mark. "
[ Mark ] " I wanna get something from the arcades, too. "
[ Niko ] " That is? "
[ Mark ] " My brother wants this remote controlled car, see.. "
[ Niko ] " Well, good luck then. "
Before we know it, we're already at the arcade. It's pretty crowded this time—Wait!
[ Niko ] " You!! "
[ ??? ] " Hihihi—H-Huh!? "
[ Niko ] " You champ-wannabe! "
[ ??? ] " Who're you calling a champ-wannabe!? "
[ Niko ] " Who else!? "
『 A girl is seen sitting in front of an arcade machine as the crowd stands away. She appears to be in a proper white uniform under a grey blazer, a blue skirt, and black proper shoes. A blue baseball cap sits on her ash blond hair that reaches half her back in length, and is complemented uniquely with her blue cerulean eyes. A striking personality with confidence in her smiles paired with an unusually cool front. 』
It's the ace-wannabe that I've been looking for earlier. So she was playing here instead! She's behind that crowd that's watching her play; her plays are stunning to watch after all.
This girl is named Aer Linde. She's a pretty competitive person with a tomboyish personality, which actually suits her. She's a student in Sunniver All-Girls Highschool Academy here in Nesrea and is a member of the Journalist Club— at least that's what she said.
[ Aer ] " Are you going to play, Niko? " I shifted my gaze at my two friends before responding. I saw them already at their own places so maybe that means...
[ Niko ] " Yeah. Ready to get pulverized, Air? "
[ Aer ] " It's Aer [ ah-yeur ], not Air! " she then pat the Player 2's seat, inviting me to play with a confident grin on her face.
[ Niko ] " Heh— " I brought out my card and get it scanned on the arcade machine, " How many minutes—no, seconds, will you last this time? "
[ Aer ] " Don't be so cocky, you! "
She might be good at this game but NOT TO ME. We're always playing the arcade game called Fight Millennia, a fighting game played by one or two players only.
[ Niko ] " Ah, you picked a secret fighter again... "
[ Aer ] " Scared~? "
[ Niko ] " Hell naw! Let's go! "
Aer here, always has the best on-point defense, so unless you go aggressive, you'll never beat her. She'll also use the time and greater HP win condition to attain victory. My best bet for this one is always going aggressive but I get careless sometimes.
[ (109 W / 147 L) Aer VS Niko (147 W / 109 L) ]
She might not notice but sometimes, when I get in a pinch, I cheat. I use my powers to counter her attacks. This girl is way better than what I've initially expected.
[ Aer ] " What the.. lost again, huh? "
[ Niko ] " I'm just that good. " but rather than continuing, I sat up my chair and ended the match there.
[ Aer ] " Oi, where ya goin'? "
[ Niko ] " If only you were in the arcade in Ruhr, we would've had a lot of time playing. "
[ Aer ] " ... " what's with that reaction.
[ Niko ] " Anyway, I didn't come here to play. "
[ Aer ] " You know you just came to an arcade, right? "
[ Niko ] " A-Ah! Yeah, I need something from here. " I raised my card out and stated my intentions, " I'm feeling good right now and I have a sister to please with chocolates! "
[ Aer ] " What's this, you have a sister, too? "
[ Niko ] " You mean, you too? "
[ Aer ] " Yeah but she's always at home. " Aer stood up as well and dusted the back of her blue skirt, " I have to go somewhere now. Thanks for the play! " and she waved for a farewell and left without looking back.
She might not look dangerous but sometimes, she got an air of... something suspicious. Every time she leaves, she goes away without looking back and sometimes, I happen to look at half a facade she has differently; something serious.
Sometimes, I wonder if she's a Star, too.
[ Mark ] " Niko! "
[ Niko ] I was startled for a sec there, " W-What? " I turned around and saw Mark in the distance, " Mark, what is it! " I raised my voice a bit due to the mixed and irritating noises combining in the room.
[ Mark ] " Come here!! " now his voice is louder, but alarming...
I came over by squeezing myself in the thickening crowd.
This arcade sure is packed today...
[ Niko ] " What is it, huh? " I made it to where he is and asked him again.
He seems to be playing his favorite game where you punch a punching bag and be rewarded with scores. Usually, Mark owns this game due to the strength given to him by his power—
[ Mark ] " Look at this...! " said him as he points at the high score table.
[ Niko ] " Huh? "
[ Mark ] " Someone managed to top my unbeatable high score! "
[ Niko ] " Ehh? What's the big deal? "
[ Mark ] " The big deal is, that high score of mine—it was actually an accident. I gave a fraction of my power to get that score! "
[ Niko ] " Not so loud..! "
[ Mark ] " S-Sorry.. Normally, I could dish up 1200 score. I made that 5670 score when I opened a small amount of my power to my punch. Good times, I got real money as reward due to that! "
[ Niko ] I think I know what this guy's saying already, " So, what about it? "
[ Mark ] " Well, look at the #1 now... "
I slid the score table to the top and saw the #1—
[ Niko ] " 8950 points!? "
[ Mark ] " Do you get it now? "
[ Mark ] " Someone topped just the fraction of my power... "
[ Niko ] " Heh! Even if that someone is a Star, with your full power, that person is no match for you! "
[ Mark ] " I'd like to meet that person! "
[ Niko ] " Why don't we ask to the counter who got that score? "
[ Mark ] " I'm on it! " then he rushed off to the counter and asked a personnel manning the reward stall.
Still though, this machine sure is incredibly sturdy, resisting forces of that caliber. Of course, that crazy score is nothing ordinary but this machine could also be faulty or perhaps it has a secret weakness to get a score like that... but I digress.
Seconds later, Mark came back with a pretty determined face.
[ Mark ] " They said it was a girl who refused to tell her name, but they have description! "
[ Mark ] " She has long pink hair. Somewhere around 5'5" to 5'7" in height! She wears the Sunniver High School uniform. It also happened 2 days ago. "
[ Niko ] " Sunniver, huh? "
[ Mark ] " That's right, you know someone from Sunniver High School, right? "
[ Niko ] " I'll ask her about this next time, then. "
[ Mark ] " Thanks, bro! "
[ Mark ] " By the way, I got all these spare tickets. It's for Jana! "
[ Niko ] " Oh! Thanks! I'll deposit them later. "
[ Mark ] " Well then, I'll go play some more. "
[ Niko ] " Right. "
Now that I'm free to play, I'm going my merry way!
Combat arcade, rhythm games, basketball throws— made it to Page One hi-score tables! I've earned a lot of points with fewer costs. The card continuously gets those points and converts them into tickets which can be exchanged for rewards.
[ Niko ] " Phew.. I feel refreshed! " little enjoyment after a hard day's work.
[ Niko ] " Now, let me try this... " Crane Game.
[ Mark ] " A-Are you really going to try that again...? "
[ Niko ] " I.. I have to..! "
With small hesitation, I pressed my card on the scanner.
[ Niko ] " Slowly... "
I put my hands on the analog stick and carefully aimed at the little gryphon plushie. It's Jana's favorite. I pressed the button and the crane did its work, the hook sinks down and finally connected to the plushie and the metallic hook gripped it—
[ Mark ] " !! Are you.. finally going to do it!? "
The hook then started to grapple back but midway...
[ Mark ] " Ack—"
[ Niko ] " – NOOO!! " the grabbed plushie slid to its metallic fingers and reunited with the other plushies trapped in the glass box.
[ Mark ] " Once more! "
[ Niko ] " Gkh-! "
I lost my cool already and the desperate play finally begins.
Again and again, I lost. It already felt like I'm just wasting the credits in my card.
...
[ Mark ] " No way... "
I kneel on the ground, conceding from the game. Mark's head is leaning against the wall, tired of exciting himself over each time the crane gets the plushie only to see it fall down repeatedly a split second later.
[ Niko ] " Ugh! Cecile!! "
We saw her rocking the Drum Mania, making her way to the first place again.
[ Niko ] " Cecile!! Help us!! " but she's not responding. Her focus is on the game.
[ Niko ] " CECILE!! YOU COULD ALWAYS TOP THAT, PLEASE HELP US HERE!!
Cecile then stopped playing and showed us half a grin.
[ Niko ] " That woman..! " she let her game on-going and left towards us.
[ Cecile ] " Hm~? Oh! You still haven't mastered that yet!? HAHAHA!! "
[ Niko ] " I JUST CAN'T! "
[ Mark ] " Help us, Cecile... " Mark begged. I continued kneeling to plead but Cecile's just laughing to herself.
[ Cecile ] " Hmhmhm~ Out of the way then, boys! I'm showing you a Take-Three! "
[ Niko ] " Just get that bird plush for Jana. "
[ Cecile ] " Hahaha! Right, for Jana! I'm intending to get something from here too, anyway. "
She brought out her own card from her pocket and lightly tapped it on the scanner for a credit.
Her moves with the analog were fast yet composed; it feels like she's a professional at this kind of game. Well, that's easy for Cecile here, after all, her power of Cyber Codex translates reality to an impossibly high-end algorithm; her vision of the world is one with numbers, suggestions, and precognition. The Cyber Codex can also rival my Laplace when it comes to precognition so, that's quite scary for me.
...
Woah!
[ Niko ] " Woah! "
[ Mark ] " She— "
Cecile managed to pick up two plushies, but I thought it's a Take-Three?
[ Cecile ] " Welp, I tried, but look at that. "
She pointed at that other shark plush on the edge of the hole leading to the reward bin.
[ Niko ] " I can do that. " I tapped my card to the scanner and resumed playing.
It's easy to pull out a win to this situation. Just by letting the hook tap its side against the pit, it'll cause the plushie to make slight movement and shake itself out and drop—
[ Niko ] " Voila! "
[ Mark ] " Woah, Niko! "
[ Cecile ] " Ooh~! "
All of us looked at the hook as it seems to have grabbed another plushie when it dropped. The hook grappled back and showed that the string attached to the plushie was what the hook caught. The crane traveled to the pit and let go of the bonus plushie.
[ Niko ] " H-Hahaha, wow! "
[ Mark ] " We got four! "
[ Cecile ] " Not bad, not bad! "
Cecile pulled out four plushies from the reward bin and we shared it respectively. Jana's going to be happy with this.
[ Cecile ] " It's already 04:30 PM, guys. Shall we wrap this up? "
[ Niko ] " I'll just exchange my points. "
[ Mark ] " I'm going to do some quick shopping, then. "
[ Cecile ] " Then, let's just meet at the main entrance? "
We all agreed and went our own ways.
I exchanged all my points and managed to buy a box of chocolates. My errand is pretty quick so I strolled around for a little while, checking dress shops. Maybe Jana would like it if I buy her cute dresses next time I get loaded. Sadly, I need quite an expendable money to buy them.
That job Nickie's offering to Mark and Cecile is quite a pretty decent job; you get lots of money just by defeating Creans.
[ Niko ] " ...But why do they have age restrictions...? "
...
.....
Current Time - 17:34
Cecile and I are by the main entrance of the mall, waiting for Mark. He's taking quite a long time buying groceries.
[ Cecile ] " It's not just that they're getting stronger, they're getting more frequent as well. "
[ Niko ] " What's this all of a sudden? "
[ Cecile ] " I wanted to talk to you about this. It's the Crean's activities. "
[ Niko ] " Must be interesting for you, Sil. "
[ Cecile ] " Don't say it like I'm at my own world.. I also wish for them to just disappear but that's not going to happen anytime soon, right? "
[ Niko ] " Sorry.. It's just that sometimes, I feel like you're on your own league and I can't keep up. "
[ Niko ] " Things are about to get real and I know something's going that we don't know. "
[ Cecile ] " Niko. "
[ Niko ] " Hm? "
[ Cecile ] " You're an idiot. "
[ Niko ] " WHAT?! "
Suddenly, Mark intrudes; he's carrying a number of shopping bags. Figures why he took quite a time.
[ Mark ] " Sorry, did I make you wait, guys? "
[ Cecile ] " Just got here, as well. "
[ Niko ] " Let's go home. "
[ Mark ] " I'm grabbing a taxi. " and as he said so, he walked by the side street to sign a taxi.
[ Cecile ] " You're going to school tomorrow, Niko. "
[ Niko ] " If I feel like it. "
[ Cecile ] " That's not a question. "
[ Niko ] " Okay. "
[ Cecile ] " You could've just gone to school today, it's just a half-day session! "
[ Niko ] " Eh, really!? "
[ Cecile ] " Jeez, you already forgot? It was announced last Friday, idiot. "
[ Niko ] " I wasn't listening. "
[ Cecile ] " *sigh* ...Of course. "
Mark finally got us a cab to brings us back to Ruhr. Soon as it stops in front of us and open its doors, we hopped in.
...
.....
One by one, we got out the cab once we reach our respective houses in Ruhr. I was the last one to hop out and paid the driver.
[ Niko ] " Thanks. "
[ Driver ] " Have a good night. "
[ Niko ] " You, too. "
It's already dusk when I got home; the skies in the horizon are emitting an amazing color of purple gradient in an orange sky and as the sun slowly sets, the evening skies from the other side begins to cover all above. Twinkling stars shows up thousands at a time, decorating the dark night with pretty lights.
[ Jana ] " Bro! "
I turned to see Jana calling to me from the front of our house.
[ Jana ] " You're home! "
[ Niko ] " I'm back. "
[ Jana ] " Ooh, whacha got there? " she seems to be interested on the bag I'm carrying.
[ Niko ] " Chocolates, as promised! " I offered her the bag and she took it enthusiastically.
[ Jana ] " Hah~! Thank you so, so much, bro! "
[ Niko ] " There's a bonus inside, go and see! "
[ Jana ] And as she knows what to do, she opened up the bag and saw her favorite plushie inside, " Ooh!! This is all too much! "
[ Niko ] " Mark helped me on buying those chocolates and Cecile helped me to get that plushie. It was hard to get! "
Jana hugged me suddenly out of joy.
[ Niko ] " By the way, it's just weird but... why are you in a maid outfit? "
[ Jana ] " To surprise you! " said her in a muffled voice since her face is buried on my uniform.
[ Jana ] " Oh, that's right! " her face then looked up to me, " Nickie's also here. "
And just right after his name was mentioned, he emerged from the front door and greeted,
[ Nickie ] " Yahoo. "
[ Niko ] " Ah, now I know why you're in that weird getup. "