Muster Heroes – QuickSave 12

Enemies located! Fighting sprees at port and starboard

“And finally, in sixth, we have the Exogin-inspired Styles, starting with the UFOs. These are strange humanoids, permanently inhabiting highly mobile flying objects.

Then come the Viruses, known for their abilities to inflict bad effects on opponents or boost their allies' stats with various double-edge Skills.

After that, the Marabunta Style. Humanoids from their ranks resemble a single, vaguely anthropomorphic sphere protected by several insect-like creatures. These are under the core's command, acting like perfectly obedient puppets.

And last but not least, the Parasite Style. They are users of organic weaponry, as their very swords, armors or even guns can turn into deformed creatures that can attack their enemies. And that's it for the long explanation, folks! Lots of joyful possibilities, as you can see!”

Lionel Raikanj, during a presentation of Project: Muster Heroes.

Determination, embarrassment, uncertainty and annoyance were the masks drawn upon the faces of the four teens walking down the busy streets of Boil Harbor.

Leading the march was Exceedjinn, wearing the mask of determination. He wanted to prove his strength once more, and to do that, he knew that he had to defeat as many enemies as possible, so that he could win an even bigger battle against the Witch. Skill and power were the allies he needed if he wanted his strategies to succeed, and although he was convinced he possessed the former, he knew that it would be useless without the latter. So he walked on, deeply focused on his next task.

Slightly behind him was Sheenobi, wearing the mask of embarrassment. The last time she acted on her own accord was still fresh in her mind, and so was Excedjinn's disapproving stare after it. Though he did mention that she had done a good job, Sheenobi couldn't help but feel uneasy, for she knew that someday, somehow, something would go terribly wrong, and it would be her fault. Sheenobi let out a discrete sigh. She really was better off talking to her beloved pets. At least she knew how to talk to them properly, and they loved her back for it.

Three steps away from the duo was Fulguro, wearing the mask of uncertainty. Although the boy had decided to follow Exceedjinn in the Filibuster's Bridge and did wish to prepare himself before fighting against the Witch, he wasn't exactly sure what to do now. He had no idea how to get passed the Enchanter's cold stare and tone, and he would certainly not be able to befriend him the way he befriended Mettrick. And with Sheenobi already placed as Exceedjinn's right hand partner, Fulguro found himself utterly isolated, as J - although she proved herself to be an amazing battle partner - wasn't exactly the talkative type. The teenage boy let out a weary sigh, unaware that his gesture had been a perfect imitation of Sheenobi's a few seconds ago.

And finally, right next to Fulguro was J, wearing the mask of annoyance. The Fox Lady had only been walking several minutes with this group that she already hated it, for no other reason that it was composed of other people. A brainiac with at least five layers of fancy soap stuck in his mouth, a pseudo-ninja with a severe case of chronic mumbling, and Thunder Boy.

Now that she thought about it, J wasn't exactly sure what to think of him, but he always tried to talk to her. And that was certainly annoying. All she wanted was lots of time alone, a secluded place to practice her footwork alone, and nobody to disturb while she attempted to finish her schedule. Was it too much to...

“...Oh shit.” J thought to herself. She had forgotten. She needed a battle partner. Without one, she would never be able to complete her training, and without that, she'd never be ready for the Round of Arcade.

“But you said you'd have to “manage” with us anyway, didn't you?” 

As Fulguro's words briefly echoed through J's mind, she clenched her fists in anticipation and slightly turned her head, glancing at Fulguro. As much as she hated what she was about to do, the least she could do if she had to train with somebody was to try and behave in a more… normal way, she assumed.

“That outfit.” J spat. “What Unique Quest leads to it?”

Fulguro gazed at her, as surprised as he always was when J uttered more than three words at once. “Cybernetic Factory,” he answered. “I was looking for something related to electricity, since, y'know, I really like that theme.”

“Noticed that, Thunder Boy.”

“Y-Yeah, I guess it is kinda obvious, with the Pulse Alloy and all that. Looks really high-tech.”

“Mm.”

Short silence.

“...So, um… Where did you get your outfit?”

“Duelist Parade.”

Fulguro frowned, trying to remember the name. “I… don't think I've heard of that one,” he said. “What was it about?”

J let out an undetectable sigh of exasperation. Impossible to back away now. “I was on a huge island with a giant castle stuck in the center of it.” she explained. “Some fancy announcer jerk told me and the NPCs around to select weapons and armor from a giant chest. Then we had to navigate through the place 'til we found the castle. But it's impossible to find it if we can't follow the music that leads to it.”

“Oh, I see,” Fulguro exclaimed, nodding. “So the music is like a guide, and if you can't hear and follow it, you can't get to the castle?”

“Yeah. And we had to go one by one, without breaking the line. So we were given random numbers. The rule was that only the leader of the Duelist Parade could enter the castle and claim the prize. And to get in first place, we had to challenge and beat up anyone in front of us to take their place until one of us is first. Staying first is the hard part, because you're challenged all the time. By different people. And you have to fight while dancing. You never stop dancing.”

Fulguro looked at her, incredulous. “That sounds like one, crazy quest,” he commented. “I prefer my “dodge the lasers and deactivate the magic walls” routine by a long shot! But I guess your thing was no big deal, right? I mean, you're a... pretty good dancer.”

“Mm. It was fun.”

“Here we are,” Exceedjinn said, pointing at a familiar wide circle of dust and sand in front of them. “The very edge of the Filibuster's Bridge.”

Sheenobi, Fulguro and J stopped walking as well, staring at the various pirate ships docked all around the Filibuster's Bridge. In front of them was a much bigger ship, its top sails painted in black with a skull-like shark's opened mouth surmounting two crossed swords.

“So I'm guessing that's Irvin Squaldon's ship?” Fulguro inquired. “Where's the guy and his crew?”

“We must walk into the ambush and defeat every pirate in it first,” Exceedjinn “Then I believe we'll have the choice to fight against the Bosses once more. Is everyone ready?”

Sheenobi pulled out two cards from her pocket bag. Fulguro flashed a thumbs up, and J pulled out her rapier and bent her knees, as she was about to rush and deal with the ambush herself. She froze in place, remembering her duties. “We're teaming up again?” she asked Fulguro, though it sounded more like an order than a real question.

“Uh, yeah, sure! Glad you've asked,” the latter said, smiling.

“Mm. Let's go then. Try to keep up, Thunder Boy.” With that said, J ran towards the center of the sandy area, awaiting for the numerous bandits that were to appear to assault her.

Phantom Thunder! Execute!

In a swift movement, Fulguro vanished in place before reappearing next to J's position, just as a group of bandits emerged all around them. Familiar sparks crackled all around his body as he prepared himself for the coming battle. “Challenge accepted, Fox Lady,” Fulguro said, still smiling. “Bet I can beat more enemies than you this time!”

J gave him a quick glance. “Dream on.”

Sheenobi and Exceedjinn, who had not moved from their spot, stared at the pair as they began their battle with the bandits. 

“Um, shouldn't we help them?” Sheenobi asked.

“I fail to see how we would be of any help, as they seem to enjoy themselves very well.” Exceedjinn answered, shrugging. “Besides, the real trouble only starts after the ambushes. If they need our help, they can always call. Let us focus on Irvin. We came here for him, after all.”

“R-Right. Sorry.” Sheenobi let out a discrete sigh before focusing her eyes on the battle once more.

******

“Take this! Even spawns of Hell can't handle it: Triple Head Lance!”

Triple Head Lance! Execute!

Catchphrase Bonus Activated!

With one quick movement, Kamikaz flung her arm forward and mercilessly skewered the three bandits she had cornered. She proceeded to raise her weapon above her head, lifting the three bodies along with it. Expressionless, the teenage tomboy walked towards the top of the loot pile. As she did so, a fourth enemy ran in her direction, drawing a curved sword to save his comrades.

“Neat,” Kamikaz thought to herself. “More Exp points for me.” She slightly moved her torso towards her new foe and pushed her cape away with a majestic movement from her arm. “Begone, heretic.”

Burn Cast! Execute!

A red light appeared in Kamikaz's opened hand. After a brief gleam, the light burst free, igniting the poor bandit's chest with vicious flames. He was promptly pushed away and tumbled down the loot pile.

“Oh hey,” Kamikaz exclaimed, a semblance of a smile appearing at the corner of her lips. “That gives me a neat idea.” She used her free hand to tighten her grip on her trident as the gesticulating bandits stuck on it vainly attempted to free themselves. “Begone, heretics.”

Burn Cast! Execute!

A red light once again appeared in Kamikaz's hand, but this time, it traveled across her trident. It reached its tip and unleashed itself on the three bandits, forcefully tearing their bodies away from the weapon. With agonizing cries, they fell down the loot pile, joining a large pack of defeated enemies at its base.

Player_Kamikaz: Level Up!

Kamikaz raised her fist in the air and unleashed a satisfied sadistic laughter that resounded throughout the Loot Shell. “Fifty-nine enemies defeated!” she shouted. “Twenty-four potions collected! Not a single Life Point lost! Two level ups! I STAND ABOVE YOU ALL, MORONS!”

She sat on the unstable “ground” below her feet and opened her menu, gazing at a map of the Loot Shell. “There you are, you pirate jerk...” she whispered to herself, a creepy smile stuck on the face as she stared at a red dot on the map. “You're mine this time...”

After giggling to herself upon imagining what kind of dastardly punishment she'd bestow on Bygorn, Kamikaz took a Skill Points Potion from her menu and closed it, letting her thoughts drift away as she slowly swallowed the virtual liquid. She happily welcomed the first thing that, as usual, had naturally come to her mind at full speed.

“Lil' Met.”

Kamikaz sighed as she remembered her dispute with Mettrick. She knew how much he was justified. She had made him suffer so much during that year, of course he'd hold suspicions towards her. But... had he really forgotten about the end of the year? Kamikaz suddenly remembered Yatsu's words.

“Talk about brutal revenge kill. Please remind me to never anger you!”

“What did Maskreep mean by that...” she whispered to herself. Had somebody besides her angered Mettrick after her death? Or… had he defeated Bygorn by himself for her sake...? “Gah!” she exclaimed, slapping her own cheeks. “Stop over-thinking this! You've got a grudge match to win!”

“That's why I also want to make sure you farm in between missions.” Mettrick had told her. “We'll need you to test the waters most of the time.”

As Kamikaz had understood, it was his way of accepting torturing her. She'd have to jump into danger ahead of everyone during most missions, and to make sure her suicidal moves would work properly, she'd need to farm twice as much as everyone else to make up for the experience points she'd miss whenever she died.

“That's not enough, Lil' Met,” Kamikaz said aloud. She rose up, frowning. This wasn't an effective torture. She enjoyed taking risks. Mettrick would end up realizing it, and he wouldn't be happy about it. She had to find a better way to satisfy him – he deserved a good payback after all she had done to him. But for now, it was time for her to face Bygorn once more.

“Ooooooi! Kamikaz! Where are you? Kamikaz!”

Kamikaz glanced at the base of her loot pile, slightly surprised. Instead of the pack of fifty-nine bodies, she found herself staring down at Diabolsaur, who was busy fighting against a new group of bandits while screaming her name.

“Oh! Um… Diabolsaur, right? What're you doing here?”

“I wanna fight bosses here!” The boy said while planting a foot in an enemy's gut and dodging another bandit's sword. “Where's Bygorn?”

“Uh… thanks for coming, Diab,” Kamikaz answered, slightly uneasy, “but this time around I really don't wanna share the Exp. I'll need it for… Later missions.”

Diabolsaur grabbed a bandit and threw him at another one's feet, finishing his action with an uppercut to the last bandit's chin. “Wha?” he exclaimed as the enemy fell on the ground. “But I wanna fight! And Mettrick said we all needed to farm before fighting the Witch! I need the Exp too!”

“Gosh, this isn't going to work,” Kamikaz thought. “Fine!” she conceded. “Here's the deal then. I'm fighting Bygorn, and you fight against the Twins.”

Diabolsaur swiftly climbed the loot pile and approached Kamikaz, staring at her with utmost suspicion. “You sure they're not super weak sub-bosses? This is a fair deal, right?”

Kamikaz smirked. “They're the reason I got impaled.”

Diabolsaur instantly retrieved his huge grin and shook Kamikaz's hand. “Awesome! And there's two of 'em? Deal! Let's go, go, go!”

“No way!” Kamikaz replied as Diabolsaur moved away. “You are not fighting the boss without me!”

With excited grins draw on their faces, the two players hurtled down their perch and ran across the Loot Shell like dogs chasing cars. Enemies met them as they passed, but none could stop their mad rush towards the biggest loot pile – where their objective lied.

“That's the one!” Kamikaz said, fending off a bandit before pointing at the top of the giant mountain of weapons and items. “Last one to get there is a fried tomato!”

“I don't wanna be a vegetable!” Diabolsaur shouted dramatically.

“Well then run faster!” Following her own advice, Kamikaz began climbing the loot pile as she arrived at its base, dodging the increasing number of enemies with ease. “Hey, I'm getting better at this!” she realized.

Noticing that Diabolsaur was quickly catching up with her pace, Kamikaz grabbed her trident with both hands before kicking an enemy in front of her and violently planting it in his gut. Using the oversized weapon like a pole, Kamikaz pushed on her arms to propel herself upwards, leaping over the rest of the distance she had to climb. She landed on her two feet, slightly shaken, but victorious. Diabolsaur arrived a few seconds later, eyes widened.

“Okay, that was awesome,” he admitted. “But you totally cheated! With your thing!”

“First, it's not a thing. Kerberos has feelings too, y'know!” she replied, hugging her trident.

“I... didn't know that.”

“Second,” Kamikaz continued, merciless, “I didn't specify any rules for the race, so obviously I was going to use my trident. And finally, YOU'RE A FRIED TOMATO! SHAME ON YOU!”

“That's not fair! I don't wanna be a vegetable!”

Kamikaz frowned. “I'm… pretty sure they're fruits. I mean, you eat them like vegetables, but they're fruits.”

“Wha… Wait! Seriously?!” Diabolsaur exclaimed, putting his hands to his head. “Everything I knew was a lie!”

“HEY!”

Both players turned around, gazing at a bare-footed child struggling to put on a giant beanie with green and white stripes. From the look on his eyes, he had been enjoying a very nice nap before hearing the two players' voices.

“What're you lot doin' here!" Bygorn continued, now perfectly awake. "I don't any intruders during my… Oh!” he exclaimed, grinning at Kamikaz. “It's you.”

“Yeah”, Kamikaz said, grinning as well, though much more menacingly. “it's me. And I'm not here for a friendly visit.”

The pirate kid's smile grew larger. “Wanna have a round, then? I wouldn't mind a rematch.”

Kamikaz froze. A message from her game menu appeared in front of Bygorn's face.

Select Battle:

- VS Bygorn the Tamer

- VS Carnat & Azuria the Princesses of Paincraft

- VS Tamer & Princesses of Paincraft

“Oh that's great!” Diabolsaur exclaimed, reading the same message. “We get to choose who we wanna fight!”

Kamikaz selected “VS Bygorn the Tamer” and the text disappeared. Bygorn turned around.

“Hey, Carnat, Azuria, we've got some visitors!” he shouted. “And one of them wanna fight you both!”

The unstable ground below everyone's feet began shaking. Two metallic coffins rose from it, roughly shaped like sleeping women with their arms crossed. The doors opened in a creaking noise, revealing twin girls, one wearing a crimson dress, the other a blue one, with their short hair matching their dress' colors. They appeared asleep, taking the same pose as the women carved on their devices. Smiling, Carnat and Azuria opened theirs eyes and walked out of their iron maidens in perfect sync before gracefully bowing towards Diabolsaur.

“If you lose,” they said in unison, “we're stuffing you in one of these. We hope that you'll enjoy our services!”

“That's… Hey, Kaz?” Diabolsaur said uneasily. “You didn't tell me they were that creepy. Are they really gonna stuff me in a coffin?”

“Iron Maiden,” Kamikaz corrected. “And I did tell you that they were the reason I got impaled. What did you expect?”

“Hey, I thought we were here to fight!” Bygorn said, unsheathing his broadsword. “C'mon, let's do this!”

“Yes, boy,” the twins added, winking at Diabolsaur. “Come to us and battle! You'll be alone with us now!”

“Oh, he's not fighting you freaks alone.”

Kamikaz froze in place as she was about to load a Battle Area. She performed a lightning fast about-turn only to witness a new figure appearing, nonchalantly climbing up the loot pile.

“Come on, two versus one? Really not fair. I'm totally tagging in for this one.” Mettrick joined his teammates on top of Bygorn's loot pile, his Helmetons following his confident march.

Kamikaz smiled, unable to divert her gaze away from the boy. With his blue armor glittering with pride, his shiny round helmet of the same color decorated by a flashy yellow cross, his giant twin-headed rock hammer and his confident smirk, Mettrick seemed ready for any challenge.

“Thanks for the help, Mettrick,” Diabolsaur said, obviously relieved. “They're really creeping me out here. Combat Routine, Execute!”

As a green circle surrounded the two boys and their opponents, Mettrick frowned and looked at Kamikaz, noticing her sparkling stare. “...What?”

“Nothing,” she answered, still smiling. “Nothing at all, Lil' Met.”

The circle turned into a green dome, trapping the four fighters in it. Kamikaz turned to Bygorn, who hadn't moved. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said. “Combat Routine, Execute!”

Loading Battle Area...

A second dome of green light appeared, this time trapping Kamikaz along with Bygorn. A perfect replica of the Loot Shell appeared in the background and Bygorn drew his weapon, putting himself in battle stance. Kamikaz began skipping in place, focusing her gaze on the pirate child's sword. And just like last time, Bygorn could only wait a few seconds before wildly brandishing his sword and charging with a fierce battle cry.

“Criticals,” she thought. “Aim for the criticals.” Kamikaz sidestepped to dodge the first hit and jumped over the lateral slash that followed. Landing behind Bygorn, she took her trident with both hands and rapidly turned around, smashing the boy's back with it. He staggered, attempting to retrieve his balance. As he did so, a tiny red spot appeared at the center of his back.

“Now!”

Triple Head Lance! Execute!

Kamikaz stepped forward and performed a powerful thrust on Bygorn's back, sending him flying away. Looking above his head, she noticed that ten percent of his Life Bar had already been depleted.

“So that's how it works, huh!” Kamikaz exclaimed as Bygorn rose up. “If I hit people at the right time or manage to stun then in a specific way, I have a chance to hit some sweet spots! And when I do, my enemies get more damage! Hohohohoooo, this is gonna be fun!”

“Pirates don't have any sweet spots!” Bygorn shouted in return.

“Oh, really?” Kamikaz said, skipping in place again. “I'd like to see you prove that. C'mon, Bygorn! Your girlfriends aren't here to protect you this time!”

“They're not my girlfriends!”

“D'aww, don't be silly, we both know that these iron maidens make for amazing honeymoon beds! Now, to figure out which one of them is your favorite...”

“By the crushed pestle, will you ever shut up?!”

“Wow. I'm bullying NPCs now." Kamikaz thought to herself. "Gosh, Lil' Met's right, I'm not changing anything about myself anytime soon at this rate.” Lost in thought for a brief moment, she almost forgot to dodge Bygorn's coming assaults. “Temper, kid!” she said, evading Bygorn's sword with ease. “You're gonna need a lot more than that to hit me!” “And at least I have a good reason for picking on this one, though.” Kamikaz couldn't help but think.

“Well try dodging this then!”

Enemy Arm Rain! Execute!

Bygorn began swinging his sword at amazing speed, performing several deadly moulinets with it. Expecting this trick, Kamikaz jumped out of the boy's range and raised her arm as he pursued her.

“Begone, heretic!”

Burn Cast! Execute!

A red light appeared in Kamikaz's opened palm, which immediately ignited the approaching Bygorn, canceling his move in the process. The sudden attacked startled him, and he once again found himself struggling to keep his balance.

“Take this! Kamikaz shouted. “Even spawns of Hell can't handle it: Triple Head Lance!”

Triple Head Lance! Execute!

Catchphrase Bonus Activated!

Taking some momentum, Kamikaz flung her arm forward and struck the red spot that had briefly appeared on Bygorn's stomach with a powerful thrust, which made the boy fly away once again. He landed at the very edge of the battle area, face on the ground. Another chunk of his Life Bar had gone up in smoke.

“Oh my gosh, we've got thirty percent gone already?” Kamikaz said, surprised by her performance. “This is way too easy! I mean I know you're one of the first Bosses of this game, so it's no big deal, but I feel like I over-trained so much for this now!”

“Ugh…! It's… It's not over yet!” Bygorn said, rising up from the ground. “You'll be the one biting the dust next, I swear!”

“Ah!” Kamikaz thought. “So he's totally preparing a Monkey Flip!” 

“Me? Bite the dust?” she replied. “Dream on, kid! You can't beat me anymore. Your time is up!”

With that, Kamikaz dashed towards Bygorn, focusing her gaze on his sword. As she had expected, the pirate child rapidly sheathed it behind his back and ran in her direction as well, attempting to grab her by the shoulders. As he did this, Kamikaz threw her weapon in the air and put both of her palms on Bygorn's torso.

“Begone, heretic!”

Burn Cast! Execute!

A brief gleam of fiery light was unleashed, pushing Bygorn back on the ground. Not wasting any second, Kamikaz jumped, caught her trident in mid-air and performed a vicious downward strike on his neck, where yet another barely visible red spot had appeared. Kamikaz jumped back and waited for Bygorn to rise up, skipping in place again.

“Boom! And just like that, half of your Life's gone,” she commented, glancing at his Life Bar again. “Y'know, you should probably surrender now. I fought fifty-nine people before ya, and they were perfect practice to help me learn how to target and destroy those sweet spots of yours. Plus, I think I remember your pattern a bit too well. Perks of bein' a gaming genius!” she added, strinking a prideful pose.

“And now's the moment where he changes it,” she predicted.

“My pattern, huh?” Bygorn answered, puffing loudly. “Well let's see if you can keep track of my next trick, then. Screw the dust bite: I'm gonna make sure that you get eaten!”

Bygorn took a deep breath and, to Kamikaz's surprise, whistled. The very second the sound disappeared in the air, a giant jaw rose from the ground in the middle of the field, followed by a huge reptilian body standing on four, scaly paws. The creature opened its eyes, staring down at Kamikaz menacingly.

“Welcome back!” Bygorn exclaimed, now standing on top of his oversized pet. “Handbagg!” he added, pointing a dramatic finger at Kamikaz. “Devour!”

Unleashing a wild roar, Handbagg began an earth-shaking march, with Kamikaz as its target. The teenage tomboy felt a powerful breeze lift her cape as she stared at the coming danger, her heart beating with excitement.

“Ace the mission,” she whispered, recalling her own words uttered on the Noah's Saloon. “And if you miss, get ready for the next one, ace it, then laugh at your previous failure...” 

Kamikaz had to fight a giant crocodile to redeem herself. Either she succeeded and claimed a well-deserved victory, either she got herself eaten and died again, failing Mettrick's expectations in the process. Kamikaz let a joyful smile takeover her face. There it was. The “do or die” situation she craved so much had finally shown itself again, and as usual, all she had to do was embracing it with open arms.

And so, her cheeks turned bright red by excited anticipation, Kamikaz pointed her trident at Handbagg and unleashed a maniacal laughter. “C'mon, Kerberos!” she shouted, talking to her weapon. “We'll show that pirate that we…! Mean…! BUSINESS!! Today, crocodile meat's on the menu, and it's time to have a good, fat, victory-flavored slice!!”

******

“Octopus!”

Enemy Arm's Tentacles! Execute!

Fulguro stared at the eight metallic whip-like strings coming out of the tall pirate's bandana. 

“I can see them...” he thought. Twisting his bust, Fulguro swiftly dodged three of the surging tentacles before leaping backwards, just as four others hit the very spot he was standing upon a heartbeat ago. “I can finally see them!” he mentally exclaimed, smiling to himself.

Thunder Shaper! Arrow Shape! Execute!

Fulguro raised his left arm as an electric string formed itself between his thumb and middle finger. Taking aim, the Cyber Mage used his right hand to extend the string and release it, sending an arrow-shaped sparkling projectile to Octopus Stinks' encounter. The latter used the only tentacle he hadn't sent to attack as a shield, but the arrow easily pierced through it, damaging him anyway.

“GAH!” the pirate cried, hit in the face. “You'll pay for that, toddler! You can't dodge my Tentacles forever, and those you destroy will just regenerate! Octopus!”

Enemy Arm's Tentacles! Execute!

Answering Octopus Stinks' call, the seven Tentacles regrouped around his head, ready to strike once more. An eighth one appeared among them, delaying the assault.

Phantom Thunder! Execute!

Just as the Tentacles flew to Fulguro's encounter, the teenager vanished in place and reappeared right behind Stinks with a crackling sound.

Electro-Charge! Execute!

“You're pretty much stuck in your own attack now,” Fulguro said as familiar sparks piled up around his body.

Thunder Shaper! Fist Shape! Execute!

Fulguro rotated his right arm at amazing speed, channeling all of his electric power into it. Taking momentum, he ran towards his enemy and unleashed a giant pulsing fist, violently knocking the pirate against the ground. Satisfied, Fulguro turned around, watching as J gracefully evaded cannon shots from Grainne Powders.

Electro-Charge! Execute!

Although she wasn't very far away from his own position, Fulguro knew that he needed as much power and range as possible if he wanted to make their plan a brilliant success.

Thunder Shaper! Wave Shape! Execute!

The Cyber Mage extended his arms forward, seething with energy. “J!” he shouted. “Back flip!”

Glancing at J's back, Fulguro released his large V-shaped projectile towards her. As he had expected, the Fox Lady performed a flawless back flip, and where she had left was standing Grainne Powders, who had locked herself in a frontal assault while attempting to hit J. She was hit by Fulguro's Skill instead and fell on the ground, knocked out.

Player_Fulguro: Level Up!

“One down,” Fulguro exclaimed. “You can take it from here!”

J turned around and ran in his direction, her rapier almost scratching the ground. Smiling cheerfully, Fulguro raised a hand above his head. J leaped forward and gave him a high five before passing through, rushing to Octopus Stinks' encounter.

“She's a lefty,” the teenager suddenly realized upon looking at the way she handled her weapon.

Fiery Twirl! Execute!

Once again, Fulguro found himself in complete admiration before J's mesmerizing agility as she moved around her adversary. It had taken Fulguro five to ten hits to get used to Octopus Stinks' Arm's Tentacles, and a couple more to be able to dodge his Skill without using a Phantom Thunder. But where he had struggled, J managed to dash, leap, spin and hop with just enough speed and precision to dance her way through the dangerous weapons, as if they weren't a threat at all.

“Raaaah!” the pirate shouted, obviously annoyed. “Stand still you freak! I'll skewer you!”

He pulled out the gun he had occasionally used against Fulguro and shot several times, but by the time he aimed at J, she had already tiptoed out of harm's way. Then, J ended her action with a jump above the pirate's head. And there she was, staring at Octopus Stinks' back, an orange aura all around her body. She pointed her shinning rapier at him and slightly lowered her head.

"She makes it look so easy," Fulguro thought to himself, gazing at J's unaltered composure.

“The Jackal's dance takes place beyond the ties of life and death,” she chanted. “Let its wonderful might carve an eternal mark in your skewered soul. Inner Beast Fangprime!”

Fulguro watched as a rapier-wielding anthropomorphic fox appeared behind J, its giant lemur-like tail playfully swinging from left to right.

Primal Roar! Execute!

Catchphrase Bonus Activated!

Octopus Stinks turned around and attempted to aim at J, but she instantly interrupted his motion by striking him from the tip of her blade, her Inner Beast flawlessly mimicking her movement with a roaring sound. The pirate unleashed a painful gasp before a burst of energy flung him backwards, tossing him aside like a mere pebble.

Player_J: Level Up!

Fulguro gazed at his battle partner as she sheathed her rapier and casually marched in his direction. Behind her, Fangprime had disappeared. “Well that was a great finish!” Fulguro exclaimed, trying to hide his astonishment. “You really destroyed him with that last one, huh?”

“Mm. You did a good job too.”

It was only when she walked passed him that Fulguro realized it: though the battle was over, J's steps were still slightly strange, as she occasionally tiptoed to the rhythm of some kind of music. Fulguro frowned as curiosity replaced his awe. “Are you, um… are you listening to something right now?”

J turned around, staring at Fulguro. “Always, Thunder Boy. Always.”

“Oh. Didn't know that. Hey, by the way, can I… Can I ask you something real quick?”

J let out a little sigh. “Go ahead.”

“Right. So um… You… you never actually answered Mentor Ferrust when he asked it, too, but… Why did you call yourself J? Like, why just one letter?”

Upon hearing this, she stared at Fulguro for so long that the teenager was afraid she wouldn't answer. But after long seconds, J approached him and pointed a menacing finger only inches away from his face. “Don't tell anyone this.” she began. “Don't make any jokes about it. And don't laugh. Savvy?”

An anxious nod was Fulguro's sole answer.

“Good. I wanted to nickname myself Jool. I have my reasons for that. Point is, I accidentally clicked on the “Confirm” button after typing the first letter of the word. So I just stood in front of my computer screen, cursed myself and went with it.”

It was Fulguro's turn to stare. “Wait. But there's a safety feature when you type in your nickname.”

“Yeah.”

“And you still clicked “Confirm” accidentally?”

“Mm.”

“Twice?”

“Twice. I'm tearing you apart if you laugh,” she added, seeing as a gigantic smile tainted with hilarity had appeared on Fulguro's face.

“Sorry, I know, I'm… I'm not gonna laugh,” he promised, smiling despite himself. “I just thought there was… you know, a deeper meaning for that.”

J shrugged, walking away with her dancing steps. “If it bothers you so much,” she said, her head slightly turned towards Fulguro, “you can always make a deeper meaning for me, Thunder Boy. But if you're as bad as nicknaming stuff than I am, then I guess you can forget it.”

“Is that a challenge?” the boy replied, quickly catching up to her. “'Cause you're on.”

“Instead of immersing ourselves in such trivial matters,” Exceedjinn's voice suddenly arose, “I suggest that we take a look at the special loot we most certainly gain from these fights.”

“Special loot?” Fulguro repeated. “Wait, so we get special loot if we beat previously defeated bosses?”

“Correct. Either items, equipment, or new Unique Skills. It all depends on our performances.”

“Huh. That's pretty cool. But wait, where's Sheenobi?”

Exceedjinn sidestepped, allowing Fulugro to see what was happening behind him. In the distance, Sheenobi appeared to be jumping and spinning hysterically, holding a vaguely round-shaped object with both hands.

“...She… is enjoying her prize as we speak,” he continued grinning briefly. “And I believe you should follow her example, though perhaps not with as much enthusiasm.”

“What's your special loot?” J asked.

The Enchanter glanced at her. As his grin grew larger, the outline of an eye opened on his forehead, staring at Fulguro.

“Wow!” the latter exclaimed, amazed. “You've got a third eye now? The same one Irvin used against you?”

“Much less powerful than the original,” Exceedjinn replied,” but yes. Thought he Pariental Eye is an Exogin-like skll, my Enchanter abilities allow me to replicate its properties. Though as you can see, it looks more like a psychic apparition than an actual eye.”

Fulguro nodded and opened his menu, soon followed by J. Both realized that new loot had indeed be added to their collection.

“Huh,” the teenager said, slight disappointment in the voice. “It's just a new shape for my Thunder Shaper. Wait… Wait! Oh my god. Oh my god!”

His finger feverishly moved through the menu as he attempted to equip his new ability. Once it was done, he turned around, a radiant smile on the face.

“Octopus!”

Thunder Shaper! Tentacle Shape! Execute!

Fulguro extended his arm and a thick electric whip swiped the air with a vivid whooshing sound. “Oh my god, this is awesome!” He exclaimed, overjoyed. “Are you guys seeing this?! It's freakin' awesome!”

“What's the drawback?” Exceedjinn inquired.

“Drawback? Let's see… It says that… Oh. “Up to 8 Tentacle Shapes may be created, but each new one costs a new amount of Skill Points.” hey, that's not so bad! The damage's pretty neat too, and apparently I can even trap my target and shock it repeatedly!”

“For the cost of even more SPs” Exceedjinn countered. “Be careful with this ability.”

“You know,” Fulguro said, sighing, “I think you've got Yatsu beaten in the killjoy department. By a long shot.”

Exceedjinn shrugged. "I am merely showing concern for your safety and future encounters."

"And I appreciate it, Exceed, but I have a Mom for that."

“I don't get it.”

Fulguro and Exceedjinn gazed at J, who was still stuck on her menu.

“I got the… “Alchemy Powder Pots" from Grainne Powders,” she continued. “But she uses them to shoot stuff. It says here they have lots of different uses. And that I can throw them at people. But that's not at all how I fight. And I have a rapier. How the hell am I supposed to use these things?”

“And this is why people should watch more cartoons,” Fulguro said, shaking his head. “Builds imagination and creativity.”

J raised her head. “Something you know that I don't, Thunder Boy?”

He raised an eyebrow. “A lot of things, considering your reaction.”

“Rephrase that. Now.”

“Hey Exceed, are you planning to stay here?” Fulguro continued. “'Cause I need to take J here to Turbulance Market – will probably need to show her a thing or two before her frustration kills me.”

“Hmm. Well I don't suppose Sheenobi will move from her spot anytime soon. As for me, I do need test my new ability. So yes, I am indeed staying. Enjoy your time at the Market then, Fulguro.”

“Thanks! Have fun for your next ambush. C'mon, Fox Lady, I'll teach you a thing or two about alchemy.”

J reluctantly followed her partner out of the sandy field, frustrated of her own inability to understand a power she had obtained herself. She didn't enjoy relying on other people's help, but once again, she had no choice but to comply.

“By the way?” Fulguro said, smiling at her. “Found a name. Jolturn. “Jolt” because it's a word that's usually referring to an abrupt or violent motion – and also for electricity, which is related to speed – and “turn” because in dance practice, a turn is a type of moves that a lot of dancers can execute - though I guess you know that better than I do. Combine the two words and you've got yourself a name combining speed, energy, and skill. So, Jolturn,” he asked confidently. “Any feedback?

It took Fulguro several seconds to realize that J had stop walking and had her arms crossed, apparently deeply focused. Her foot was rapidly tapping the ground. “Shorter.” she finally said. “I want it shorter.”

It was Fulguro's turn to think. “Then forgetting about the dancing,” he conceded, “let's just keep the motion part – you're also a fighter, after all. So Jolta. Short, simple, and all about the powerful movements and speed.”

She stared at the ground, lost in thought. “...Shit.” J finally spat, glancing at Fulguro. “Damn you, Thunder Boy. You win. I like it. I like it and I hate you. Let's go.”

“You're welcome!” he exclaimed as she swiftly walked past him, still frustrated. Fulguro marched along, satisfied of his success.