Muster Heroes – QuickSave 14

Author's Note:

The song used in thie following Quicksave is called "You Are A Pirate" by Alestorm. I strongly suggest that you open Youtube and give it a listen when it actually appears in the chapter. You'll see why.

Enjoy!

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Time for gathering is near! Kamikaz, the avatar of glee

“We had to make sure that the virtual reality was realistic, but like, not TOO realistic. Else it would've been really problematic. And by problematic, I mean that when we were requested to add… uhh… a decent amount of blood and gory noises and effects during a specific arc of the game, some testers complained about recurrent nightmares they'd have because of that, or a sudden fear of blood that they never had before. After we told Lionel, we pretty much removed blood and any and all gory effects from the Project. That is until a large amount of people demanded the gory features back as a special feature after the game came out. So we decided to make them an optional pack that players had to buy. If they wanna have nightmares, let them enjoy 'em. I never understood what people had for horror stuff.”

Yann Zamural, Virtual Reality programmer of Project: Muster Heroes

“...And so, I think your best possibility here is to wear the Alchemy Powder Pots in some kind of belt, and you frequently soak your blade in the liquids. You know, like a poison blade. That, or you could turn your rapier into some sort of science-fiction weapon, like turning your guard and handle into poison tanks or something. That would be useful to use them more rapidly. Um… J? You're… Are you listening?” 

Fulguro turned back, glancing at her. She was looking at the floor, avoiding the crowd of Turbulence Market with ease as her lips moved quietly.

“I am.” J swiftly replied, interrupting her silent singing. “I'm listening. But I'm not not sure what to choose. I'm not sure what fits my style more.”

“Hmm… Well, from what I've seen of you so far, you're all about agility and speed.” Fulguro argued. “So I guess these powders might just give you a good power boost.”

J instantly raised her head. “Continue.”

Fulguro smiled. It looked like he had finally found a way to tickle her interest. “As you've seen when you fought her, each of Grainne Powders' Pots have a different effect.” he explained. “So if you can exploit each of them in a way you'll come up with later, you can follow up with several fast paced combos that, alone, wouldn't deal much damage, but if powered up with the Red Powder, for example...”

“I could throw in a lot of strikes with an exploding blade.” J completed, nodding several times. “Colorful and powerful...” She tapped her foot on the ground, sign that she was lost in thought, or so Fulguro had understood.

“Shit.” J spat. “This is good. I don't know how you come up with this stuff. But it's good.”

“Well, it's like I said!” Fulguro exclaimed, shrugging. “Watched a lot of cartoons. And to be fair, it's not that impressive. I mean, how many video games have you played before?”

“A few. But I don't play like other people.”

Fulguro raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? You have a specific way of playing?”

J stared at him. “Won't talk about it.”

“Oh! Uh, sorry if I was being intrusive. I hope I'm not annoying you.”

She shrugged and gazed at the ground again. “Don't worry. I can always turn up the volume if you're being too annoying anyway.”

Fulguro frowned. “That… would be exceptionally rude. Even for you.”

J raised her head. “True.” she said a bit too harshly. “But then again I hate people. And you've asked me to follow you in the middle of a giant fucking crowd to give me a lesson about how to use something I didn't give a damn about. That doesn't make me inclined to be very polite. You're actually really lucky I'm still speaking to you right now.”

Fulguro shrugged. “Maybe you don't care about the Powder Pots, but I've just explained why they could be useful to you. You're just trying to be mean here, and I'm not sure why, since I'm just trying to help.”

“That's just it. Why?” J grabbed Fulguro's arm, forcing him to a full stop. She approached her mask from his face, as if trying to read through it. “Why are you trying to help me? Why are you talking to me all the time? The others mostly leave me alone. They get that I don't want to talk to people. They get that I'll toss them around if they speak to me. Why won't you, Thunder Boy?”

Fulguro smiled. “Why do you keep calling me Thunder Boy?”

“I asked a question first.”

“Yes, but you'll understand better if you answer mine first. So! Why do you keep calling me Thunder Boy?”

She let go of his arm, shrugging indifferently. “I don't know. Because I feel like it.”

“There!” Fulguro exclaimed. “That's exactly it. That's why I'm helping you. Because I feel like it. See, that's just how I do things. I want everyone and everything around me to be... “okay”. I know it's stupid, because there's no way that can happen all the time. But I'm in a class right now, and there's one gal who's away from everyone, super mysterious for no reason, foul-mouthed, and very close to trash-talk anyone that walks up to her. I don't exactly feel super comfortable with that around me.” Fulguro pointed a finger at her. “That's you, J. I know you said you hated people, but come on, you're going to spend an entire year with us. Don't tell me you're planning to be so unsociable all the time!”

“Why not? I've done it before. Entire years, too. I can do it again.”

Fulguro stared at her, appalled. “But… No! Sorry if I'm being selfish, but I'm going to keep trying to talk to you. I just can't be… fine with this. And I know you can't either!”

“Actually, I can. I like being alone. So could you please piss off?”

“I respect that you like being alone, J, but you don't need to be that cold and distant! We're all going to act as a team many times, and you're going to ruin the mood all the time!”

“...You know what your problem is, Thunder Boy?” J said after a short silence. “You're too kind. You are way, way too kind for your own good. But no matter how much of a goodie-two-shoes you are, it won't change the fact that I want to be by my own damn self as much as possible. So I'd prefer if you didn't insist that much. Thank you for your time here. But don't help me again. Else you're really going to get on my fucking nerves.” 

With that, J attempted to walk away, but Fulguro took hold of her arm, preventing her from doing so. “I don't care!” he declared. “I know I'm too kind, and I know it's gonna be my downfall someday. But I don't care. In fact, everyone tells me. My parents told me, my friends told me, and even the enemies of my friends told me. But I'm just gonna tell you what I told every single one of them.”

Fulguro placed his hands on J's shoulder, gazing at her with utmost sincerity. “I want to see the whole world smile, J. It's not even a lifelong dream or mission or something, it's just… I need to make sure that people are okay, or else I won't be! As long as people are fine, I can just smile along, no matter what happens. So I don't see why I should care about suffering or getting on your nerves.” Fulguro let go of J's arm, sighing with resignation. “There, now you can call me cheesy. Or childish. Or too naïve, whatever works. Let's just go back to talk about your battle style, okay? It's so much easier.”

J once again stared at him in silence. “Once this mission is over.” she said in a serious tone, “I need to talk to you about something. Because if you're that ready to be annoying to me, Thunder Boy, then prepare yourself. I'm going to make you suffer. And you better smile, 'cause you basically asked for it. Let's get back to the Tavern.”

J turned around and walked away again, this time closely followed by Fulguro. “Wait, what do you mean by making me suffer? And why do we need to go back there?” he asked, confused by her words. 

“Wouldn't be fun if I told you.” was J's swift reply. “And you were so busy trying to talk to me that you forgot to check your messages. Someone sent us one. Said we needed to go back there ASAP. So we're going back there.”

“...Huh. Alright, then. Thanks for telling me, J.”

J abruptly stopped her speedy march. Silent, she stared at Fulguro once more, for so long that he couldn't help but feel uneasy. “What… What did I...”

“You're calling me J.” she remarked, almost bitterly. “You've been calling me J ever since we got here. Why? I told you I liked Jolta. Why won't you use it?”

“Oh. Because it's not official yet. You know, I feel like I should only use that name once your avatar has it. And uh… I guess I need to get used to–”

“It doesn't need to be fucking official.” J spat, looking back on the ground as she speed-walked her way out of Turbulence Market, with Fulguro right behind. “Official means people. And I don't give a damn about people. I want you to call me Jolta, Thunder Boy. You and no one else. You found the name. I like it. So use it. If they choose to follow your example and call me Jolta too, I don't care.”

“Oh. Um… Okay then… Jolta. Is that… part of your specific way of playing?”

“No. It's the beginning of your suffering. You're annoying, Thunder Boy. More annoying than people. You want to stand out? I'll make you stand out. Let's see what happens.”

Fulguro remained silence for the rest of the walk, looking at Jolta with the distinct impression that he had been given a strange compliment. Even more surprising to him was the fact that she was walking next to him, her feet firmly stomping on the ground.

Jolta wasn't following the pace of her own rhythm anymore.

******

Mettrick leaped away, dodging a laser beam shot from the mouth of an Iron Maiden. He found himself on the center of the field again, back to back with Diabolsaur. They were surrounded by the destroyed remains of Iron Maidens, with only a few of them left standing. It was time to finish their work.

Only the empty ones shoot lasers. Mettrick recalled. We've got eight of them around us, with half of them close to being destroyed. This should be a piece of cake. “Diab!” Mettrick shouted imperiously, pointing at an Iron Maiden in front of them. “Destroy that one! I'll be dealing with the others!”

“Aye, Captain!” Diabolsaur replied, sliding around the field to dodge the coming laser beams. Taking momentum thanks to the Oil Slime below his feet, Diabolsaur rushed towards the Iron Maiden Mettrick had indicated.

“Helmetons: take off!” Metterick said as the little helmets on his belt began moving. “Formation: Canon Fodder!” Holding his weapon downwards, Mettrick switched to the hammer head and waited for the helmets below to combine, forming five thick metallic spheres in front of him. He promptly turned around, aiming at an Iron Maiden behind him. It wasn't charging a laser beam, which meant that it wasn't empty.

Formation Canon Fodder: Fire!

One Helmeton was sent like a speeding bullet towards the Iron Maiden, shattering its mouth. The Iron Maiden jerked from left to right before suddenly vanishing underground with a cloud of smoke. As Mettrick had expected, it reappeared right next to the one Diabolsaur was rushing towards. Both Iron Maidens shone vibrantly, preparing a heavy trap for Diabolsaur to fall in.

Formation Canon Fodder: Fire!

Turning back once again, Mettrick let a second Helmeton fly to his target's direction. The Iron Maiden with the shattered mouth was struck by the helmet and was instantly destroyed, with its resident falling on the ground with a painful cry.

“Ugh…! You meanie!” Carnat exclaimed, her dress and skin covered with cuts and bruises. “How dare you break my…!”

“GOTCHA, WITCH!” Diabolsaur shouted before stopping his motion and violently grabbing both of Carnat's shoulder, interrupting her. “Oi, Captain! I need the second one if you want this to work!”

Formation Canon Fodder: Fire!

A third Helmeton unleashed a high-pitched scream as it was thrown on its designed target. The last remaining Iron Maiden was destroyed and Azuria fell off of it, heavily wounded as well. She rose up, finding herself unable to cast any sort of spell without her coffin-shaped box. Diabolsaur took hold of her with his second arm, merciless.

“Gah…! This isn't over!” Azuria and Carnat shouted together, trying to break free. “Unhand us! Even without our Maidens, it's not over!”

Actually, it is. Mettrick thought to himself, smiling confidently. They can't cast as many traps as they normally can without their Maidens, and the laser beams only work with the empty ones we destroyed. Plus, they suck at hand to hand combat. We've got this.

A wicked grin stretching from one cheek to the other, Diabolsaur pushed Carnat and Azuria on the remains of their destroyed Iron Maidens, giggling maniacally. “You'll be alone with me now…!” he whispered, remembering what the girls had told him. “How about I stuff you in a coffin on my own, HUH?!”

Saurian Surge: Execute!

The last thing the twins saw was Diabolsaur's horrifying smile as his black attire began contorting itself. They let out terrified screeches when the slimy liquid arose from his Gi and submerged them, taking the shape of a distorted sphere with several giant heads, claws and jaws of various dinosaurs tearing them apart inside.

“And don't come back!” Diabolsaur shouted as the unconscious bodies of the twins emerged from his trap.

Player_Diabolsaur: Level up! Player_Mettrick: Level up!

“Yay!” Diabolsaur exclaimed, retrieving his jovial tone and expression. “We made it! We're awesome!”

And you're just as messed up as Kaz… Mettrick thought to himself, watching his companion jump around with a wary gaze. "And why do you keep calling me 'captain' again?" Mettrick couldn't help but ask his partner.

"'Cause you're a Captain!" Diabolsaur declared pridefully. "You've got a helmet, and a symbol on it, and minions to follow you! And you strategize stuff! So you're a Captain! And I'm calling you Captain 'cause you're a Captain!"

Mettrick raised an eyebrow, slightly disturbed by the speech. How was it possible that Diabolsaur was one year older than he was...? "I... I got it, Diab." Mettrick said, trying to calm his partner down. "You don't need to rep-"

“Oh, I know!” Diabolsaur suddenly exclaimed, pointing an excited finger at the green dome of light next to them. “Let's go check on the other battle! Kaz isn't finished yet!” Diabolsaur accessed his menu and disappeared in a flash of blue light, having selected the Spectate option. Mettrick shrugged and accessed his menu as well. Frowning, he noticed that Yatsu had sent him a message, urging him to come to McBernic's Tavern.

I'll look into it later. He decided before following Diabolsaur into the green dome.

“AGAIN!! Do it again!” was the first thing Mettrick heard. “Come on! Come ON, let's have another clash, I beg you!!”

I take it back. Mettrick thought to himself, eyes widened in front of an overjoyed Kamikaz. She's more messed than Diab is. By a milestone. Mettrick stared as Kamikaz sprung from the ground, narrowly evaded the giant crocodile fangs pointed at her and, using the animal's head as a platform, she performed a second leap in the air, reaching for Bygorn. He was standing atop the crocodile's back, ready to intercept her move.

Enemy Ki Barrier! Execute!

Triple Head Lance! Execute!

Kamikaz flung her arm forward, striking Bygorn's protective light screen with all her might. Mettrick couldn't help but squint as a flash of light assaulted his eyes. Then, a powerful high-pitched sound erupted in the air, illustrating the fierce clash between Kamikaz's offense and Bygorn's defense. The shield in front of Bygorn disappeared as Kamikaz landed next to him. She put her hands behind her back and leaned forward, her grinning face and sparkling stare only inches away from the pirate kid.

“Hiya!” Kamikaz exclaimed.

“Uh… hey.”

They stared at each other for long seconds. 

“I feel like dancing with ya!” Kamikaz said, breaking the silence. “Wanna dance?”

“Stop that! I'm not your toy!” Bygorn shouted to her. “I'm a pirate! And pirates–”

“...Like to sing and dance when they're having fun!” she interrupted. “And right now, we're having LOADS OF FUN! So let's sing and dance like we just don't care!” With that said, Kamikaz took aim and threw her trident away. It landed behind Handbagg, firmly planted on the ground, its three-headed tip pointing at the sky.

What is she doing? Mettrick thought to himself, frowning. She's supposed to beat Bygorn, not throw away her weapon! She's letting him win! He watched as Kamikaz put one hand on Bygorn's waist and entwined the other with his, forcing him to abandon his blade.

“See?!” Kamikaz screamed at the top of her lungs as they spun around, her face turned red with excitement. “Fun times! Fun times for pirates, dancers and devils all at one!!” She unleashed a high-pitched laugh as she started spinning faster and faster with her enemy, keeping her balance despite Handbagg's movement below. And finally, she began singing her wacky song.

“Do what you want, 'cause a pirate is free,

You are a pirate!!

Yar har, fiddle lee dee,

Being a pirate is alright with me!

Do what you want 'cause a pirate is free,

You are a pirate!!

Yo ho, ahoy and avast,

Being a pirate is really badass!

Hang the black flag at the end of the mast!

You are a pirate!!”

“Um… Kaz?” Mettrick called. “What are you–”

An arm suddenly appeared in Mettrick's sight. Confused, he gazed at Diabolsaur, who was staring at the spectacle with the same passionate light Kamikaz had in her eye. “Don't ruin this.” he whispered. “Please. You know what I mean.”

Mettrick gazed back at the giant crocodile, atop of which Bygorn was protesting against Kamikaz's action, while she kept on singing her song, reckless and carefree. “...Yeah.” Mettrick whispered, more to himself than to Diabolsaur. “I know what you mean.”

How come? How was it possible that after all this time, Mettrick hadn't realized that such a Kaz could exist? There she was, spinning, laughing and singing all at once, empowered by a burning energy that kept her away from any worry. She had shattered the devious, gloomy image Mettrick had of her, and he couldn't help but stare in awe at the brand new light Kamikaz was bathing in.

She was fun incarnate.

“...Yar har, fiddle lee dee,

Being a pirate is alright with me!

Do what you want 'cause a pirate is free,

You are a pirate!!

Blue sky above and blue ocean below,

You are a pirate!

You are…!”

“STOP IT!” Bygorn shouted over Kamikaz's voice. “Stop singing and give me back my sword! I want to–”

Kamikaz pulled Bygorn into a hug, interrupting his protests and putting a brutal stop to her crazy ballet. “Did you know?” she whispered in his ear, almost menacingly. “I'm a living time bomb. And stopping a time bomb like me from ticking like you just did is a sin in my book. So...” She winked at him, smiling mischievously “Begone, heretic!”

Burn Cast! Execute!

Both of Kamikaz's hands turned bright red before a flash of light assaulted Bygorn's entire body, instantly igniting it and making them both vanish in a cloud of smoke. Bygorn violently fell on the ground, surprised by the attack.

Burn Cast! Execute!

This time, Kamikaz unleashed her Skill with her feet, using the explosion below as momentum for her jump, hitting Bygorn's Sweet Spot in the process. She performed a perfect front flip, landing right next to her abandoned trident. As if reacting to her sudden apparition, the trident began glowing and a giant purple circle appeared below her. She quickly accessed her menu to drink a Skill Points potion. “Okay, Bygorn!” Kamikaz shouted. “Let's end this dance of fun with a BANG!” A second circle appeared below her, and Handbagg remained still, awaiting orders from its master.

“The countdown is ready to go: may the massive corruption begin!” Kamikaz chanted, pointing a dramatic finger towards the sky. “Confess your wrong conscience: for His justice is sin! See the rebels tremble before His devilish might, for all souls shall crumble at His mere sight!”

Handbagg finally turned around, sign that Bygorn had sprung back up. But it was too late.

“He incarnates pain beyond description! He'll mark your grave with his inscription! Make silence, fool, and freeze! All must hear the sound of the Devil's Breeze!”

Chant Damage Bonus: Activated!

Devil's Breeze! Execute!

The oversized triangles inside the magic circles spun furiously, and Kamikaz snapped her fingers. As a sudden gush of wind blew, a black smoke made its apparition, followed by the signature, terrifying whistling noise of Kamikaz's creature. Bygorn and his pet were stunned just as the smoke took the shape of a winged demon. Then, the second stun took effect, paralyzing Handbagg just as he opened its mouth in a last attempt to eat Kamikaz. “I'll miss you, big guy.” she whispered, fearlessly staring into the gaping hole that was Handbagg's mouth. “Have a nice meal.”

An army of ghosts flew from Kamikaz's demon into Handbagg's opened jaw. Seconds later, they detonated, and the crocodile disappearing in a sphere-shaped explosion.

Player_Kamikaz! Level up!

The smoke hadn't even cleared to reveal what was left of Bygorn and his pet that the green dome already disappeared. Kamikaz, Mettrick and Diabolsaur were back at the Loot Shell, greeted by a silence none of them had expected. Nostalgic for Kamikaz, and awe-inspiring for the two boys looking at her back. Just like that, her passionate energy had completely vanished, replaced by an unnatural stillness. For several minutes, she just stood there, staring into the distance as her cape floated behind her, carried by the wind of an unusual serenity.

“Aaah!” Kamikaz exclaimed, stretching. “That was righteous! Really lookin' forward for more stuff like that. We probably got a nice Skill outta that battle, am I right, Kerberos?” She turned her head towards her weapon, grinning. Then she suddenly blenched and gazed back, finally noticing Diabolsaur. He was walking in her direction.

“Oh gosh, it's just you!” Kamikaz exclaimed, letting out a sigh of relief. “Don't scare me like that! I'm always out of juice after a big fight, so I really don't need anymore thrill right now. You were spectating, right?”

Diabolsaur danced from one feet to another, suddenly finding himself unable to look directly into her eye. “Uh… Y-Yeah, I was spectating." he stuttered. "It was great. And I just...” Diabolsaur joined his hands together and bowed as low as he could. “That was awesome!” he shouted. “You're…! You look like an angel! You have my usmo… My… uso… My utmost respect!”

Kamikaz had stopped paying attention to him the very moment he had bowed. Someone else had appeared in her sight. “And you're a cute lil' devil, pet.” Kamikaz replied absentmindedly, tousling Diabolsaur's flaming hair with one hand. Placing her trident over her shoulder with the other, Kamikaz let a new smile grow on her face as she began walking towards her new object of interest. A few steps later, she found herself staring down at a red-faced Mettrick, who had found a sudden fascination for the virtual rocks below his feet.

“Hiya.” Kamikaz said.

“...Hey.” he whispered back, without looking up. During the following silence, Mettrick couldn't help but think how similar to Bygorn he truly was. Powerless without allies and authority. Powerless in front of her.

“I feel like dancing with ya.” Kamikaz continued, taking hold of his chin and slowly lifting his head. “Wanna dance?” She shared a quick gaze with Mettrick before he took a step back, heart pounding. “Stop that.” he ordered. “I'm not your toy.”

Kamikaz let out her happy laugh. “Now that's hilarious!” she exclaimed. “Bygorn said the exact same thing. Don't worry though!” she exclaimed, winking. “I'm not blowing you up any time soon.”

“...It's the first time I see you bully someone else, you know.” Mettrick said, still not looking at her.

Kamikaz raised an eyebrow. “Bully?” she repeated. “Hmm. Well I guess you could see it like that. Wasn't my intention though. So, how did it look?”

Before Mettrick could give an answer, Diabolsaur let out a dramatic gasp and ran towards his friends. “Guys!” he shouted. ”Someone sent us a message! We have to–”

“Go back to Vick's place ASAP, I know!” Mettrick and Kamikaz exclaimed in unison, to the former's surprise and the latter's delight.

"Notice how we totally use the same words!" Kamikaz jokingly whispered to her friend's ear.

Mettrick crossed his arms, once again avoiding Kamikaz's gaze. "Can't help it if you keep copying me." he muttered.

“...Oh. Uh… Okay.” Diabolsaur continued awkwardly. “So… We're going there now, right?”

“I'm givin' ya one hundred steps ahead.” Kamikaz said to him, striking a confident pose. “If you can reach the place before I catch up, you won't be a fried tomato anymore. Ready…?”

Diabolsaur had raced away the moment she had finished her sentence. But, having forgotten that he was on top of a mountain of items, he could only let out a terrified scream as he fell down the loot pile, right in the middle of a group of bandits that had appeared in the area. “Aw, c'mon!” he shouted, battling his way through.

“He is a cute lil' devil.” Kamikaz commented, giggling. “So, Lil' Met!” she continued joyfully, gazing at her friend. “I passed the test, right? I beat Bygorn like a badass and got some Special Loot out of it – going into that later. I'll be the strongest suicidal scout ever, I promise!” With that said, Kamikaz passed her hands around Mettrick's neck and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Punish me for that after the meeting!" She said, waving her friend goodbye as walked away.

“...Kaz.” Mettrick called. “Kaz, wait!”

Kamikaz turned back, slightly surprised. “Somethin' wrong, Lil' Met? Got a new plan for me?”

“No. I mean yes. I mean… Just...” he clenched his fists, once again unable to look anywhere else but the ground. “Forget about the… the torturing business. You can be a scout if you want, but you don't have to... to get yourself killed all the time. You don't have to be my personal...”

“Nononono! Shh.” Kamikaz put a finger on Mettrick's lips, silencing him. “Don't worry, Lil' Met. I've got it covered, okay? You focus on your strategies while I redeem myself on the battlefield. Got one year of mean pranks to clean up, so I'll be busy, but I can handle it!”

“But Kaz, I… It's fine!" Mettrick insisted. "You don't have to! I get it now, I really do, you just like fighting, and you're having fun, and you...”

Kamikaz trapped Mettrick's cheeks between her hands and lifted his head, forcing the boy to look into her eye. “I HAVE to, Lil' Met.” she said. “I have to. And when I'm done with this, you'll finally trust me again. And we'll be friends, and we'll laugh, and we'll dance, and it's gonna be great.” a strange, disturbing smile grew on her face as she continued. “I've got a plan.” With that, Kamikaz walked away once more, preparing herself for a long jump down the loot pile. “I never went easy on you last year." she concluded. "So I don't want this year to be easy for me. Mess me up real good, 'kay?" Kamikaz gave one last gaze behind, smiling cheerfully. "You're the coolest, Lil' Met. By a milestone.” She jumped away, swiftly reaching for the group of enemies below.

Mettrick stared down at her, unable to move away from his spot. “Righteous, Kaz.” he whispered to himself. “It looked righteous.”