Sai, Heunae, Toi, Seabi, and Corse marched in a straight line toward a somewhat large, rectangular grey building. Toi led the way, followed by Sai, then Seabi, Corse, and Heunae bringing up the rear.
"Defense Formation: Ant Line has been a huge success!" Toi chanted exuberantly.
"This ant line carries the power of a truck in the form of Toi!" Seabi echoed.
"He punched a bear, punched a soldier, and even punted a dog!" Corse added with equal enthusiasm.
"Nothing stands in our way when Toi's in front!" Sai chimed in.
"None of that rhymed," Heunae pointed out, breaking the rhythm.
Toi, Seabi, Corse, and Sai groaned in unison, their annoyance evident.
"You ruined the chant again, Heunae! How else are we supposed to stay entertained on such a long walk?" Toi complained, frustration in his voice.
"I don't know, by properly chanting?" Heunae suggested, her tone dry.
Once more, Toi, Seabi, Corse, and Sai groaned in unison.
"I can't feel my legs right now, but as long as Toi is moving, I'm moving too!" Sai declared, determination in his voice.
"He's kind of like a beacon of inspiration!" Seabi said with a smile.
"I just like walking," Corse added nonchalantly.
"Yeah guys, only I am feeling things!" Toi remarked, continuing to march forward before stopping and turning around. Concern was etched on everyone's face as they halted in place.
"Y-Your body is a doll..." Sai stammered, eyes wide with worry.
"How the hell are you feeling fatigued?!" Seabi asked, incredulity in his voice.
"What's happening to you, bro?" Corse questioned, confusion evident.
"I don't get tired myself," Heunae noted calmly.
Sai, Seabi, and Corse turned to look at Heunae, eyebrows raised in surprise.
"That's a case for another day," Seabi said, shaking his head before they turned back around.
"Well, that doctor, Deer was it, did tell me one thing about this body..." Toi began, his voice trailing off as his mind drifted back to the past.
Flashback
Toi, in his voodoo doll state, sat on a couch next to a woman with red glasses, a lab coat, long fluffy brown hair, and violet eyes.
"Hello, you must be Toi. I am Dr. Deer's personal assistant, Kibirka Cherry, but you can call me Dr. Cherry," the woman greeted with a professional smile.
"Hi," Toi replied, his voice small and uncertain.
"The doctor should be here any second—" Dr. Cherry started to say, but her words were cut short as a woman with long emerald hair, green eyes, and a pink lab coat came running in, holding something that resembled a mannequin, but not quite.
"Oh, she's here sooner than I expected," Dr. Cherry remarked, a hint of surprise in her voice.
"You must be Toi!" the newcomer exclaimed, dropping the mannequin-like figure on the ground and beaming at Toi with unrestrained joy. "I am Veronica Deer, the head of the Negative Point science unit, but I go by Dr. Deer in the lab! I am so glad you're here. I have finally found someone I can test this new technology on. You don't know how excited I am! But before that, I've brought back an exotic fruit from one of my business trips. We can all share it after I finish this! Cherry, get ready for this transfer."
"Born ready," Dr. Cherry responded, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Dr. Deer stood before Toi, her voice steady and deliberate. "Alright, Toi, let me give you a quick rundown of what this is. I call the doll thing the Eternal Vessel. Once the body attains a soul, it gradually modifies itself to become a perfect body for the user. First, it carries over the soul's memories, personality, and magical abilities. Then, it meticulously transforms into how the soul's body would look at the age of 25. It duplicates the soul's DNA and ages the body to perfectly replicate that age, with the end result permanently putting you at 25. The vessel grants superhuman capabilities. For a short time, you won't feel pain and won't get worn out, but eventually, you'll regain all your normal functions. However, you keep the body's immortality and flexibility. The trade-off is that you're unable to keep your thoughts to yourself."
Flashback Over
Corse, Seabi, Sai, and Heunae stared at Toi, their faces frozen in dumbfounded expressions.
Heunae broke the silence, his voice tinged with disappointment. "And here I was, thinking I could change bodies."
Sai's eyes widened as he processed the information. "So you're immortal... without a wish?"
Seabi's brow furrowed. "You're just getting weaker..."
Corse, with a smug grin, interjected. "Magical weapon for the win."
Sai and Seabi glared at Corse before shifting their attention back to Heunae.
Seabi's curiosity piqued. "Heunae, how does your body function?"
Heunae sighed, resigned to explaining once more. "Every bone up to my neck is replaced by the chain magical weapons. I still have a normal skull, but it's reinforced by a strong metal. I don't need to eat, sleep, or get fatigued. My mana and blood flow together."
Sai, Seabi, and Corse stared at Heunae in horror.
Sai stammered. "Y-You're a monster!"
Seabi's eyes widened in disbelief. "So you don't need to pee or poop?"
Corse shook his head. "It seems you can't imitate the real bodily functions of a magical weapon human."
Heunae, Sai, and Seabi glared at Corse once more before looking away, resuming their march behind Toi.
Seabi, clearly frustrated, warned. "Corse, you have one more time."
Corse, puzzled and slightly amused, asked. "One more time before what?"
Ten minutes later, the line of intruders is halted by a man wearing a full black jumpsuit, adorned with a large spiral design on his stomach. His black hair is styled into devil horns, and his eyes are almost perfect semi-circles.
"Stop right there, intruders! I am M-012, Mortimer Barry!" he declares, his voice echoing with confidence.
"Stand out of our way, scoundrel!" Toi responds with unyielding determination.
Mortimer smirks, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Not so fast! I shall use my hypnotic magic to put you under my control!" He produces a chain with a slowly rotating black-and-white spiral on it.
"Behold, my grea-"
Before Mortimer can finish his sentence, Toi punches him in the stomach. Mortimer falls to his knees in pain, then collapses onto his stomach.
"Let's continue our march!" Toi commands.
They all step over Mortimer's fallen body and proceed onward.
In a tree, watching them, is a man wearing a brown bear mask. His spiky, unkempt black hair contrasts with his full green suit, which has M.A.G.I.C. emblazoned on the back.
"Spatial Magic: Teleport," he whispers. He vanishes into thin air and reappears in a room. Inside, Anata sits behind a desk, accompanied by Damiki. Beside Damiki stands a man wearing a fully blue leather coat with the hood up. His long, grey hair has a slight tint of blue. He wears black pants and red sneakers. His face is marked with numerous scars shaped like magical symbols. This is Z-003, Osan Sutomo. He is currently writing in a worn-out notebook.
"I-001, you return. So, what's going on?" Anata asks.
"One of the Negative Point's groups made it to the armory, sir," I-001 reports.
"Who's stationed there again?" Damiki inquires.
"Two weak guys and two strong guys. I don't think any child from Negative Point can deal with those two," Osan responds.
"I've seen it with my own eyes, about twice now. The one who goes by Setchi Naniyori defeated Dorpai while also causing a colossal explosion to wipe out Grottalanda. Another one by the name of Hiyoku Esugan has explosive firepower capable of wiping out small planets, and the heat of his fire is no joke. But with all that said, I would say the Z's are still a lot stronger than them.... Well, all except Kogito," Damiki explains.
"See? Isn't a Z down at the lab? I forgot his name though, must've been weak," Osan remarks.
"B-069, H-001, and H-002 are spotted with them," I-001 notes.
"So the traitors came full circle? I should just go down there and kill them myself," Damiki growls.
"B-069? One of the mobling failures? I was told he was still alive, but apparently, he's aged as well. So the Negative Point has gotten their hands on some powerful technology," Anata muses.
"B-069 is a mobling, you say? Knowing who and what is at the armory may be interesting," Damiki comments.
"I-001... Curga, I think I've figured out another way to make an instant teleportation device!" Osan exclaims, turning his notebook to show him. It reads, "Instant teleportation device: just add water and a teaspoon of optimism."
"Uh... Okay, Osan," Curga replies, bemused.
Meanwhile, Toi, Sai, Seabi, Corse, and Heunae are engaged in a fierce battle against dozens of men in white hazmat suits, each with "M.A.G.I.C" emblazoned on the back. These men are armed with rifles and flamethrowers. Heunae decimates a large group by extending his chain limbs and punching through the horde. Seabi, wielding Corse in his hatchet magical weapon form, slices through scores of them. Eventually, they clear the hazmat suit guards and stand before a large, bolted-down, black metal door.
"A door!" Toi exclaims.
"Oh no, the line has come to a stop!" Sai frets.
"Stand out of the way, guys. I got this!" Seabi declares confidently.
Seabi steps forward. "Skill 1: Blood Slash!" he shouts, swinging his weapon horizontally. A large red slash projectile blasts the door in half, filling the entrance with smoke. Everyone throws their arms up in celebration.
"Yippie!" Toi cheers.
"Guys, we should be a bit more serious now. This is one of their big facilities. Stay on your toes," Heunae warns.
"I kinda remember this place a bit..." Seabi muses.
Corse transforms out of his hatchet form and stands beside Seabi. "Kutsiva had all of his weapons here..." Corse says.
"Yeah, right!" Seabi agrees.
"So... do we just walk in?" Sai asks hesitantly.
"It's wide open, right? Let's do it," Heunae replies.
The group enters the building, finding the interior completely white-tiled. Before them stands a somewhat scrawny man, who is naked and has completely white skin. Apparently, he has no genitalia.
"What the actual hell am I looking at," Heunae exclaims in disbelief.
"Tch- Seabi, do you see this?" Corse asks, astonished.
"T-001, Cabra," Seabi identifies him.
"Why is he naked?" Sai questions.
"Where are his balls?" Toi adds.
"This is an odd strategic play by Dr. Jibun. He's bringing out the juggernaut for just five people..." Seabi explains.
"Excuse me, the juggernaut?" Heunae asks.
"T-001 is a borderline super weapon for Dr. Jibun. He was one of the founding members of M.A.G.I.C. and used to be one of the strongest. But after the doctor created much stronger soldiers, T-001 kind of fell behind," Corse explains.
"So this guy is washed up, is what you're saying," Heunae concludes.
"T-001 has plenty of names. The juggernaut by M.A.G.I.C. members, Cabra by people who fear him, T-001 by people who respect him. But Dr. Jibun gave him one name," Corse continues.
"Army Ender," Seabi and Corse say in unison.
"Still doesn't explain why he doesn't have balls," Toi remarks.
"Army Ender?" Sai stammers.
"Yeah, due to his ability. But here it's... kind of confusing why we're fighting him," Corse admits.
"I heard he's a shell of himself, not being able to do anything without the doc's command," Seabi adds.
Anata's voice suddenly fills the room from speakers. "So, you think you can just waltz right into my facility without a problem?"
"Anata-" Seabi starts.
"What a shame, three of my creations are working against me. The next time I give anyone abilities, I'll make sure to put a self-destruction button in them," Anata interrupts.
"If you're so disappointed, how about you come here yourself to fight us?" Corse challenges.
"You don't want that. I'm not scared of embarrassment; three of my biggest ones stand in this room at this very moment. But if I came down there, you all wouldn't be able to live it down," Anata replies.
"Live what down?" Seabi demands.
"The feeling of calling for your own execution. Army Ender, dispatch them," Anata commands.
Cabra groans in pain before tripling in size, his muscles growing larger.
"One of the only abilities I made that is capable of single-handedly wiping out a country. Boss battle," Anata announces ominously.