It had taken about two hours but Neo and Tearwyn were done scouring the outer vegas area of infected. All but Camp Mc Carran, which she figured out was where the Reincarnator fled to. The place with the most amount of NCR soldiers stationed. Last thing on Neo's little list of things to do was rob the Gun runners. It was really easy, though. All she had to do was destroy a robot and break into the little shack before dumping the huge amount of weapons in her inventory.
Nobody who worked there bothered to try and reclaim their weapons. Though that was both in part due to her charm and casual destruction of reinforced glass with her bare hand.
Walking toward the largest base of NCR soldiers, Neo cupped her chin and hummed to herself.
"You know.. I actually have an 'Artoria' of my own. Kinda.." Neo informed Tearwyn as she toyed with a particular idea.
"Oh?!" Plushwyn' ear's perked up, and she turned to look at Neo.
"Yup. Though you can't exactly call her Artoria. She came into being in a pretty unique way.. Wanna see her?" Neo asked as she opened up the chatroom.
"I do, I do!!" Tearwyn chanted, making Neo chortle in response.
[>Neo²: Hey Mamabird. Is Arturia near you?<]
[>Yangsyummymummy: She's currently beating on Excalibur while we're teaching the kids. So yeah, she's here<]
[>Neo²: Mind sending her over? New friend wants to see her and I'm on my nefarious shit. Boutta make a crater<]
[>Icecreambae: I love the sound of that..<]
[>Yangsyummymummy: One second. Oh and get back here with Blake soon. Turns out you were right and those reincarnators are on the moon somehow<]
[>Neo²: Shouldn't be too long. Thanks, Rae<]
After only a minute, a rift opened and stepping through, was Arturia. In her blue robes that either failed to hide her impressive bust or deliberately exentuated it. Locking on to Neo, she quickly pulled Neo into a very strong hug.
"Master I should have gone with you to that other world to begin with.. I- Ah- It is good to see you" Arturia lightly smiled before putting Neo down and noticing the plush on her head.
Tearwyn opened her eyes wide, and giggled as she simply phased through any contact with Arturia.
"Wooow! She's super interesting! She looks like a more mature form of Artoria! And she isn't a human either! COOL!" Tearwyn excitely exclaimed before tilting her head.
"But, she looks weird without the corruption lines my Artoria has" Plushwyn hummed.
"Oh yours is an Alter then? Nice.." Neo nodded appreciatively as Arturia blinked and looked at them both.
"Alter?" Her eyes glowed pink for a few seconds before she put a fist in her hand and made an 'Ah ha!' face.
"Yes, she's an alter. But so, so much more!" Plushwyn proudly exclaimed while Neo continued on her way towards Mc Carran.
"Yeah I'm talking appearance wise. I'm under the impression there's quite a bit different about your Artoria" Neo nodded her head in acknowledgement.
"Also, I think the name "Yangsyummymummy" is a funny name!" Tearwyn commented with an amused laugh.
"It's the truth and nothing but the truth.. She is, in fact, yummy" Neo hid her particular expression before clearing her throat.
"Mas-" "Neo" "Neo.. What are you talking about? Do you.. know of my past wielder?" Arturia asked as she followed behind.
Tearwyn giggled wildly and threw her hands in the air. "Know her?! Hehe! She's my sister! Though, I very much doubt that my Artoria was your exact master. The omniverses are HUGE after all~ But she's at least one version of your original master, yes"
Hearing Tearwyn's explanation made Arturia stop and think. After some deliberation and looking at Neo, who had her brow raised in concern, she smiled and shook her head.
"Then I hope she is well. Ma-Neo is my current wielder. Something about her makes her worthy. Though I won't say exactly what now. What is our goal, Neo?" Arturia asked, seeing Neo smile at her compliment.
"Thanks, Arturia. We're off to go kill a reincarnator and the people he infected. We'll explain on the way there" Neo pulled Arturia to her side by the waist and kept walking.
"Now kiss!" As they were walking, they heard some light giggling. They looked over at Plushwyn, who had some tiny dolls of the both of them. She then pushed them together and said with a sweet voice.
"Wh.. What!? Yo.. Why would I.. I mean- Not that Master isn't..." Arturia tried to reach out to stop her but her hands just phased through Plushwyn.
Smirking at Plushwyn's actions, Neo took out a mint from her inventory and looked at Arturia with her brows going up and down repeatedly. Arturia blushed and refused to allow herself to be seen like that any longer, turning into spear form and being grabbed by a laughing Neo.
"She's cute. I approve!" Tearwyn stated while patting Neo's head.
"Right? You're good at messing with people. Good job, Plushwyn.." Neo complimented her with a grin before popping the mint and kissing the base of the spear, hearing a surprised hum from Rhongomyniad.
For the next ten minutes of travel, they explained the situation to Arturia. The light corruption completely rewriting the people it infected along with the basic enslavement that seemed to irk Neo the most. At the end, they reached Camp Mc Carran, where a large amount of NCR soldiers were posted. Neo grinned maliciously as she slowly approached the heavily guarded front gate.
"You may not be my sister's Excalibur Morgan, but I feel great power from you. I can't wait to see you in action!" Tearwyn looked down at Rhongomyniad and said.
"Well the first time I used her, I destroyed a fairly large mountain with a dragon inside. Still a fraction of her current power. Though at my full power I could probably destroy a continent. We'll have to tone it down" Neo explained while moving at incredible speeds to dodge the automatic fire that came her way.
Swinging Rhongomyniad in an arc as she arrived at the gate, she tore open the heavily reinforced gate along with the twelve armored guards that were standing in front of it. She walked in, seeing a very large amount of NCR there, rifles aimed at her. In the front was the reincarnator, Veronica and Cass. It seems he recruited them and made some kind of harem, by the looks he was getting from the two women.
Taking the time to properly assess all the numbers, Neo simply asserted her dominance by doing the Randy Orton taunt to every single person there. Both hands up and looking at them all in a mocking glare.
"Enough of this! You don't have that dark influence so why.. Why do such evil!?" Damian asked, trying his best to ignore the sight of the lance in her hand and the utter confidence she had to blatantly taunt over a thousand soldiers.
"Such Evil. Classic" Plushwyn started laughing uncontrollibly and nearly fell off of Neo's shoulder.
Neo chuckled at her amusement and open arm shrugged at his question.
"Evil? Nah. You know what's really evil? The NCR.. They commit the worst evils of all..." Neo shuddered as Damian's brow furrowed.
"Geno-" "TAXES!" Damian was cut of by Neo, who was shaking her head in faux lament.
"Taxes...? What? Everyone pays taxes.. Tax evasion is illegal.." Damian muttered as he was trying to comprehend what Neo's point was.
"No.. It's an obligation!" Neo cackled when she saw a little more of him die inside, along with the confusion of everyone else.
By now, Plushwyn was laughing in tears, while she was casually floating upside down around Neo.
"Taxes causes paper work! And paper work is the bane of all that is and will ever be!!" Tearwyn exclaimed.
Neo simply responded with a proud nod and a grin.
"Take this seriously!!!" Damian charged forward as the rest of the NCR started firing at Neo.
"Hoh.. Okay. 'Serious' is what you want?" Neo's body was shrouded in lightning as she jumped up thirty feet in the air and brandished Rhongomyniad, her hair going white as a strange pressure hit them all.
"Rule of god is incoming. Just don't say you didn't ask for this!" Neo cackled as an overbearing aura was released from the lance.
"WHOOAAA!!! What's the blast radius of this attack?!" With a soft pop sound, Plushwyn was back on Neo's shoulders with literal stars in her eyes.
Thinking for a second, Neo hums and answers before unleashing it.
"Yes" Neo responded sagely as a bright light of destruction descended on the camp.
Damian was briefly blinded as the area behind him was lit up. Only a second later, it was turned into a smoking crater that destroyed the airport. The only thing left standing was the ruined gate, where he was. He collapsed to his knees as the reality sunk in. He subconsciously ignored it before but he knew that lance.
~It's... There was never a chance for victory here..~ Damian came to the conclusion, hearing a sigh from his system.
[I'm sorry Damian.. I truly am..] Alice responded.
Neo landed beside him and rested her hand on his shoulder. Looking up at her, he could see her hair returning to normal. He shook his head in despair.
"Ah, about that 'evil' crap.. You know you've been rewriting people with your corruption, right? Everything about the people you corrupt? They change to benefit your God. Your 'light' does that. It essentially enslaves you and takes away your very identity. Me? I mercy killed them. You ignorant idiot.. Did you even realize that? Or did your system 'forget' to mention?" Her line of questions greatly confused the young man.
[No! She's lying, Damian. We saved them!] He heard her scream in his head.
"But.. why? She could just.." Neo, seemingly fed up received a prompt from her system and focused before her hand was wreathed in some kind of digital effect.
"Now I know what you meant by the blast radius is yes... Ooohh! I know where this is going!" Tearwyn mumbled to herself, but was still heard by Neo.
"Rule number two, Plushwyn.." Neo sunk her hand into him and they all heard the screams as Neo pulled out what looked like the female personification of the system.
"Look, a ghost! Before I send you to the afterlife, mind telling him the truth?" Neo asked threateningly as Damian shivered from the lack of a system.
Seeing his love being pulled out and in danger, he pulled out his guns and continually fired at Neo. Though it did very little against her aura, which lit up every time he shot her. Panicking, he tried to hit her with a rebar club, which was tanked even easier than the bullets.
"Why.. won't... you... die!!!?" He screamed in desperation.
Neo hit him in the stomach with a very audible 'crack' heard resulting from the hit. He doubled over, the air violently ejected from his lungs as he stared up at her.
"Aura, son.." Neo replied with an incredibly malicious grin with her arms wide.
Tearwyn floated down to the horrified Light Scout and joined in the dark laughter.
"Yes! How does it feel, to be so helpless! I am so tempted to show myself to them, just so they can actually see me mock them..."
Tearwyn looked up at Neo, wanting her input.
"Go for it! They're both secured here anyway. Now, light system.. are you gonna tell him?" Neo asked while her grip around the woman's neck tightened.
"Yes! Tell him exactly what your filthy Light corruption does to my people! Tell him the real reason why your Masters are in my universe!" Tearwyn floated back up onto Neo's shoulders, and revealed herself.
Alice, who glared at Tearwyn as she appeared, was immediately thrown to the ground and stomped on by Neo.
"Aaah! Yes.. It's true.. They.. do get changed by the light. They're.. repurposed. But it's only to serve a greater purpose! They should REJOICE! How dare you act like I'm the bad one!? I FREED them from a pointless exist-" That was all Neo had to hear before she lined her jaw up to the curb nearby and stomped her head in, turning her body into a mess of light particles as her very being was destroyed before their eyes.
Damian lost all sense of hope then. He stared at the spot he saw his love die and admit something terrible to him. He shook and shivered as he began to spiral into doubt and despair. Neo whistled and turned to Plushwyn.
"See? Killed his spirit" Neo shook her boot of anything left over from the system she eradicated.
"It's what he deserv-!" Suddenly, an inky black portal opened several metres from them.
And then, suddenly, a Grimm Raven and Pyrrha stepped out, looking around as the portal closed.
"Is that Raven and.. Pyrrha..?" Neo asked, checking the system.
[>Neo²: Rae? Pyr?<]
[>Yangsyummymummy: What's up now? Need help?<]
[>Spartanwaifu: What's going on, Partner?<]
[>Neo²: Hm.. nevermind.. I'll get back to you<]
Hearing their names, their heads snapped to Neo. As they looked at her in confusion, Pyrrha spoke up.
"Neopolitan? Why are you hiding your blessing?" The Grimm Pyrrha asked.
Neo tilted her head in confusion at her question and noted the oddly silent Tearwyn. Tearwyn was currently trying to hide behind Neo's back to avoid being seen.
"Or, how did you even get here?" Raven asked.
"Magic? Divine power? Probably one of those two things, yeah" Neo answered with a shrug.
"Divine power...." Raven narrowed her eyes at Neo, and muttered before she saw a pair of very fluffy looking pink tipped ears peek over Neo's shoulders.
Raven's eyes widened comically large and gasped loudly. Tearwyn, seeing she was busted floated out from behind Neo and sat on her shoulder before giving a tiny wave and a "Hello..."
That's when Raven noticed the warzone like area around them, and the boy who was corrupted by the Light. Both Raven and Pyrrha instantly bowed down, and lowered their heads and yelled.
"Our Goddess Tearwyn!" Both exclaimed reverentially.
But to Neo's surprise, Tearwyn suddenly shouted.
"WHY?! YOU COULD HAVE WORDED THAT SO MUCH BETTER!!!!!" Tearwyn yelled in distress.
"Oh you know them then? I like the Grimm look on Raven, not gonna lie.." Neo simply nodded to Tearwyn while she held Rhongomyniad on her other shoulder.
"Not that Pyrrha isn't good looking! She looks oddly... cuddly in that form" Neo mused with an amused grin.
Neo noticed the panic look on Tearwyn however. Tearwyn turned to her with an apologetic look on her face.
"Well, you wanted to meet my sister... Neo's system, I know you can hear me. I am going to do as much as I can to protect Neo and Arturia, but I will need your help. Use EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO SHIELD THEIR SOULS!!" Tearwyn shouted in a panic.
"And their minds! And I MEAN EVERYTHING! She's coming!" Neo blinked at her words though felt something cover herself in a protective barrier.
[Very well. This cannot be avoided] The systen itself seemed to reply.
"Ah.. it's serious then" Neo made a face as she took in Tearwyn's warning and the system's response.
"I am so sorry, Goddess Tearwyn! I was just, taken aback to see you outside your forest. It was a slip of the tongue!" Raven admitted guiltily.
"Ohh, you messed up.... She's so pissed. Can you feel it?" Pyrrha winced.
Raven just grimmly nodded her head. Neo raised a brow at Tearwyn before suddenly, Raven's shadow exploded out around her and covered a large area. First, there was an eerily silence. And then she felt it. Unimaginable fury, hatred, and bloodlust. The air itself started to gain a red hue, and the very space around them started to cry out and creak. Black Water started to bubble up from under Raven, and slowly moved away. Ribbons started to flow out of the puddle into a large cocoon of sorts.
The presence of the hatred and bloodlust spiked. The magic in the air seemed to explode into an intensity that made her first use of Rhongomyniad pale in comparison. She felt an unimaginable pressure fall onto her very soul that was thankfully mitigated due to the barrier. The gate that was left standing, and all other objects near them started to whine from the pressure that was building up. And then the cocoon exploded outwards, revealing a woman that looked like her Arturia, but several years younger. She, and the sword she held were engulfed in red-black flames, and pure evil seemed to radiate off her.
Her eyes were glowing a solid red as she looked around.
Neo whistled as she watched the surroundings get affected to such a degree and at the dramatic introduction. Then she breifly looked at Neo, sending a primordial shiver of fear through her with the bloodlust and evil she was giving off. She then looked at Tearwyn, and smiled softly.
Then she looked at the cowering Light Scout who some how was still alive through all of this. As she walked over to him, the ground shuddered and cracked from the power she was expelling. Neo having recovered at this point watched her. The broken man, who seemed to be almost mad with fear, started to float.
"Perception of infinity. Soul Brand. Soul Burn. Blood Boil. Curse of Corruption" Artoria announced her magic.
What happened next, was a visual representation of the malice she felt for the man. Soon, his skin started to boil as if it was on fire. He also started to rapidly age, and looked as if he was sick with several diseases as his body warped. His screams were cut short, as he eventually melted to nothing but a floating burnt skeleton. But that too soon crumbled to dust, to reveal a spectral version of himself. And it seemed to happen all over again, but never stopping as his spectral self seemed to fix itself just as it was about to break down, only for it to start all over again. This went on for a minute as ethereal screams were heard across the entire planet. Until finally his soul couldn't handle it anymore and simply flaked away into nothing.
The woman stood there for several seconds, before everything simple... returned to normal. The pressure was gone, the aura's where done. As if it was all some horrible dream. The woman's armour seemed to change, as she shrunk down a little. She turned around, now wearing white armour and a soft smile, she opened her hands wide.
"Tearwyn~!" She cooed affectionately.
"Sister!" She floated over to hear, but just before they hugged, Tearwyn bonked her on the head.
"That was super extreme!! You almost hurt my new friend!" Tearwyn chastised her.
Neo started laughing at the insane contrast. Hunching over as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She takes a deep breath after laughing for ten seconds and walked over to them.
"Well I figured you'd be overprotective but that was crazy.." Neo looked up at her with an interested expression.
The woman had the decency to blush lightly and looked away.
"I am not sorry for that. My Tearwyn is the single most important thing to me. Hearing she was out of her dimension near a person of Light... and that she was tiny... made my imagination run wild" Neo nodded along at that.
"But, this is just an illusionary Avatar. She is still perfectly safe now that I have a clear head" She looked back at Tearwyn and smiled.
"Hmph! As if I would worry you, Artoria!" Tearwyn put her hands on her hips and said.
"Yeahhh..." She looked down and nodded.
"She came along to travel with me. It was a great time too. Hm..." Neo inspected Artoria with a slow nod.
"Evil.. but hot.. Eviiiiiil.. but yep.. Damn.." Neo seemed to have some kind of war in her mind before dismissing it.
"Anyway you're probably familiar with who I am, I'm guessing?" Neo asked as she tapped Rhongomyniad on her shoulder.
Artoria looked her over, and nodded her head. Before she spoke up however, Tearwyn asked, "Why are your eyes red like that?"
"Ah. I was just about to fuck with the people of the world you sent me to before I got the rather... unhelpful description of what she saw from Raven" Blinking a few times, Artoria chuckled and said.
Her eyes returned to their normal look. Black sclera with a brilliant golden glow. Raven seemed to blush, before a weak and meek, "I'm sorry." was heard.
"Yes. I know who you are Neo. I also take it you're not from the world I took, considering your neutral feeling soul and all" Artoria just waved her off and looked back at Neo.
"I do consider myself chaotic neutral. Well I'm impressed, Plushwyn! You do have a pretty good sister" Neo smiled at Tearwyn and admitted.
"She's the best!" Tearwyn returned her smile and nodded repeatedly.
"For your punishment for making me worry about Tearwyn, I want you two to hunt down every Light stained on this world and cleanse them. After that, no world traveling for a month Raven!" Artoria turned to the two Grimm servants and said sternly.
They both kneeled and yelled, "As you will, Lady Artoria!" They then shot off in different directions, cracking the ground from the force they used.
Artoria snatched plushwyn out the air and cuddled their faces together for a few seconds before sighing in content and asking, "So, now what?"
"Well.. someone else wants to talk here" Neo replied.
Rhongomyniad slipped out of Neo's hand and returned to her human form. Arturia stared at Artoria seriously for a few seconds before she slowly nodded in acceptance.
"I see.. so this is the path you could have chosen. It is.. different. But above all, I wished for your happiness. It seems, through one way or another.. You have it now" Arturia nodded with a thankful expression.
Raising her eyebrow at the transformation, she slowly nodded her head.
"I am.. surprised you don't find me "Lacking" or "Disgusting" like another version of myself did. Before I erased her and her summoner from existence itself that is..." Artoria replied before shaking her head.
"But, yes. Tearwyn is my everything" She replied in finality as an audible 'awww' was heard from Neo.
She cuddled the giggling Plushwyn some more as she was trying (but not really) to escape her grasp.
Arturia shook her head.
"I am not a past you. And now I say that I.. can perhaps understand that sentiment. About.. someone being your everything" Arturia looked away from Neo, who was clutching her chest.
"Mmfh.. too cute.." Neo muttered.
"Great catch, I should know" A sly smile crept up Artoria's face as she winked at Neo while whispering.
A similar smirk grew on Neo's face as she pat Arturia's shoulder.
"Well this was a blast. Feel free to call me up for more stuff. Maybe when I get a bit stronger? Both of you feel free to call me. I'm only a universe away. See you next time~" Neo shrugged before doing the same 'salute' to Plushwyn and disappearing with Arturia.
"Bye!" Though, she sounded really sad.