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Beta Testing the Apocalypse 062
🕑 Added 2023-12-24 08:21:27 +0000 UTC"So, which grade do you want to start with...?" asked Leon, entering the Summoning Chamber with Subaru, and, as the people being summoned were from their world, Rem, Ram, Beatrice, and Petra.
"Yellow..." responded Subaru, sweating nervously as the more crystals he used, the greater his debt would be.
Providing the requested crystal, Leon pulled back with the others while Petra, ever supportive, cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "You can do it, Subaru...!"
"R-Right...!" replied Subaru, placing the crystal atop the altar, hesitating briefly before finalizing the summon. Unfortunately, rather than the silver-haired half-elf he was hoping for, the person that appeared before Subaru was a cute, roughly 120cm-tall cat girl with aquamarine eyes, large feline ears, and long orange hair tied into two tails. Contrasting the size of her ears, her tail, protruding from her white, orange-trimmed robes, was long and thin.
Staring up at Subaru, the diminutive cat girl remained completely silent for several seconds before abruptly raising her hands overhead, exclaiming, "Alriiiiiiight~! Mimi has no idea how you pulled it off, but good job bringing Mimi back from the dead Subanyan~!"
Sparing Subaru the need to respond, Ram asked, "You're Ms. Pearlbarton, correct? The retainer of Anastasia Hoshin?"
"That's right!" replied Mimi, slapping her washboard chest as she added, "But Mimi isn't any ordinary retainer! Mimi is one of the Vice-Captains of Mama Hoshin's Mercneary Group, Iron Fang~! Mama Hoshin is bound to give you a big reward for bringing Mimi back~! Nyahahaha~!"
"For now, please join us over here, Vice Captian Pearlbarton," said Ram, explaining, "Basaru is currently in the process of returning others to life, and you're impeding it."
"For real, nya-—!?" exclaimed Mimi, looking genuinely taken aback as she looked up at Subaru and asked, "Could it be...was Subanyan actually a God and just pretending to be weak all this time!? Mimi is really shocked!"
Resisting the urge to punch the top of Mimi's head, Subaru, with his right eye twitching, said, "Good for you. Now, could you please move out of the way...?"
"Okie dokie~!" replied Mimi, smiling broadly and laughing as she added, "But if you don't bring back Mimi's brothers, Mimi will tear your throat out or bite your dick off while you're asleep~!"
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Recovering from his brief stupor, Subaru turned to look at Leon, resolution filling his gaze as he said, "I'll take a Green this time..."
"Good luck, man..." said Leon, pulling out and handing over the Green Crystal, genuinely hoping for Subaru's success. Not just because he felt bad for him but because Green Crystals were worth a million Thousand-Grain Crystal Fragments, meaning it took upwards of one million monster kills to produce a single one...
Though his second attempt also failed, Subaru was genuinely relieved when he confirmed the summoning and a teensy, cat-like creature with predominately pale-grey fur with a white underbelly, thick fur around its chest, aquamarine eyes, one normal and one floppy feline ear bearing a gold earring appeared.
"Puck...!" exclaimed Subaru, grabbing and rubbing his face against the floating feline while Beatrice, who rarely showed emotion, also scurried over, shouting, "Bubby...!"
"I'm happy to see you as well..." said the tiny floating feline, sporting an awkward smile as it endured Subaru's affections for a few seconds before tapping his face with its minuscule paw and adding, "But I'm really weak right now, so I would appreciate it if you stopped squishing me..."
"You don't understand..." sobbed Subaru, genuinely tearing up as he said, "You have no idea how hard I've been trying to summon you and Emilia..."
Hearing Subaru's remark, Ram frowned but suppressed the urge to point out that more than 90% of the fragments he used to produce crystals for summoning were acquired and given to him by other people. If she took into account the fragments used to make the crystals Leon was currently providing, it was more like 99.99%...
Fortunately for Subaru, Ram, Rem, and even Petra remained silent and simply observed as he apprised Puck of the situation, the latter waiting patiently for him to finish while Beatrice held and nuzzled him like a child hugging her favorite stuffed toy. As for Mimi, she busied herself eating a fish Leon had provided for her after she pulled his shirt and complained about being hungry...
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"I see...it must have been hard for you..." said Puck, freeing himself from Beatrice's hold to pat the still teary-eyed Subaru's head before looking to Leon and asking, "Am I correct to assume you're the Lord Leon my weary young friend was referring to...?"
Nodding in affirmation, Leon replied, "That's right. I'm Leon Asheford, the Lord of this island and its residents. It's nice to meet you, Puck."
"Hmmm..."
Floating over to Leon, Puck used his cheeks to knead the former's cheeks as he said, "You're a strange being. I don't sense any life from this body of yours, but you have a scent similar to a Great Spirit..."
"Having fun...?" asked Leon.
Retracting his hands from Leon's face, Puck responded by stating, "Since we're gathered here to try and summon my daughter, I want you to let me assume liability for the remaining cost and debt. I'm currently weakened, but once I recuperate my strength, I could be a tremendous asset to your Domain as a Guardian Spirit."
Before responding to Puck's proposition, Leon looked to Subaru to see if the latter had anything to say. It was an excellent opportunity for Subaru to impress him by showing his willingness to take personal accountability, but, unfortunately, the raven-haired youth just stared at him with a silent plea in his eyes, ostensibly entreating him to agree to Puck's request.
Closing his eyes and exhaling through his nose, Leon reminded himself that Subaru was ultimately just a kid, one that had endured a fair amount of trauma. So, rather than taking Subaru's failings personally, he opened his eyes, met Puck's gaze with a smile, and answered, "We have a deal," before raising his right pinky, prompting the tiny but Great Spirit to wrap his dexterous tail around it, sealing their contract...
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Though Puck had met many people over his prolonged life, those with whom he had an actual 'connection' could be counted on his tiny fingers and toes. He also had a much better understanding of Emilia's capabilities than Subaru, who barely even knew her, so he 'insisted' they wait until he could personally acquire enough materials for 'at least' a Blue Crystal.
As could be expected, Subaru wasn't very happy about the delay, as his contract with Leon stipulated that he would begin training the following day, but Puck convinced him by very firmly stating that Emilia's potential was far greater than even his own. Even Leon found that hard to believe, but as one of the most prominent characteristics of a Great Spirit was that they couldn't willfully tell a lie, Puck must have, at the very least, believed it to be true. Thus, while Subaru moved out of the manor the following day to become a live-in disciple at the nearby dojo, which had become known as Ryukamesennin, Mordred formed a contract with Puck, allowing him to accompany the Crimson Valkyries and utilize a portion of her tremendous Mana reserves as nourishment in exchange for serving as her pet until he completed the task of summoning Emilia...
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"Well, how is it...?" asked Leon, riding on the back of Kyogre as she swam around in the sea encircling the island. Letting her out of her Pokeball had caused dark clouds to start billowing in the sky, but thanks to his Settings menu, Leon was able to disable 'abnormal weather conditions,' preventing the torrential downpour that typically accompanied her swims.
'It's wonderful...' responded Kyogre, her eyes closed contentedly as she enjoyed the feeling of the sun's rays and Leon riding atop and caressing her back.
"Then this will be your territory from now on," said Leon, appending, "I'll also construct a temple near the coast so you can rest and interact with the islanders..."
Seemingly not finished surprising him, Kyogre responded to Leon with a refusal, stating, 'That won't be necessary...' before adding, 'I have chosen to ascend the Tower with you, even if it means I must reside in that prison when not in use...'
Instead of asking if she was sure of her decision, Leon promptly laid face down atop Kyogre's back, effectively hugging her as he said, "Thank you, Kyrie. I'm certain you'll be a tremendous help..."
'Kyrie...' repeated Kyrie, still getting accustomed to the fact she now had a name. Leon had proposed giving her one while they were performing their inaugural swim around the island's perimeter, and she had permitted it on the condition he chose something appropriate. As Kyrie roughly translated to Merciful Lord, she felt it suited her quite a bit and accepted it.
"That's right..." stated Leon, resting his cheek against the top of Kyrie's head as he mused, "A name befitting someone as graceful and majestic as yourself..."
'There is such a thing as too much flattery...' muttered Kyrie, but Leon could tell she was just being shy. Thus, until she dove under the water to get him to stop, he continued showing her praise while caressing the top of her body, causing the water around her to noticeably warm...
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Not anticipating Leon to return the very next day, Groudon was initially surprised before she telepathically burst out laughing, exclaiming, 'Good! Good! It's only natural that you present a Great Lord such as myself with daily tributes...!'
"And I brought something special," replied Leon, pulling out another life-sized statue, this time a depicting Kyogre constructed almost entirely of blue jadeite.
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Seeing Leon pull out a statue of the sister it had only seen a handful of times in their very long existence, Groudon remained completely silent as she rested her head on the stone platform, staring at the two statues side by side and feeling just a tad lonesome.
'This is fine for today...' said Groudon, her deep and feminine tone even lower than usual. Leon had prepared several other gifts, but since it was apparent Groudon wanted to be left alone for a while, he gave a curt bow and departed without a response, knowing that if he openly said he would return the next day, there was a chance Groudon would tell him not to or that it was unnecessary...
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[The Next Day]
Reaching Groudon's caldera around the same time he had the previous two days, Leon immediately noticed that the two statues had been moved closer together and that the owner of the notably cooler magma pool was lying coiled around the one depicting a Kyogre.
'I have no need for additional gifts...' said Groudon, her voice sad and low as she didn't even bother to raise her head or open her eyes. She growled a bit when Leon ignored her words and approached regardless, but since she didn't want to damage the statue, she restrained her fury, opened her right eye, and asked, 'What do you want? There must be something if you are willing to risk angering me...'
"I bring ten barrels of strong spirits and a message from your sister, the Lord of the Primordial Sea," replied Leon, pulling out one of the promised kegs and popping open the top to let the smell waft through the area. In the book he had acquired, it said that Groudon was often lured by ancient peoples using alcohol, getting her to form land where they desired, so he was fairly certain she would accept, especially since he claimed to carry a message from her sister.
Raising her head, Groudon produced a bone-chillingly throaty growl but ultimately bent down to sniff and then lap up the contents of the barrel as she asked, 'How do I know your message is from her...?'
Adopting a wry smile, Leon answered, "She told me that if you asked for proof, to remind you of the day you first awakened here. You promised never again to allow others to pit you against one another, and then, to ensure your powers couldn't harm this new world, you took the Red and Blue Orbs and..."
'Enough! Enough! I believe you...!' exclaimed Groudon, her amber eyes opening to their limits as the largely cooled lava around them began to glow and heat up in response to her flustered condition. She also used her large tail to smack the ground, sending a tremor through it, but Leon was unaffected, courtesy of his phantom body.
Settling back down but sounding notably more animated, Groudon asked, 'Well, what's her message? And how did you convince her to divulge such sensitive information...?'
"Her message is that I am not like the Masters," replied Leon. "As for how I acquired that information...your sister and I have become very close the past few days. She told me to show this as proof, not that I had defeated her, but that she has accepted me..."
Pulling out the Red Orb, Leon was unsurprised when Groudon started to growl, the surrounding temperature skyrocketing as the lava in the pool became bright orange and began bubbling. At the same time, however, a massive storm cloud gathered overhead, rain saturated with Kyrie's Mana pouring down to reassure Groudon that she was still very much alive...
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Comments
Thx for the chapter
