Hyperdimension Neptunia | The Bound Warrior

Ch.17 ...fear

Max's pov
Location: Bound hall

I... Lost. After all this time, somehow, I got too cocky. I can't believe it. I look around me. Where am I? This isn't my bound realm. I'm standing around in this white, sterile hallway. Then I hear footsteps approaching. I look to the source, behind me, and see chancellor Hardin.

"Chancellor. I'm sorry." I kneel before him.

"Yes, I feel your defeat, centurion. We all do. This is a great loss." He starts. "Oh well. It was a good shot." He says like it's nothing.

"Ugh- Wha-? Your taking this surprisingly well." I get out, looking at him with disbelief.

"Taking what so well?" He asks, a playful tone in his voice.

"The fact that we, the bound warriors who fought in a war for thousands if not hundreds of thousands of years, just lost. After everything we went through." I state, slightly agitated.

"Oh, yeah, that. Heh, max." He kneels down next to me. "We all knew this would happen." He says.

"Wh-What?" I answer.

"Yes, your the greatest warrior of our era, but almost everyone knew you alone can't survive against the entirety of the void. Sure, we we're starting to have doubts, but we know this is the fate bestowed upon us." He tells me.

"I... Wait. Greatest in our era, I thought I was the best?" I ask, lost.

"Hahaha, well, technically yes, but Amory always seemed to be as good as you." Hardin laughs, quietly.

Great, Amory. But, of course it's him who might be as strong as me. Who else but the one who trained me.

I sigh. "So... What now? After all of us dying, there isn't really anyway for us to get back to any realm." I ask.

"Max?" I look up to him. "How much did you actually pay attention to our history?" He asks.

"Odds and ends, just the most important things, I dont remember everything. (The only one who would is the author and he's still working out the series.)" I say. {Hey I'm working on it!}

"And you were our last hope, for a very long time." Hardin disappointedly exhales.

"I did my best!" I shout back.

"Yes, and you still will be." He answers.

"Wait, what?" I ask, almost shout.

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3rd person
Location: gameindustri

As noire mourns Max's quick defeat and a triumphant Tari stands over her, Neptune and the others arrive.

They see the grim scene in front of them.

"Noire, are you- oh no." Neptune realizes.

Noire, lost to the world, still helpless as she can't pull herself together. Then Tari turns he attention towards Neptune an the others. Suddenly a transformation could be heard behind neptune and she turns to see plutia transform. As soon as plutia's transformation sequence was finished she scoffed, looking at the void lord.

"You know, seeing as how this is our second fight, I can assure you, it won't be like the last." Plutia/iris taunts.

"Oh-ho-ho, looks like someone's confident. But your right, it won't be like last time. You got no actual warriors or fighters with you." Tari responds.

"What? But we are fighter-" Neptune starts.

"Oh please! You couldn't even handle the girl I put under my control and I didn't even teach her anything. Just gave her some energy and gloves and the six of you couldn't even stand up to her. Your nothing more than false Gods, playing hero to appease your audience." Tari taunts.