The party was finally over, and the rest of the soldiers returned to their rooms, dizzy and still laughing. Kaizo escorts Nerissa to her room. It's an awkward walk, knowing they just had their first kiss on the balcony. Yaya and Ying went on their way to their room and accidentally hit on Nerissa's back.
"E-Eh, Nerissa?! Sorry!" Yaya apologized.
"No worries." She smiles.
"Go back to your rooms," Kaizo commands.
"Yes, Captain!" They saluted.
"Nerissa, Welcome to TAPOPS!" Ying continued.
Kaizo and Nerissa watched them run off to their rooms. A few seconds later, Kaizo showed Nerissa her room. It is beside Kaizo's room. Not so big nor small, good is the only word that came across her mind about her new room.
"So, tomorrow would be marked as your first day of being vice-captain." Kaizo said, "Once again, congratulations on being my partner."
"I look forward to working with you. Please, have a nice rest." Nerissa smiles.
Kaizo moved his face close to hers, and his lips touched her cheeks. Froze, Nerissa stood in place like a stone while Kaizo chuckled, watching her reaction.
The door had closed, and now Nerissa returned to her senses. She walked to the bed and flopped. She was feeling dizzy from the drinks she had at the ceremony.
"Damn... What a night."
"Lady Nerissa, you are currently in a hangover situation. I suggest you try to throw-" Grandia's words cut off.
Nerissa suddenly felt an urge to throw up. She quickly went to a restroom inside her room and threw everything into the toilet. She groaned aloud as she flushed the toilet.
"...throw up, take a hot shower, and rest."
"Yes, I know, Grandia." Nerissa stood up and removed all her clothing.
Being completely naked, she finally took a hot shower. At least that made her feel a little bit better. She leans on the wall and thinks nothing.
"How's my brother?" She asked.
"He is fine. As well as his friends and the kingdom."
"Anything suspicious from the enemy's territory?" She asked.
"As of now, nothing happened."
"I see.." Nerissa relieved herself while washing up.
"My lady, a few days ago, you asked me what I thought about Captain Kaizo. May I ask?" Grandia said.
"What is it?"
"What do you think about him?" Grandia asked.
"Womanizer," Nerissa answers bluntly.
"Eh? That's it?" Grandia startled.
"Yes! That's it!" Nerissa said while putting on plain clothes.
"And what about the kiss you two did earlier?" Grandia asks again.
"That," the girl lost at words, "that I don't know. It's out of the blue."
"I think you are about to develop something called feelings."
"No. That kind of thing is impossible to happen. I don't want to have any of that thing. I'm just not ready yet. I'll play it around for now. And maybe I'll reconsider it. But now, too soon." Nerissa said as she got on her bed.
"Alright, then. Lady Nerissa, time for you to take a rest." Grandia said.
"Night, Grandia." Nerissa dropped her earbud AI on the table beside her bed.
The lights turned off. Nerissa turns to the left side, facing the vast window. The blue nebula shines beautifully with millions of stars.
She wondered again about what had happened. The pleasurable kiss they had. She couldn't stop thinking about it. But she asked, besides, what would happen if this continued.
"Yeah. That won't happen." She thought as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
***
The entire headquarter is quiet and dark. Boboiboy and Gopal sleep in crashlanded positions. Yaya and Ying usually sleep like how girls do. And the others as well. Several hours passed, and Nerissa was still sleeping peacefully. Her eyebrows slowly formed a frown. Slowly, gripping her blanket, her feet quiver.
She saw herself caught in an explosion. A crawl appeared from a vast ship, and the unknown soldiers took her. Chained, an older man with a dark cloak appears in front of her.
"Finally. We found it. The ~~~~~ after him."
"Long have I been waiting for this moment."
Snap. Her eyes turned black, with blood coming out of the eyes. Even worse, she saw herself shoving her blood sword deep inside Captain Kaizo. Her chin up faces up to the raining sky, and she smiles.
"AAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!"
She awoke from her bed with hefty breathing. Nerissa took her time to regain her senses and her hands trembling. Her heart couldn't calm down either, moving her body. She stared at her hands sweaty, and she could feel back chills. Her hand forms a fist. She couldn't erase that dream from her mind. Thinking this was just a nightmare, she took an intense breath several times to calm down.
"What the fuck was that!? I murdered Kaizo?! No, that can't be. I know this is just a nightmare, but how can't I?!" She thought as she took a breath.
"Come on, Nerissa. It's is just a dream. That won't happen. Besides, time will solve this, and you'll forget everything." She said to herself, hoping this could calm her.
As she calmed herself, she completely forgot this was her first day. She quickly turned her back to see the time on the table. It's 2 hours before work time.
"Oh, thank god! My heart almost died!" Nerissa relieves.
She got up and made her bed. She was taking a shower as usual. As she finished, she wore her underwear first. She puts on her black short sleeve shirt, black high-waisted shorts, thigh-high heeled boots, a red short-sleeved long jacket, long black gloves, and a black choker. She looks again at the clock.
"Good. Guess I'm not late on my first day."
Nerissa uses her earbud-shaped AI on her right ear.
"Knock knock, Grandia." She activates her.
"Good morning, Lady Nerissa," Grandia greeted her, "I heard you scream earlier. May I ask what's wrong?"
"Just a nightmare, nothing to worry about," Nerissa answers, and she exits her room.
She saw Kaizo leaning beside the wall. The two went silent for a minute.
"How long did you stand there?" She asks.
"15 minutes?" He answers.
"Must you wait for me?"
"I heard you scream. Anything wrong?" He asks.
"Nightmares. Nothing wrong."
After she answered the question, she felt like something was wrong. She halted all her movements. Kaizo also stops.
"What's wrong?" Kaizo asks again.
"You...heard?"
"Yes, I heard it. You still thought of me as a womanizer." Kaizo smirks.
"....Great. Fucking great. Good job right there, Nerissa." She curses herself because she forgot that her room is next to his.
"I prefer not to have any sort of feelings during my duty. It is quite distractive." Nerissa said while walking.
"Say that to yourself, Vice-Captain. But who knows, maybe you will find it one day without notice."
"I'm sure you also would not allow personal feelings to compromise a mission," Nerissa said, making Kaizo pause his walk.
"How can you be sure about that?" Kaizo asks.
Nerissa turned around, facing Kaizo, "Well, you will. One day. Without noticing."
Watching her walk away from him, he sighs, "That could be true."
The door to the meeting opens itself. It appears that Yaya, Ying, Commander Koko Ci, and Laksamana Tarung are already place. Noticed that door opened, the higher-ups stood up and saluted.
"Captain Kaizo, Vice-Captain Nerissa. You two are finally here." Koko Ci said.
Kaizo and Nerissa salute back and approach the table.
"Now, we can finally start the meeting," Tarung said.
A hologram appears from the table, and a person's face appears.
"This is Cobra Guzik. A former commander of Planet Narachakra, now a leader in a mafia called Sharkteeths. Currently, he has two strong power spheres in his possession." Tarung explained.
"The problem is that these power spheres are still unknown to us. We need to know what it is and bring it to safety." Yaya said.
"And his current location?" Nerissa asks.
"He is currently in Planet Neuronda, where the mafia headquarter is. According to our intel, he will attend a party in a bar in 4 days." Ying said.
"What is the mission, Commander?" Kaizo asks.
"The mission is assigned for both of you." Koko Ci said.
"Us?" Nerissa asks.
"Yes. We need you two to go undercover at the party, finish the target, and retrieve the power spheres. We'll give you four days to complete the mission." Koko Ci explained.
"Is that clear?" Tarung asks.
"Yes, sir."
***
"Tell me about Planet Neuronda." Nerissa commands Grandia.
A hologram appears before her, displaying Planet Neuronda and its details. Grandia was granted access to data from TAPOPS. Those data could be helpful for Nerissa to learn and make strategies for every mission she will face.
"Planet Neuronda, the safest and one of the most dangerous planets. It's kept safe by the hordes of corporate police. Advanced technology yet a bit lack in security." Grandia explains a little of it.
"Where is the enemy's current location?" Kaizo asks.
"Now the enemy is in Neuro City, where the headquarter is. And this is the bar he will visit." Grandia explains, and a red mark appears on the map.
"The bar is far from the HQ. Good, there will be plenty of chances for escape plans." Kaizo commented.
"So, what would you do?" Nerissa asks Kaizo.
"Well, it's undercover. I'll probably dress up as a waiter or something." Kaizo sighs.
"Dress up boy? Again?"
"Yep."
The library door opens by itself. Boboiboy and his gang walk up toward Nerissa.
"Hi, Nerissa!" Gopal greeted.
"Ah, hey, guys," Nerissa said.
"I guess you are making plans with Kaizo?" Yaya asks.
"What are you all doing here?" Kaizo asks the group.
"We just wanted to chill after that exhausting mission," Boboiboy said.
"What's your first mission, Nerissa?" Fang asks.
"Undercover," Nerissa ponders, "Now that reminds me. What was your line, Kaizo?" Nerissa asks while thinking.
"What line?"
"Hmm... What was it, huh? Oh! I remember!" Nerissa springs up.
"What?" Kaizo asks.
"Cuci suci lima kali!~ Dapat satu kali cuci free!~" Nerissa imitates Kaizo's pose.
She saw his face flushed while everyone laughed, remembering his lines. Kaizo immediately gave them a death stare, and they quickly shut their mouths.
"Eh? By the way, how did you know those lines? You weren't even there during Vargoba's invasion." Ying asked.
"Ah, that. Glad you asked, Ying. Remember when we fought near my house, Boboiboy?" Nerissa asked the young boy.
"Yes." He answered.
"When I healed you after our fight, I touched your blood. Then suddenly came a vision, kind of like a memory. I saw this guy right here and him saying those lines." She said and patted Kaizo's back.
"Ah, I see." Boboiboy nods.
"I'm sorry I saw your memories without your consent." She apologizes.
"Well, that already happened, so it's okay."
"Nerissa, maybe this kind of an absurd question. Can you tell us about your powers?" Kaizo asks her.
"Hmm, that would be a long story. Would it be okay?"
They all nodded, and Nerissa took a deep breath. Boboiboy and his gang took their seats and were all ears.
"My family is a royal kingdom from the other dimension where powers and magics are possessed by royal blood. Our power is to wield the weapons of the previous monarchs of Dezastarias, known as The Ancient Arms. My brother already manifested his powers since birth, but I was a late bloomer." Nerissa explains.
"Does that means you're a princess?!" Gopal asks.
"Y-Yes, I am." After she answered, they quickly bowed. "Drop your formalities! There's no need for you to do that!"
She glances at Kaizo, who remains silent and not bowing. "Oh, thank god, you didn't bow!"
"Please, do continue, Your Highness." Fang smiles.
"I said drop your formalities!" She saw his chuckles. "Now, then. When I was 6, my family had an accident. An attack from a giant human snake." Gopal was disgusted hearing that.
"Stuff like that does exist in my world. That snake crushed my mother in front of me, my brother, and my father. My father tried to kill it, but it didn't work. There was this urge in my body to kill that snake. The thought of crushing to pieces came across my mind. The fact that I was powerless and useless while everyone was fighting nearly made me insane. But that one punch swing of mine killed it."
"How?" Yaya asked.
"As far as I remembered when I tried to punch the snake, that one swing of punch made it halt its movements. Everyone looked at me. The royal guards, my father, and my brother looked at me. But, I accidentally clenched my fists."
"And then? What happened?" Boboiboy asked.
"That..." They waited for her to continue, "...will continue next time!" Nerissa rose to her feet.
"Awww, why?!" Gopal asks in disappointment.
Suddenly, all of their power watches are beeping. Those alarms will be a perfect excuse for Nerissa to kick them out.
"Kaizo and I have some matter to discuss. Why don't you guys take care of some missions, or else Commander Koko Ci might be furious." Nerissa said as she escorted them to the library door.
"Tell us what happened next time!" Gopal asks.
"That I cannot guarantee all of you~," Nerissa said as she kicked the kids out of the library. "Be safe, alright? Bye, kids. Love you~" Nerissa said as the door closed by itself.
They all went silent for a while.
"Did she just say she loves us?" Fang asks.
"Well, at least that's a good thing?" Yaya smiles.
Everyone's power watches are beeping.
"WHERE ARE YOU?!" Koko Ci said furiously.
"Yes, commander!" They quickly rushed.
Hearing that they are gone, Nerissa let out a sigh.
"Now, where were we? I suggest we should take a survey there. Maybe I'll dress up, too. And get a vehicle for mine." Nerissa said as she took her seat.
"Nerissa?" Kaizo called out to her.
"Hm?"
"Mind if you tell me what happened after that?" Kaizo asks.
"Well," Nerissa leans back, "When I accidentally clenched my fist, the snake's blood gushed out from its mouth and exploded. Its blood is everywhere on the ground. It was either satisfying or horrible, yet I couldn't tell. Something a little girl should never experience for the rest of her life. Something that I should not tell kids. That's why I kicked them out. The next thing I knew, I passed out." Nerissa told him.
"Then why did you tell them?" He ticked off.
"I thought it might be fun. It turns out it's not kid-friendly for me. So, I decided to stop." She grinned.
"And your powers? What are those?" Kaizo asks again.
"The power I have right now is a gift from the gods. Blood manipulation. That's my main power. And this ring keeps me at my limit." She said and showed him her ring.
"I see.."
"Oh, those attacks I made when we fought at Earth? Ancient Arms duplication, I made it due to my royal blood. And then, years after self-training and military, I finally heard telling my sad life story when we should have to discuss our plans. The end~" Nerissa smiles.
"I don't know you have to endure all that," Kaizo commented.
"I know you must endure pressure, protecting your brother. You've done very well." She said.
"Thank you, Nerissa." Kaizo smiles and takes a breath, "Guess we should take a survey to Planet Neuronda?"
"Yes, we should." They both rise from their seats.