Chapter Text
Clutching her wand tightly and readjusting her witches hat, Natsuki prepared her fighting stance as she stared at the monster ahead of her. It was big, towering over her form as its grip upon the wooden club tightened; its eyes red and its nose fuming.
She was certainly not used to this.
Give her a level twenty minotaur, sure, she’d be able to knock that thing out in an instant; burn it into nothingness. But this was a level fifty-eight; far above her skill set. Knowing this, Natsuki readied herself and her potions- if she was going down, she was going down with a fight.
The minotaur stumbled towards her, it’s crimson eyes being the only thing illuminating the dark forest as it raised its club high above its head. Natsuki waited- a determination that came with playing the game, making her feel as though she was invincible against any threat thrown her way- until the club rushed forth to meet the cold and unforgiving ground bellow, dodging the swipe and feeling the world shake and reverberate throughout her body, Natsuki charged the spell she’d all but memorized at this point.
It was a simple thing, but with tuning and practice it could become something deadly, something that could take down even the biggest of foes presented before her; but she wasn’t at that point, and the hope that it would do a substantial amount of damage was but a dim ember in the fire-heart of her will.
The words surged out of her mouth, flickering with each syllable uttered, travelling to the Elder-Oak of her wand before erupting out in a valley of screaming and searing flame, consuming everything in its fiery path; its teeth, red and sweltering, sink into the flesh of its hulking opponent.
4 damage.
The thing has 40 hit points.
“Are you shitting me?!” Natsuki shouted as the forest erupted in flame. The minotaur screeched in simulated pain as its flesh seared and blistered- those blisters eventually popping in the heat of it found itself ingulfed in; it was disgusting, but it made Natsuki feel as though she was in control, that she had the ability to inflict pain upon the monsters she so hated.
Discarding her used spell slot, anger flared within as she looked at the hit points of her own- 23/30. With an audible sigh of annoyance, the pink-haired dwarf scanned her surroundings, hoping that whatever opening revealed itself would lead to the central hub.
Preparing her next spell, and with only three slots left after a strenuous three-hour grind; hope for keeping the items she’s found within the forbidden forest found itself to be that of an all-time low.
But it was still there, no matter how dim it may have seemed.
It resided in the form of her friends, only requiring the low price of sucking up her pride and accepting that this monster was above her skill set, and that she’s never be able to stand up for herself.
The creature charged at her, fire consuming the creature, and overpowering the red in its eyes. The fire seared her skin as she pushed through, narrowly missing the earth-shattering blow originating from the muscled mass of the minotaur.
The fire chunked off an extra 5 points as her player character screamed in pain, her cloak engulfed in flames.
This was bad, and she knew that the worst had certainly come to worst. Her hand found itself wrapped around the crystal as she forced herself to come to terms with the decision she was about to make.
The crystal glows and the menu explodes into existence, a beautiful cascade of blues and greens; a stark yet small contrast to the blazing yellows and oranges that the forest soon found itself in.
Trees splinter and crash to the floor beneath as the hulking beast forces its way through the flame, its health ticking away, much to the relief of Natsuki. The only bad news being that of the fact that she was still on fire, and the flame’s teeth were not forgiving.
Perusing her way through the menu’s seemingly never-ending tutorials and ads, Natsuki finally found it; her raiding party. Praying that at the very least one of her friends were online, Natsuki sent a party-wide invite- a shot in the dark with the vain and diminishing chance that its untrue aim would find its mark.
Sayori was the first to join, causing Natsuki to groan.
With an explosion of light, a cacophony of blues and greens, the healer smiled brightly at her friend. “Heya Natsu-.” Her voice, cheery and bouncy like that of a rubber ball, cuts short when her surroundings finally load in “What did you do?!” She shouted, quickly summoning her staff as the lumbering beast charged nearer and nearer.
“You tell me!” Natsuki shouted in response, annoyance overtaking her as her blistered and mangled body screamed in virtual pain “Can you just heal me?! For fucks sake!” The staff glows a brilliant yellow, that same yellow soon coursing its way throughout Natsuki’s wounded form, mending torn skin and deep cuts.
“Where the hell is Monika?” Natsuki shouted, her battle stance ready and two of her three spell-slots mended together, forming one gargantuan spell that she hoped would serve some purpose in this fight for survival, and loot.
“I don’t know!” Sayori shouted as she prepared a spell slot of her own. “How do you not know?! She’s your bloody girlfriend!” Natsuki shouted back, anger soon replacing annoyance “We were playing earlier- she said she had to go wash the dishes; I think.” The hulking beast was closer, its form towering the two now, its wooden cub- ignited in flames- now raised far above its head and covering the blood-moon above.
“Ready?” Natsuki asked, a certain uncertainty masked by an attempt at confidence that only Monika could conjure; Sayori only nodded, flashing a grin that made Natsuki almost forgive her.
The club rushes to meet the earth as Natsuki utters the words of the ancients- an eldritch and aged hand erupting from the nothingness of the cosmos. The hand is quick, wrapping around the wood of the club, quivering as it struggles to keep its strength.
Sayori utters the words of the present- a beam of lightening erupting out of her staff, striking through the screaming beast and sending blue flame coursing through its body.
20 points of damage- the most she’d ever inflicted- Sayori whooped.
Now at 26 hit points, the creature staggers as its form connects to the ground beneath.
“I think we got this!” Sayori shouted her, her volume higher than any Desert Serpent could muster. Natsuki rolls her eyes and smirks “Don’t get ahead of yourself Sayori, the fucker’s still standing.”
The Eldritch hand curls into a fist, striking its foe at break-neck speed as it attempts to rise once more.
6 points of damage, now leaving the creature at only 20 hit points.
The minotaur roars with anger as its sweltering skin turns into a shade of crimson, “What the he-.” With a sickening crunch, tendrils tear from its sides, their abyssal forms caked in crimson, like that of the minotaur they just erupted from.
The minotaur’s name changes to Abyss-caked minotaur.
Its hit points rise to 25, its health bar now caked with a layer of steel- signifying that of armour.
This was certainly above what the two were capable of taking on together.
“Oh are you fucking kidding me!” Raising her wand and preparing her final spell-slot with one hand, Natsuki switched to the menu, sending a flurry of invites with the other. Her witches hat, now burnt and tearing, rests loyally upon her pink and curly hair. The Abyss-caked minotaur rises, its club now reduced to ashes, raises its muscled hand to the side.
It is faster than before, giving the two-little time to strategize as its hand slaps the two apart.
Her back crashes against the oak of the flaming trees, splintering and shattering her form against it as her eyes find themselves transfixed upon the peaceful sky above. The stars are limitless, infinite and void- ever expanding, ever contorting- Natsuki couldn’t help but wish for that herself. To have control over her life, to be able to abandon the real-world and escape into whatever world would be appropriate, suitable for her and her only. And as the creature roars and roars, she couldn’t help but feel the sharp and terrible pangs of a sadness she couldn’t describe, and a loneliness just as indescribable following suit.
Natsuki found herself accepting her fate, and the subsequent loss of her hard-earned items as well, the gold and the copious amounts of silver that would finally allow her to forge the final set of boots- completing her armour set.
Its arms raise to the sky, its tendrils wrapping around them, super charging the blow soon to be delivered, soon to take her to the safety of the inn; where she’d groan and force herself to do the same amount of grinding; hoping for a different outcome that time, and only to die- rinse and repeat.
But it never did connect to her form beneath.
With an explosion of blue and green light, sparkling in the fire consumed forest, the fighter joins the party. Her gilded armour shining in the brilliant orange, her sword- a moonlight blue- glows warmly, her eyes- hidden underneath her gold encrusted helmet- a brilliant jade, shine with an assertive playfulness that glints with something beneath it all, and her shield- radiating of safety and warmth- puts the two at ease.
Monika raises her sword, is blue hue glinting in the eyes of the crestfallen party members, igniting the flames of hope within as they stand up.
Her health at a staggering low, Natsuki’s breaths are heavy and tired, the witches hat gone from its place perched upon her head- gone with the currents of the wind.
“Get up, scrubs.” Natsuki could’ve sworn that the smirk upon Monika’s face was visible.
Taking a look in her inventory, she let out a groan at the realization that she was out of health potions, and that the herbs she’d gathered were reduced to nothing but ash.
The forest groans in pain as trees collapse to the surprisingly cold ground below, preparing her final spell-slot once more, charging up with the remnants of her magika, Natsuki- her legs trembling with pain she’d never be able to feel- rose to her feet.
Sayori, now by Monika’s side, prepared another of her healing spells to give to her party member. “Jeez, you do not look good.” She smiles, her hair a mess and her robe in tatters.
“Yeah, we leave you alone for five seconds, and you’re basically dead.” On a different day, Natsuki would’ve flung all the vulgarities she could muster, from elfish tongue, to dwarf tongue, even winter drake; but now, the desperation for keeping her loot far overpowered her pride, biting her tongue; Natsuki only sighed.
The creature, hulking and heavy, eldritch and angry, charges at the group; the three charging forward as well.
Monika takes the lead, rising her shield to the sky, her sword glinting with moonlight and her confidence ever-powerful.
Natsuki, surged with the yellow strands of healing magic, charges her last spell-slot, her spell selected and the words ready to fly.
And Sayori, her staff radiating the yellow strands of healing magic, a grin plastered upon her face and the words of the present reverberating within the depths of her mind.
The fight is long and tiring- Natsuki summons the words of the old-a surge of dark energy rushing forth and consuming the monster and igniting with light; searing the skin of their foe.
The sword finds its place in the minotaur’s leg, sending it crashing to the floor as it screams in pain; its armour long gone.
Her staff, glowing a crimson hue, charges to its fullest capacity as Sayori mumbled the words of the present; red tendrils erupt from the crystal situated upon its centre, striking through its heart.
The creature, dead, crashes to the floor beneath as the three sigh with relief.
The walk back is loud, rambunctious, and cool as the party depart from the burning forest.
Sayori sings songs, they are loud, off tune, and terrible- but the two still appreciate them nonetheless.
Monika tells jokes; they’re corny and equally terrible- but the two still laugh nonetheless.
And Natsuki smiles; they’re small and frail things, rare and wonderful- but the two still relish in the treat.