A Tale of Blossoming Phantoms (GoV Nikke)

[Keiv Squirrel]

It's been a month since that glorious day. The month where the Legendary Squad that will be remembered in history had deployed and their first mission was a clear success.

It was also three months after Lilith, the Goddess of Victory was created.

She gave hope to mankind, and the Goddess Squad which she had led made the said hope burn brighter.


They were also led by the so-called legendary commander, whose name wasn't really known by many, and envied by many.


Guy currently has a harem of android girls. That's it. He's simply looked at by a small number of guys as the lucky man. But, truth be told, guy's the family man with the Gorilla of a wife (Liliweiss).


It is rarely mentioned that he was rumored to be some mecenary so a number of officers doubted him. Safe to say they are also ones envying him though.


Certain people want to be recognized like him, but the Ark; a true paradise to hide from all the raptures, was too damn good.


Sometimes, these people want to doze off to a perceived paradise than fight for humanity, so what do they do? They seek this false paradise.


All around the world, tens of thousands of people, perhaps hundreds of thousands of lucky people were given tickets in order to go to paradise.


But, what really is a manmade paradise when people would do everything they can to live and survive?


Obviously, chaos ensues as people are left with no choice but to fight for survival.


Case closed.

{ ~×~~×~×~×~×~×~×~×~ }​

Inside a room typical of a high-ranking official's own, two people stoof before an older man.

These two people were wearing similar Khaki Beige colored uniforms with a medal pinned on it which signified their positions of Lieutenants.

"Lieutenant Shinzo Hikari, reporting in Sir!" One of the two had black hair and eyes, and was a little too young to be standing here.

It's like he had recently joined the Military because of a lowering age for recruitment in the midst of crisis.

"Lieutenant Jeremy Sombold, reporting in!"

The other was a rather handsome man with a dark skin tone, obviously being the older one of the two.

One had collected himself and kept mind about what may happen soon, and the other looked reluctant and doubtful to even be here.

"Good. I am Jackson W. Higgs the current Deputy Chief of the UFH, it is nice to meet the two of you, gentlemen."

Jackson W. Higgs was an old man in his late 40s, kind but incredibly stern and strict like many drill instructors do.

After shaking hands, Jackson decided it would be the best time to debrief the two of them.

"Do you know why I requested the two of you to be here?"

Once the question was out, the first to answer was Shinzo.

"To become commanders?"

"Exactly."

A lighthearted grin showed up on the Deputy Chief's face as he took two sets of files on respective folders from below the desk and neatly placed them before the two.

He first pointed towards a folder on the left.

"This folder right here has the necessary credentials for one of you to participate in testing a squad of experimental units that try to emulate Lilith's physical abilities. They're created by Elysion's engineers.

And yes, you'll be promoted to become a commander too if you sign necessary papers."

Then, he pointed at the other folder.

"For this one, Missilis' CEO personally asked if one of you will help in the testing of a variety of Mass Production Units: The Products 08, 12, and 23 respectively."

"Feel free to pick whatever you think is suited for the both of you. I'll be patient."

And so, the two of them started to read the files, analyzing most that intrigued them, even briefly exchanging the files for a moment.

"Hey, the melee squad looks cool, right?" Shinzo inquired, looking at the squad's specifications on their files.

"Umu. But they're only limited to melee which is a little disheartening." Jeremy replied.

"But Missilis' mass produced units... They're even cooler! Well, you know what I mean... Even though they're Nikke, they look like they are effective in battle, so---"

While leaving the teenager to fanboy over the Missilis Nikke, Jeremy gazed at the file with his eyes narrowed.


"Find your fancy?" Jackson asked.

"I'm okay with being their commander." He responded in kind.

Shinzo then stopped and placed the folder back to the desk.

"So, what's the catch?" He asked the Deputy Chief, who put his hand to one of his breast pockets.

"Hmm... Perhaps these will encourage you?"

The Deputy Chief took out two palm-sized golden tickets, and placed them on the desk, making the teenager gaze upon it with great interest.

"Are these...?"

"Yes. These are the real tickets to paradise. Don't worry about me, my family is living there now. I will return once the time is right."

Jackson sighed as he returned the tickets back inside his pocket to encourage the two with a simple gesture of pumping his fist before pointing at them.

"After you test the squads, you two will be given this ticket along with a hefty reward. So do your best!"

Excitement filled Shinzo's body as he smiled, eager to do what is needed.

Jeremy on the other hand smiled because he knew something he might do with enough effort.

The moment they chose a folder, they signed specific files.

"I'll handle all of this, and then afterwards you will be notified as soon as possible. The fate of humanity is within our hands, and you'll be the ones to assist us!"

"You're dismissed!"

---

In a certain area inside a certain base, two blades clashed as sparks were created from the impacts.

Whom the blades came from became black blurs to the human eye as they swiftly moved around the training room.

In a second, two figures appeared, standing against each other. Both were women of slim build, quick and agile as intended.

Both had bodysuits that tightly hugged their bodies, showing off their exceptionally beautiful bodies.

For the ordinary, average man it was a sight to behold.

Customized crimson halos floated from their heads. Though they look like holograms, it seems like they are completely physical, which meant that showers are obviously going to be a pain for them.

"How does it feel, dear sister?" One of them asked as she guided her opponent's sword to the ground before leaping to the side.

"I feel not like I am not used to mine own new strength and speed yet." Her sister replied in kind.

Yet her way of speaking had been altered... Quite a lot, honestly.

"Mine own memories art vague yet I still recall each other. I am sure thy know it."

This woman narrowly evaded a vertical slash from her sister's crimson bladed tachi, before her face met the ground.

She had been kicked on her legs.

Before she could get up, her sister lightly chuckled from above as a crimson blade hovered above her neck.

"I admit defeat, dear sister."

The woman sighed as she heard a sword being sheathed.

"Don't worry about it, Scarlet! You are certainly improving as we speak." Rose chipped, lending her hand towards her sister.

"Again? Mine has't not won a single round from each of our duels!" Scarlet complained, letting out a grieving sigh as she was helped up.

200 and more rounds had passed in their perspective, and they have been going on for hours with no end other than Scarlet losing or the two being in a draw.

Before they became Nikke, they sparred together in swordfighting many times that they don't have to count it.

All of which Scarlet always lost to.

Until now, they did not stop.

The moment they stopped fighting, an officer entered the training room filled with various cuts from their bouts.

"So this is where you two have been! Get out of there, a Commander has been assigned for your squad. Follow me, I'll lead you to where you belong." The officer harshly spoke, before immediately leaving.

"Very well, let us go."

While they followed the officer, the sisters each pondered on whoever their commander will be.

Will he have an interesting personality? Will he be a handsome man, or a rather bland and boring man?

They wanted to find out who he is, and once they entered the room, they noticed 8 similar looking Nikke with black hair standing before the dark-skinned man.

This man is their commander, Jeremy Sombold.

"I assume the members are here?" Jeremy asked, glancing towards the eight girls who looked alike.

They all have similar ponytails, black bodysuits, wide crimson halo and simple headbands. Their long katanas were sheathed in their scabbard. Their faces made them look pretty generic, in a sense.

Because of their faces, it was easy to think that the eight were clones of each other, and by Jeremy's observation, it seemed like it was already affecting two of them.

But maybe there was more to it than just this reason...?

"No, sir! Our leader and her sister are still training somewhere, sir!" one of the eight responded.

"Then I suppose we'll be standing here waiting for them! Unless you're all present, there will be no debriefing," he replied, rubbing his chin as if a light bulb had lit up above him.

"Hmm, why don't we have a little chat? It wouldn't hurt to talk for a while."

Aside from small talk about how the eight feel about being in this squad, there were some matters that remained private to them.

Some of them had codenames, while the rest decided to keep their original names.

They also told him their Leader and Second-in-command's name and their relationship as sisters, even though it seemed a little unconventional.

A lower ranked officer was soon called in order to fetch the two Nikke himself. Though a low grumble could be heard, orders have to be followed.

And soon, the sisters arrived.

"Ah, forgive us for being late!" Rose spoke with a gentle smile, "We won't be next time there would be-"

"No, you're not late." Jeremy cut her off, "I arrived earlier than you expected."

"Is that so? I was worried we've trained too hard."

A sigh escaped Rose's lips as she glanced at a neon clock on the wall that showed 8:45 AM.

Scarlet gave him an observant look, and couldn't help but frown and doubt him.

For now, nothing too dangerous was coming from that man so she must observe him closely.

He wouldn't gain her or her sister's trust, for now.

The two stood in front of their squadmates, waiting for anything that may come out of Jeremy's mouth.

"Now that you are all here, let's get to the point." He stated, before pressing a button that allowed the room to darken.

A detailed hologram of a large building that was 3 stories tall and a map then appeared beside him.

"Our clients for this mission is Missilis Industries' R&D sector. They want us to retrieve data and whatever devices we find from this building. The threat level is ranked D, so we expect to encounter a minor group of raptures, unless they call for reinforcements." Jeremy Debriefed, ending it with a grim tone, before pointing at an area on the map.

"This is our drop-off zone, we are going to be deployed here to approach the building. That's all."

He knows that most of the Nikke had listened clearly, even their leader noted it in her mind.

"Any questions?"

One of the Nikke raised her hand.

"Yato, got anything in your chest?"

"How can we trust you in the mission? Will you leave us alone?"

For a moment his face was blank as he strangely looked down to the floor, before smiling at her while pointing a finger

"Good question! No. I have something special prepared just for this purpose. So, who's next?"

A variety of questions were asked to him, and he answered in kind.

That special thing was merely a assistance system for commanders created by an anonymous person, though in reality it was something of a gift from a system he owns.

[ Command Orbs ]​

> A set of orbs intended to quickly give commands to Nikke inside a battle without necessary vocal action. In short: pinging certain commands that they instinctively follow without resistance.

> These orbs are equivalent to a huge tactical advantage, use them wisely.

> Originally from Punishing: Gray Raven, but this system modified it for Nikke and Heretics.

> In battle, you may observe that each orbs appear in a line, which meant that there is a tactical advantage that you can exploit for you and your Nikke.

> Actually, you can also order a Nikke to dodge, though you need to voice it out yourself.

> The command orbs are as follows:

> Red: Hot attacks, commands a Nikke to use powerful attack/techniques. Also buffs the combat power of a Nikke for the duration of the attack.

>Blue: Commands Nikke to use attacks and tactics that mainly rely on speed and precision. Also buffs the speed of a Nikke for the duration of the attack.

> Yellow: A balanced orb that has features of both Blue and Red orbs, mainly used for crowd control and gaining tactical advantage.

> Ultimate: Unleashes the strongest ability of a Nikke. Specific requirements have to be met. ]

With a press of the button, the holograms were gone in a moment and he looked away from the system's notifications.

"Are you all ready to complete this mission?"

"Yes, sir!" Eight melee units replied, some gained vigor and the others felt like they had to let fate decide what happens.

"Of course!" Rose was still a rather cheerful one as she looked like she was going to trust Jeremy until an inopportune time.

"..." Scarlet was still silent.

Jeremy gestured them to follow him as he walked down the hallway until he was outside the base, before glancing down to a floating screen.

"Status Check." He whispered as the floating screen expanded into a variety of screens only he could see, skipping through unnecessary information.

[ Name: Jeremy Sombold

Race: Newtype

Skill Level: 10 (Max. 99)

Credits: 10k

Abilities:

> Newtype (Lvl 2 / 15): Being a Newtype, you are granted a variety of supernatural abilities, such as a heightened spacial awareness and reaction speed, plus being capable of sensing emotions from around you.

All of these abilities become stronger the more you level up.

At higher levels, it allows you to feel presences of anybody around you. Maybe some mental training should help in soothing it?



> Matrix (Passive): A state in which the world's time slows down. It activates in opportune moments.

Note: To activate this, you must be in combat, and a Nikke must perfectly dodge an attack.

> Commander (Lvl 2 / 10): This ability is your capacity to command people. The moment this ability becomes high enough, your orders will feel a lot more natural.


Bonds:

> Melee Unit: Level 1

> Rose: Level 1

> Scarlet: Level 0


Contracts:

=> Beginner's Mission

> Obtain a squad, command them, and then clear your first ever mission as a Commander!


Rewards:

> 50k Credits

> Level Up Token (Ability)

=> Instantly level up an Ability you have by 2. It is recommended to use it later.


> Kamen Rider DX CSM Pack

=> Obtain a set of tools and Transformation Devices from a randomly selected Kamen Rider (Another Riders are not included)

=> DX CSM means Deluxe Custom Selection Modification, which means you are capable of freely doing whatever you want without restrictions. Screw rules, just do whatever the hell you want.

However, do know that the powers of specific riders (Dark Riders and Extra Riders, specifically Evol or Ark-Zero) may influence your mind after you transform to them.

KeivSquirrel's Goods (==>) ]

He can't check those goods yet as the cheapest product is at least 15k in price, and because of their usefulness, he doesn't mind obtaining more credits for a bunch of reasons.

Like it says, it has a bunch of goods like regular supplies that can last for a week, nanomachines, superfoods, and a bunch of other stuff needed for him and the Melee Squad to survive.

He silently ignored the chatter from behind him, and looked at the airship that was stationed. The airship's pilot was waiting there, and once you arrived, he saluted Jeremy.

"Sir, once we arrive at the drop off zone, the airship will have to return here to refuel and stay safe from those wicked creatures." The pilot stated.

"I understand. Everyone, let's get inside. We have a mission to clear!"

Inside the airship, the Melee Unit was silent, with four of them gazing at Jeremy. Two of the Nikke looked around meekly and silently as if they were afraid of what would happen.


The others patiently waited or chattered with each other in low voices.


Meanwhile, the sisters gazed upon his faint figure in silence that would be broken in a moment.


"Are you interested in him?"


Upon hearing her sister's sudden question, Scarlet was taken aback.


"What? Nay, I do naught want to dare interact with such a suspicious man!" She replied with obvious confusion on her tone, surprised that Rose even asked the question.

"Is that so? I see a man worth my trust, how about you?"

"I'm only suspicious of him, sister. There's something he is hiding from us. I wish to seek it."

Rose couldn't help but sigh, perhaps her becoming a Nikke had done this, but soon she might change.

Hopefully, for the better.

{{ ~×~×~×~×~×~×~×~ }}​

Meanwhile, near the cockpit....


Jeremy found himself preoccupied with reading his incoming messages because the United Forces of Humanity's government had sent him a message.

This sparked a mixture of disgust and disappointment within him, as if he had overlooked something seemingly insignificant that suddenly felt crucial and pressing at that moment.


[ From: United Forces of Humanity ]

> Don't reply.

> We have something to tell you.

> The Melee Units are unstable prototypes, with the exclusion of the two.

> But between the two we'd pick Rose as she is the best candidate for the next Grimms Model, No.6

> She must be kept alive.

> We will reward you millions and a VIP spot on the Ark after this, or you may stay on the surface to fight for humanity for even greater rewards

> You have this responsibility.


Jeremy clicked his tongue and pocketed his phone, intending to disobey orders from a failing government.

"Nah. I'll win."

And soon, Melee Unit's first mission will begin.

{{ ~ CHAPTER × END ~ }}​

Biography:







Name: Jeremy Sombold

Age: 25 (Physical Age), 52 (Actual Age)

Blood Type: AB+

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 84kgs







Background:



After reincarnating, he didn't really realize what world he was in, other than it was decades in the future.



His family was decent, even for a middle-class family. Despite the quarrels from his parents that became quite regular, this life of his was nothing too special.



Only in the beginning of the Raptures' invasion was he able to realize that this was in the world of the mobile game "Goddess of Victory: Nikke", and realize that everything is not going to be normal anymore.



And he was very disappointed that he is reborn more than a hundred years before canon started.



It doesn't matter if he is kind, caring or not, making tough choices were necessary, even as he lost his family to the raptures.