Ice Dragon Saga is the 46th story[1] event in Goddess of Victory: Nikke, and the Christmas event for 2024.
The event centers around the Guillotine's adventures in a simulated world based on her NIMPH data, akin to a fantasy world.
Synopsis[]
White Ice Dragon, the embodiment of evil, has cast the Winter's Bane over the land. At this rate, the world will be doomed! The world's fate now lies in the hands of the Hero, Guillotine. Defeat the White Ice Dragon and end the Winter's Bane!
Story[]
Set after the events of D.ark Hero
Prologue - That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Hero[]
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...there existed a land where flowers bloomed in perpetuity, and all who lived there knew naught but bliss. Everything changed when the White Ice Dragon descended upon the land, bringing with it the Winter's Bane and turning the eternal spring into eternal winter. The flowers withered and the people froze to death. The people whispered that they had to do something. They had to march up to the Demon King's Castle and lay low the White Ice Dragon who so tormented their land. It was in this turmoil that a legend was born. That of Guillotine de Mephisto...
Guillotine, agent of Extrinsic squad, wakes up in an odd space. The "Goddess" rejoices at the Nikke's awakening, which lets her skip cliche lines like "Rise, Hero" and such. Hearing the other person call herself a goddess, Guillotine chuckles under her breath before breaking out into full-blown cackling.
Guillotine accuses the Goddess(?) of being an agent of "the Big O" tasked with deceiving her, and attempts to bite her tongue to snap out of the "hallucinogen" influencing her...only to squeal as all she gets from it is pain. Guillotine then demands that the Goddess(?) send her back to her original world, only for the Goddess(?) to tell her...that's impossible. Because Guillotine got hit by a truck and died trying to save a cat. Guillotine herself is in disbelief, claiming that her "body that will pierce through the heavens" couldn't possibly die in such an undignified fashion as a truck hitting her. The Goddess(?) then offers alternative demises, such as getting run over by an Alteisen instead, or falling down the stairs due to being distracted by social media posting, or even getting a fatal aneurysm due to over-stimulation from a blood moon. Faced with these options, Guillotine settles for death by Alteisen as the least embarrassing of the lot.
Having settled that matter, the Goddess(?) then tells Guillotine she's being sent to another world to save it from the White Ice Dragon. She also asks if there's any particular superpower before she sets off on her journey. Guillotine cackles, proclaiming that being bestowed power by a goddess and being sent to another world has been her "destiny" all along. The chuuni hero-to-be asks for the "Dimensional Force," which she claims is a power to bend space and time so she may freely traverse beyond mortal bounds. Though it would appear the Goddess(?)...has no idea what she's talking about?
Eventually, the miscommunication resolves itself...because the Goddess(?) reveals that she's not actually giving any powers to Guillotine. She just asked the question because she thought it'd be interesting, and giving a "cheat" that would let the hero breeze through her journey would be boring. Ignoring Guillotine's protests, the Goddess(?) declares the beginning of the simulation as a bright light engulfs the space...
Part I - Ice Dragon Saga[]
My Lethal Eye Is So Overpowered, No One Stands a Chance Against Me: A[]
Guillotine finds herself gazing upon a vast land below, having been sent to the other world by the Goddess(?) as she was trying to ask for an alternative superpower. She briefly ponders on how she will simply make do without, basking in the grand view in front of her as she feels a chill run down her spine. That Goddess(?) teleported her in such a fashion that she is literally falling into the other world from exceedingly high altitudes. Guillotine quails and screeches on her long, long way down...
Crashing into the ground, Guillotine coughs as she shakes off the landing. Fortunately, Guillotine de Mephisto has countermeasures against spontaneous falls from terminal velocity. Or so she proclaims...until she feels something is off and looks over her frame...
It would appear that in the process of being transported, Guillotine has undergone a sudden wardrobe change. She ponders if she lacks the...physical endowments to wear such a revealing garment, but decides that it looks cool enough for her to cast aside her doubts. A voice from nearby alerts her to the presence of an onlooker, who reveals itself to be...Exia in a reindeer outfit?
The hacker of the Big O muses that Guillotine has come seeking to slay the White Ice Dragon, but laments that the hero's lack of companions will consign her to ignominious oblivion. Guillotine takes significant offense to the aspersion, though her attempt to assert that she does have companions quickly peters out. Exia continues, explaining that Guillotine must go to the Demon King's Castle and slay the dragon, even as companionless as she is. The would-be hero steels herself as she recalls the Goddess(?) telling her to end the Winter's Bane, only for another person to interrupt her thoughts. It's...Privaty in a maid outfit?
Despite Guillotine seeing such familiar faces around, it seems no one recognizes her. Privaty acts as though this is the first time they've met, though her reactions to Guillotine's comments on her outfit are on-brand as ever. The maid warns that they need to get inside a building, as a curfew is in effect...only for a siren to wail as A.C.P.U. arrives in the middle of her explanation. No one among the squad seems to recognize Guillotine. Not Miranda, who's as diligent (and clumsy) as ever, nor Quiry, though the latter's usual blindness isn't helping matters any. Poli steps in with the professionalism Guillotine recalls, but the hero pauses as she hears the officer mention that...the Big O were the ones to instate curfew?
The police officers introduce themselves as agents of the Big O, keepers of order and justice in this town. They ready their weapons to arrest Guillotine and co. for violating curfew, prompting the hero to begin cackling as she sneers upon the idea of obeying the Big O...only for Poli to shoot her in the face and send her back-first into the snow. The police officer then warns Privaty and Exia to comply if they don't want to meet a similar fate.
My Lethal Eye Is So Overpowered, No One Stands a Chance Against Me: B[]
Privaty grumbles under her breath at being under arrest like this, only to pipe down at Poli's doglike threatening growls. The officer tells her subordinates to round up the arrestees, only for them to fumble as Quiry's infamously-bad eyesight causes her to accidentally cuff Miranda instead of Privaty or Exia. Poli sighs and decides to just do the arrest herself, but just as she's about to cuff Privaty, Guillotine stands up and intervenes. The hero(?) recalls Privaty said something about staying in "the Association" instead of chasing Exia, prompting her to begin cackling.
Guillotine scoffs at the idea of a "mere" headshot being enough to take her down...only to double-take as she herself can't believe she just shrugged it off like nothing happened. After concluding that she's invincible within this world, Guillotine offers to dispatch the A.C.P.U. if Privaty can take her to the Association, much to the maid's disbelief. Poli sighs and cocks her weapon as a fight seems inevitable, but Guillotine remains unfazed.
Guillotine steps forward and puts a hand to her eyepatch, all the while making chuuni melodramatic monologues about how her "Lethal Eye" will seal her enemy's fate. The hero(?) strikes a pose while Poli freezes in terror as...absolutely nothing happens?
Awkward silence ensues as Guillotine whispers under her breath, asking Ingrid for permission to activate her eye, only to realize the major problem. She's currently in another world and thus cannot contact Ingrid by any means, which in turn means the CEO cannot authorize the activation of her eye. Guillotine grunts, and decides that she must make a drastic decision. She must unseal her eye...without prior authorization. Exasperated by this charade, Poli warns Guillotine to stand down before conflict ensues, yet the chuuni hero refuses to do so.
The hero(?) stands triumphant over her fallen adversaries!
Instead, Guillotine declares that any Nikke worthy of her name will never back down when their honor is questioned. Chanting an over-dramatic incantation, Guillotine removes her eyepatch, and the shockwave emitted by the Lethal Eye sends A.C.P.U. sprawling to the ground. Privaty gawks in disbelief at how A.C.P.U. could fall so easily...and as Guillotine herself faints, seemingly overwhelmed by how she actually fired shockwaves from her eye...
In Another World With My Companions: A[]
Guillotine stands in front of a mass-produced Nikke, warning her to stop. The MP Nike wonders why she should, given her role is to protect the Ark. Guillotine questions the MP Nikke's mission, to which the latter responds that she is meant to kill humans and protect Raptures to safeguard the Ark. Guillotine's warnings fall on deaf ears. If anything, the Extrinsic Nikke is shaken when the MP claims that she is a Nikke, denied of any will or freedom beyond following her mission. Guillotine screams in horror as the Nikke dashes past her into the streets, followed shortly by the sounds of gunfire and screams...
Guillotine bolts out of bed and face-first into breasts something soft and a gentle voice expressing its surprise. The hero(?) quickly recomposes herself after realizing she is face to chest face with Emma, and muses on the dream she was having. Her pondering is soon broken as Emma explains that she is the proprietress of this inn, and that Privaty had brought Guillotine here to recuperate after she'd fainted. Guillotine mulls on this set of occurrences, only to bolt out the door as soon as she can. Privaty apparently "fell asleep" after consuming some soup that Emma made, and Guillotine is currently "too busy with Association matters" to stop for a meal.
Guillotine breathes a sigh of relief outside, having narrowly escaped the "Green-Eyed Culinary Murderer" and her war crimes against good taste cooking that sends its consumer to the boundary of life and death. Not even Ingrid is able to withstand such horrors, so someone like Guillotine would've undoubtedly met a Bad End from the first spoonful. With that, the hero(?) heads for the Association...only to realize that in her haste to escape, she has disoriented herself in an already-unfamiliar village. Peering around, Guillotine finds an unusual sight...
Enshrined in the center of the village is...a statue of Laplace? A voice then chimes in explaining that Laplace is the village hero, revealing itself to be...Drake, wearing a maid outfit much like Privaty's? The villain(?) maid(?) exposits that a long time ago, Laplace was hailed as protector of the land. Something that confuses Guillotine, given the current state of things. Would a hero really allow for the Big O to run unchecked, or for the Winter's Bane to persist long enough that an otherworlder like Guillotine would be summoned to quell it?
Drake explains that when the White Ice Dragon and the Big O first blighted the land, Laplace and her companions set off to defeat them. In felling Shifty, the strongest of the Heavenly Kings, they slowed the Bane's spread. However, the battle cost Laplace all of her comrades, and thus she became companionless, overwhelmed and brought low by the other Heavenly Kings. Guillotine recalls some advice Maiden gave her before, about how every hero's journey required a party of tight-knit companions to succeed.
Guillotine decides she must summon companions to aid her on her quest, and invites Drake to bear witness. Sadly, the villainous(?) maid(?) is preoccupied with wiping off the Big O's graffiti on Laplace's statue...because they defaced it so thoroughly that they didn't leave her any room to put anything, and that pricks her villain's(?) ego. Dumbfounded by the villainy(?) on display, Guillotine silently walks away...
Stepping into a quiet part of town, Guillotine brandishes a piece of chalk and begins drawing a magic circle. She then chants to call forth her comrades from the Ark, and something answers her call...
In Another World With My Companions: B[]
Back in the real world, Maiden is engrossed in a game until she ends up losing, her game over giving Ingrid a chance to interject. Turns out Maiden was so focused on gaming that she ignored her phone, so the CEO came to personally see Extrinsic before spending 12 minutes and 5 seconds watching Maiden play. Hearing the Extrinsic leader talk about how Combat Ace is her latest focus after Iron Punch, Ingrid wonders why she isn't gaming with Guillotine, given the latter has been on a similar gaming binge as of late. In response, Maiden has a flashback to her last chat with Guillotine...
Though the conversation started on an awkward note as Maiden kept shooting down Guillotine's socialization offers (which were rendered in typical cringeworthy nonsense), eventually the latter managed to reach the heart of the matter. She recently started playing Final Quest Online, the same MMO that Maiden dedicates a lot of time to. Yet she ran into trouble trying to level up, and ended up getting flamed by other players for being a low-level newbie, something that seemed to trigger Maiden fiercely.
All this culminated in Guillotine's request; she'd heard that Maiden's "Black Rose" account was something of a legend in the FQO community, famed for solo clears of all but one raid boss. So she wanted to party with Black Rose to tackle...the very first dungeon, since no one would party with her was good enough for her. Hearing that Guillotine had neither picked a class nor joined a guild, Maiden gave a blunt answer. She said that adventures were something meant to be taken with friends that she emotionally resonated with...and that's exactly why she can't party with Guillotine. Plus, Maiden claimed that she had moved on from her days of partying with other players...
Back in the present, Maiden posits that this interest in FQO is a passing phase, and Guillotine will move on to another thing soon enough. Ingrid doesn't see it the same way, but chooses to move on to another topic. Following the mission that Maiden fumbled spectacularly, she was indefinitely suspended. Ingrid had hoped that Maiden wouldn't just spend her days languishing in the dorm, but it seems the house arrest has done little to change the Nikke's mind on the matter. The CEO bids Maiden to follow her, and carry out one final mission...
Ingrid brings Maiden to the Simulation Room, where Einkk and the protagonist are waiting on her. With everyone gathered, Ingrid gives a briefing on the situation; 12 hours ago, in this very simulation room, Guillotine illegally activated an ocular device and entered the sim. Now, they have 36 hours to get retroactive authorization from the Central Government for Guillotine's use of the device. Otherwise, she will be deemed an Irregular and they'll terminate her.
The protagonist wonders why they can't just get approval straight away, to which Ingrid explains that unless they can get definitive proof that Guillotine is not becoming an Irregular, the Central Government won't budge on the matter. So this mission runs two main objectives; enter the sim and confirm Guillotine's condition. Extract her if she exhibits no signs of Irregular behavior...or terminate her if she is.
Ingrid turns to Maiden and asks if she can execute her comrade if the situation calls for it. Despite Maiden asserting she can carry out her duty as leader of Extrinsic, Ingrid isn't convinced. She then turns to the protagonist and explains that he will assist Maiden in assessing Guillotine's mental state...and make the final call, if need be. He's being saddled with this role as the Central Government has deemed Ingrid to be...emotionally-invested in this incident and the Nikkes involved, and thus would not be able to make an impartial decision. With the protagonist accepting his role, Ingrid turns to Einkk and asks her to explain the situation.
The Simulation Room overseer explains that out of boredom, she started working on an idea. That being to use NIMPH and its memory stores to run simulation processes for an entire world. One that would use the player's own experiences, memories, and fears to create a game entirely their own. Einkk submitted this idea, and it got approved, culminating in the MK-II version of the Simulation Room's program. This "Simulation MK-II" was being put through a QA test with Guillotine as the tester when this incident happened, so as Maiden posits, the "world" they're entering will likely shape itself based on Guillotine's NIMPH and the data stored inside.
Despite Maiden's concerns, Einkk assures that they won't be trapped in the sim. Exiting can be done either by beating the last boss and "clearing" the game, or by using system commands to terminate the simulation, though Guillotine apparently cannot or will not access the latter method to leave the sim. Einkk then gestures to a headset device that will allow the wearer to enter the Simulation MK-II, though she warns that sudden forceful removal may cause brain damage. Finally, the real-to-game time dilation of the Sim MK-II is set to 1:2, thus every in-game day equates to 12 real hours. Meaning that after three in-game days, they'll be out of time to stop the Central Government from terminating Guillotine.
With mission parameters set (and ignoring Maiden's reservations), the duo dons their VR gear as Einkk sends them into the simulation...
Problem Children Are Coming from This World, Aren't They?: A[]
Guillotine crows triumphantly as her companions burst from the summoning circle. Maiden balks at her teammate's attire, given how it's a one-to-one match for a hero cosmetic used in Final Quest Online. Though as the chuuni hero comments, her comrades aren't looking any different from her in terms of attire...
Maiden double-takes as she realizes she's garbed in the Niflheim Priest set, the strongest healer-class equipment in FQO. The protagonist himself is decked out in Helheim armor, which Maiden explains is the ultimate gear for tank classes, and her personal kit for soloing bosses. Maiden breaks into a nerdy spiel about boss strategies and gaming lingo, and while she eventually pauses to realize what she's doing, she soon falls into another squealing fit as she sees the fantasy vibe that everything has, boldly declaring to the protagonist that they're going to spend the rest of their lives here before dashing off to find accommodations.
With such powerful companions at her side, there's no(?) way our hero(?) can fail!
While Maiden runs off to do...whatever she's doing, the protagonist remains with Guillotine to get an idea of the situation. The hero(?) seems more focused on trying to think up a new title for Maiden, now that her attire no longer suits her previous epithet of "Judicator of the Crimson Roses." The protagonist decides to leave Guillotine to muse on titles for her comrades while he follows after Maiden...
Eventually, the protagonist finds Maiden in another part of the town, and she's contemplating over something. More specifically, she's observing the incredible detail that's gone into this simulation, with the town functioning exactly how a town would in an RPG game. Which then begs the question of why the data in Guillotine's NIMPH would be interpreted and constructed in such a way. The protagonist posits that it stems from Guillotine's recent binge of FQO, playing the game basically every waking hour she isn't on a mission. She's even tapped the protagonist for tips, though that just baffles Maiden even more. If Guillotine was sinking that much time and effort into the game, why can't she clear the first dungeon or find even one party to stick with?
The protagonist reveals that he'd actually offered to party with Guillotine, but the latter refused, claiming that she wanted her first adventure to be with Black Rose (Maiden). Maiden seems to be even more baffled at that, before sighing and moving on to other matters. They've confirmed that Guillotine is not exhibiting Irregular behavior. All that remains now is to beat the final boss and clear the game so they can leave. The protagonist wonders why they're not just force-quitting the program, but Maiden claims it'd be a shame for them to just leave after seeing a whole game world in front of their eyes like this. With those words (and a system notification), Maiden and the protagonist join Guillotine's hero party...
The two find Guillotine where they left her, still deliberating over a proper fantasy epithet for the protagonist. The man in question is more concerned with Guillotine's earlier words, about being summoned as a hero to defeat the White Ice Dragon. Hearing that the dragon is the final boss of this world, Maiden asks for any tips or strategies, only to have to remind herself Guillotine is a beginner to games in general, and has to temper her expectations.
The party's conversation then turns to gathering intel on the dragon and any hazards they may encounter. Ignoring Guillotine's chuuni rants talk about the Association and the Big O being real, Maiden suggests they earn money on the way to the Association so they can give Guillotine a weapon. Something that confuses the hero(?), given how her Lethal Eye allowed her to easily resolve her previous battle, but Maiden notes that even with Guillotine being so...unrestrained in her eye's use, it still has a usage limit they need to account for...
Problem Children Are Coming from This World, Aren't They?: B[]
With her hero party assembled, Guillotine sets forth to gather funds on the way to the Association! ...or so it would go, were it not for the fact that Guillotine herself is...uncertain of the behaviors Maiden is encouraging. That being to smash every box, jar, and barrel they see, claiming that one convention of games is to hide items in them to facilitate resource gathering, especially in the early stages. Going by the fact that only "useless" items are dropping, it would seem this method is bearing little fruit, though Guillotine cannot protest in the face of Maiden's intimidating gamer aura...
The protagonist's reservations about their course of action fall on deaf ears. Maiden is set in her belief that going by gaming conventions, barging into this completely random building they're standing in will give them a chance to gather useful items, even telling Guillotine to rummage through the trash can and read through the books in hopes of finding some information...
Coming across a well, Maiden's first suggestion is to have someone dive into it, believing the gaming trope of valuable loot and gear being found at the bottom of wells. That's all Guillotine has to hear as she takes the plunge...only to grunt in pain as the well has completely dried up, meaning her landing is...less than soft. The lack of loot is just another rain cloud on top of the fact that Guillotine is now stuck in a well with no way out. Maiden sees this as an opportunity for some...quality time with the protagonist, though the latter simply tells Guillotine to use her wings and fly up.
The shenanigans continue. Maiden has to stop Guillotine from playing tag with some kids, knowing full well how unexpectedly time-consuming (and difficult) minigames playing with children can be. Detouring because a chicken is in the way, and Maiden fears it as the most dangerous creature in existence. Eventually, the party arrives as the Association. The building is a lot more in the open than Guillotine's idea of a secret society, but as Maiden notes, it'd make more sense for an Adventurer's Association to be a visible structure. Plus, they've got plenty of money to spare for arming Guillotine, even if the hero feels dirty for the means by which they acquired the funds...
Off to the side, Drake is appalled. What manner of scoundrel surpassing her own villainy would wreck the town like this? Vesti (dressed like a wizard for some reason) explains that a band of hooligans has been going around, vandalizing the streets, breaking into houses to rob them, and even being mean to children who just wanted to play. As the mage pulls out a wanted poster, Drake still can't believe what she's hearing. Who would commit such fiendish acts out in broad daylight?
Overhearing this conversation, Maiden suggests they make a quiet retreat, but as party does so, they got spotted by Privaty. Drake, with the help of Vesti, apprehends the party and they get taken to court...
Objection! A Trial of Objections![]
Acting as prosecutor of this trial, Novel makes her case to the judge...Yulha? Yulha seems to be uninterested in the idea of overseeing this trial, but decides to proceed rather than argue the point. Novel explains that the defendants are charged with the following crimes; vandalism by breaking boxes and pots on the streets, breaking and entering, theft, and...not playing with the local children.
The Nikke above is NOT a licensed attorney. We at Nikkepedia advise you to seek legal counsel from an actual lawyer.
As Yulha notes the heinous charges being leveled, Maiden points and shouts to object...to absolutely nothing, having simply done so because she felt it was what one does in a courtroom. As Maiden invites the protagonist to try it himself, Yulha turns to the man and asks him to explain the defendants' case instead. Seeing the man quiver before Yulha's frustrations, Novel chuckles and claims this case is an easy win for the prosecution, especially with how many witnesses they have. Maiden once again objects, though this time she has an actual argument, claiming that subjective witness accounts are irrelevant to a court of law, and objective evidence is needed to convict the party.
Conceding the point, Yulha continues the trial...by asking the defendants to prove their own innocence. The protagonist then dramatically shouts "Take that!"...before turning to Maiden and asking if she has anything that can prove them innocent. The priest reveals she doesn't actually have anything, she just figured the earlier line was another appropriate one for courtroom scenarios.
Yulha becomes increasingly disgruntled as the defendants continue to fool around in court. Something not helped by Guillotine shouting an objection...for no other reason than Maiden telling her to do so if things seemed dire. Yulha gets so angry she immediately declares their sentence to be hanging, only to calm down as with Novel's victorious crowing, she recalls that a judge is supposed to hand down a proper verdict as the law dictates.
The defendants are found guilty of crimes that would make even the villainous(?) Drake balk. However, in light of the fact that the hero Guillotine has repelled the Big O's thugs and freed this village from their tyranny, the sentence is commuted to...a 1000 gold coin fine, and a binding agreement to end the Winter's Bane. To prevent flight risk, the knight (the protagonist) will be kept in Yulha's custody, assisting her in administrative tasks until the fine is paid.
Court is adjourned as the protagonist processes how he's stuck here until the others pay off the fine, with a system message noting his removal from the party...
The Hero is a Part-Timer!: A[]
Back at the Association, Guillotine expresses her betrayal to Maiden. She'd trusted the veteran gamer's advice, and what do they have to show for it? A criminal record, and her Partner all but imprisoned until they pay their dues. Maiden seems to be dumbfounded at how a fantasy world with heroes and dragons has actual working legal systems, but as Guillotine reminds her, games and reality are two different things entirely.
Privaty chimes in reminding the two that they're holding up the queue of adventurers seeking out quests for pay, just as they are. Guillotine chafes at the idea that all there are for quests are basic Rank 1 quests, asking for something a little more challenging and profitable. Sadly, all high-ranking quests have already been claimed...by Vesti. While Guillotine "struggles" to rein in her "urges" to fight Vesti, Maiden asks what the mage actually wants after having gotten them all sent to court. Turns out she wanted to talk with them about something...
That something being the Master-rank quests she took earlier. She needs a bullet-sponge someone to cover her while she casts her spells to subjugate a monster that's been menacing the village. Maiden's heart soars as she wonders what sort of fantastical beast they'll face for their very first encounter in this world...only to deflate as Vesti reveals the target is a Rapture. The sheer disappointment is enough for Maiden to simply settle for the Rank 1 quests offered earlier...until Vesti tells the two that this quest offers 1000 gold coins to all participants upon completion. That alone spurs them to take on the quest (and for the system to announce Vesti has joined the party)...
The Hero is a Part-Timer!: B[]
The ad-hoc party arrives at the snowfield, where Raptures lie in wait to ambush lost travelers. Vesti prepares to cast a wide-area spell to get all the Raptures at once. Guillotine is tasked with vanguard duty while Maiden supports her with magic, though the newbie hero needs to be walked through how she'll carry out her role in the party. With the plan set, the party gets into the action.
A surprisingly well-balanced party.
Guillotine cackles in glee as she shreds the Raptures with her bare hands. Maiden chants a spell that freezes the enemy in place, leaving them open to Vesti's devastating magic. When the mage finishes chanting, Maiden and Guillotine fall back, allowing Vesti to...whip out a rocket launcher and fire it at the Raptures?!
Maiden looks dumbstruck at the sudden genre shift. All that chanting and the fancy staff...and Vesti just whips out a RPG-7-looking bazooka and blasts everything. Vesti even admits that the staff is more a fashion piece than anything else, though Guillotine chirps that it's cooler like this...only to deflate as Maiden points out a "mage" as powerful as Vesti could probably obliterate the dragon and render heroes like Guillotine pointless.
Night falls by the time the party makes it back. Guillotine rejoices at how they now have sacks of 1000 gold coins in their hands, enough to pay off their fine and then some, though Maiden feels guilty about basically mooching off Vesti. A little girl steps into the party's conversation, shocking both Guillotine and Maiden as Vesti (who hung around because she is lonely thinks this singular quest makes them friends) reveals this small child(?) is actually the village chief.
The chief explains that long ago, the goddess bestowed hero Laplace a legendary sword to fend off the Raptures that plagued the land. But then the White Ice Dragon and its Big O defeated Laplace, bringing the Winter's Bane. Thus, the chief beseeches Guillotine to be the hero this world needs, defeat the White Ice Dragon, and end the Winter's Bane. Guillotine accepts this quest, and the chief breathes a sigh of relief as she also tells the party a banquet is being prepared in the hero's honor.
As the feast begins, the energy is ratcheted up by the bard...Volume? Guillotine sees nothing wrong with this, while Maiden questions why a medieval-era musician is playing electric guitar in a tavern. The two converse about their party composition, and almost feel like they're forgetting something. Then the chief asks Guillotine to say some words as the star of the banquet, prompting the hero to panic until she finally musters the nerve to speak up.
Guillotine remarks that for all the trouble she had at the onset of her time here...she's had fun. She admits that Maiden's earlier words, of needing proper companions to have an adventure with, held merit. and almost commits copyright infringement wishes for blessings upon this world before Maiden stops her. Thus the party continues well into the night...
Meanwhile, the protagonist is still toiling away at paperwork, Yulha keeping him from running off or speaking up as he works well past midnight...
The Slumbering Sword: A[]
The next morning, the party reconvenes after paying the 1000 gold fine. The protagonist's complaints of fatigue send a jolt of guilt through Guillotine and Maiden, who make up an excuse about an urgent request from the village chief, and how they definitely did not forget him no matter how much Vesti comments on the banquet that definitely did not happen. The presence of the mage comes as a surprise, but they've little time to quibble on details. They only have two days to clear this game and get Guillotine out of the simulation, so they need to hurry up, get the hero some proper gear, and beat the White Ice Dragon. With that, the party follows Vesti's directions to reach the weapon shop, the protagonist musing that whatever happened during his incarceration, it's fine as long as everyone gets along...
Despite Guillotine being unable to see anything due to her (lack of) stature, the shop is filled with weapons of all kinds. Maiden's gushing over a "Moonlight Sword" catches the attention of the shopkeeper Eunhwa. After Maiden geeks out over a sword so big and bulky it more resembles a hunk of iron, Eunhwa brings out more swords to show to the party, to see if one of them can be a fit for Guillotine. A greatsword with slots for orbs, a crowbar powerful enough to one-shot any enemy, and even a diamantine sword surrounded by novels. Seeing how the party has an eye for weapons, Eunhwa offers them the pick of whatever they want plus a discount. Maiden bids Guillotine to wait, promising to give the hero the best kit their money can buy.
Guillotine rejects Maiden's first set because of the encumbrance of the helmet and shield. Maiden grumbles that without those the set won't look as good/fantasy-like, but relents and goes back. In the end, Guillotine is left with...a stick. Not a magic stick engraved with runic symbols, or a metal stick. Literally just a stick of wood that's been hewed from a tree and smoothed over. The hero balks at how this one stick cost 100 gold coins, with Maiden intending to spend the rest on some anachronistic well-made communication items. Guillotine tries to sell the stick back to Eunhwa, but the smith will only offer a singular gold coin for it. Guillotine eventually throws her hands in the air and says all she needs is a sword worthy of a hero, to which Eunhwa tells her to...go to the temple?
Along the way, Maiden sighs at how they spent more time and money than needed at that shop when they could've just gone to the temple. The protagonist tries to assure that the stick is still something at least, with Maiden positing that this stick is going to be some kind of Chekhov's gun that will only show its worth later in the story. All banter ends as the party finally arrives at their destination; the temple dedicated to Laplace the Brave, where the goddess-given sword she wielded is enshrined...in the arms of Frima?
Seeing Maiden flummoxed at the sleepy fixer cradling a sword in her slumber, Vesti explains that Frima is actually the Sword Spirit tasked with guarding the legendary blade. The party tries to rouse her so they can get the sword, but nothing works. Neither Maiden's spells nor Vesti's explosions disturb her slumber. Guillotine's proposal of using the Lethal Eye is immediately vetoed by Maiden. With little other recourse, the party has no choice but to return to the Association and hope the village chief may know something...
The Slumbering Sword: B[]
Back at the Association, Maiden looks stupefied as she watches Volume smash her guitar against the floorboards. The protagonist notes that with how much energy the villagers have from Volume's music, this concert is going to take some time before they can talk with the chief. After the concert ends, they ask the chief for a way to wake the Sword Spirit, so she heads off to bring one of Laplace's old companions, who may know of a way to get the sacred sword...
Said companion is predictably, Drake. Despite the self-proclaimed villain complaining about them bothering her rest time, she's still willing to hear them out. When Guillotine tells them they seek Laplace's sword, the villain(?) decides she can help them out since they've proven themselves more heinous than her after their previous crime spree. Following the defeat of Shifty, a Sage told Laplace that her end was near, and so the Brave entrusted the Sword Spirit with her blade, hoping that it may find a worthy owner to succeed her legacy.
As for how to awaken the spirit, Drake only knows one way. Even in Laplace's journey, the Sword Spirit spent most of her time sleeping. She'd only wake whenever Laplace played a song on a flute made from wisteria wood. Sadly for the party, said flute has been lost to the ages, and thus they're out of luck...until Guillotine pulls out the stick they'd gotten from Eunhwa's shop, which turns out to be the exact wisteria flute Drake was talking about.
Of course, now there's another problem; who's going to play the flute to awaken Frima? Everyone currently in the party refuses on grounds that they've no skill in musical instruments. Guillotine chortles as the breadcrumbs she'd left earlier are now rearing their heads. She'd said earlier that their party would need a cook and a bard to complete their mission, and one of those just so happens to be right here. With a boisterous shout and a system message, Guillotine declares Volume a new member of the hero's party...
Meanwhile, the remaining Heavenly Kings of the White Ice Dragon convene in the Demon King's castle, their first meeting since Shifty's defeat. Ingrid reports that A.C.P.U. has fallen to the power of a hero, though Syuen scoffs at the idea of another hero appearing after she'd dealt with the last one. Mustang decides it's time to nip this problem in the bud, and declares his intention to sortie with his "Queens" to deal with this...hero...
The Power of Nikkes Is Staggering: A[]
Volume isn't too happy to hear that her first performance as a member of the hero's party is in front of a statue, but complies on the condition that they work as her managers after this. The protagonist briefly grumbles about being a celebrity's manager even in a fantasy world, but agrees to the condition. Volume steps toward the statue and plays on the flute, causing Frima to stir in her slumber before her eyes eventually open.
Guillotine's surprise lasts for a brief moment before Frima readies for battle, apparently being so irked (as much as she can be, at least) at the party waking her up that she's raring to kill them. Guillotine bids the others stand back while she proves her mettle as a hero, before turning to the protagonist and asking him for orders.
A wild Frima appears!
Obviously, fleeing is not an option since they need to get the sword. Neither is swapping to another Nikke, as the protagonist makes a melodramatic inner monologue about putting his faith in Guillotine. The item bag just contains some leftover food from yesterday's banquet, which the protagonist recalls Guillotine trying to hide from Maiden's sight. So all he can do is order Guillotine to attack, starting off with some buffs. Then Guillotine starts acting up on her own, activating her eye's "Dragon of the Deep" move without the protagonist's orders.
A jet-black dragon erupts from Guillotine's eye and slams into Frima, who...immediately gives up and bequeaths the sword to Guillotine before going back to sleep. Guillotine exults the power of her Lethal Eye before fainting from exertion, much to Maiden and the protagonist's panic. Things worsen as Guillotine suddenly rises up and begins attacking the party while babbling about dealing with Irregulars. Maiden barely manages to stop the hero with her magic, the latter fainting just as the former is reaching her limits.
The protagonist wonders if Guillotine is doing okay, to which Maiden answers that's his call to make. As Ingrid said earlier, he will make the final judgement on whether or not Guillotine must be terminated as an Irregular. Whatever decision he makes, she warns him that they must stop Guillotine from using the power of her eye...
The Power of Nikkes Is Staggering: B[]
Night falls as the party brings Guillotine to the inn to recuperate, taking turns on night watch. The protagonist calls out to Maiden for the coming shift change, but the priest keeps muttering to herself about her need to remain professional as a member of Extrinsic. He eventually manages to snap her back to reality(?), as despite Guillotine's continued slumber, she still needs to rest, especially since she sent Vesti and Volume back to their homes, meaning the two of them are the only ones aside from Guillotine.
The protagonist asks Maiden what's going on, given her odd behavior combined with a comment from the start of this mission about "the last time" she'd get to enjoy things like this. Maiden sees little point in dancing around the subject, so she gives him the answer; this will be their last mission together, because Maiden will undergo a memory wipe after all this is over.
The protagonist is understandably shocked to hear it, but Maiden assures him she asked to undergo the wipe. After her previous mission and the...conflicts that ensued, Maiden found herself in a sort of limbo. She lacked the resolution to properly conduct herself as Extrinsic's leader, not when it could mean a Nikke she'd befriended moments prior may end up on her hit-list. At the same time, that looming specter and her bloodied hands mean she cannot fully immerse herself in the world of gamers alongside her friends. Thus, she chose to undergo a memory wipe, and return herself to a clean slate.
Seeing the look on the protagonist's face, Maiden assures that it's nothing to worry about. Even when her memories are gone, traces of her will remain, particularly since she's made sure to secure the top of the leaderboards in every game she's played. The protagonist tries to say something himself, only for a shaking and explosion to interrupt the moment. Maiden bids him to stay here while she goes to investigate the cause of this ruckus...
Sakura reports to Mustang that the path to the village is clear for their forces, who orders Underworld Queen to bring the hero's party to him. Rosanna is delighted to hear that he doesn't care if they're dead or alive when they're in custody, charging off with Moran trailing behind her.
Mustang declares the attack's commencement with a boisterous (and ominous) "EeeeEEEEEEEEE-ntertainment!!!"
Ice Dragon Saga: To be Continued...
Part II - Ice Dragon Saga II[]
A Night Where Destiny Stays: A[]
A news anchor reports a rampage by a berserk Nikke, causing injury and even death in the Ark. Despite the perpetrator being captured and disposed, public outcry continues, spurring protests and further violence by Nikkephobic groups.
Meanwhile in a park, Guillotine mires in doldrums. Despite Ingrid trying to bring her back to base, Guillotine isn't having any of it. She was made to be an agent of Extrinsic. She's supposed to execute Irregulars without hesitation. Yet when the time came, she hesitated. Now Chloe, her one and only friend, is hurt, and others have suffered or died because of her shortcomings. Without a mission or friends, what remains for her in this life? The answer is simple; she has nothing left...
Guillotine jolts awake as Ingrid's voice calling her is written over by the protagonist's, where she promptly bangs her head against his armor. The hero begins to boast about how she won't be brought low by something as trivial as banging her head into metal...only to pause and blush as she realizes she's being cradled in Partner's arms. Her fluster only lasts until the sound of gunfire rings in the distance, prompting the two to go investigate...
Out in the village, Maiden puts up a barrier to block a hail of bullets, quipping on how mannerless it is to start a PVP match in a safe zone. Sakura quips back on how trivial rules are, monologuing so cringey melodramatically that it sounds more like a spiel Guillotine would cook up. Despite the humorous words, the atmosphere is anything but. Sakura simply states that Heavenly King Mustang wishes for the hero's capture, and that failure to comply will have the Queens use force. Maiden categorically rejects the demands and prepares for battle, claiming only "Psycontrol" has ever been able to best her in PVP.
As Big O soldiers cock their weapons at Maiden, Sakura ponders on the moon's beauty and the length of the night, inviting Maiden to spend it with her. The protagonist steps in pondering on how this is the second time he's heard such words, though admittedly under far different circumstances.
Maiden's distraction at the protagonist and Guillotine's presence is all it takes...for the hero to swoop in and slice Sakura in two, faster than even the blink of an eye...
A Night Where Destiny Stays: B[]
With the conflict resolved, the party takes a moment to regroup. The combat proficiency on the protagonist's part is a welcome surprise to Maiden, who proposes they get married go off and take out the White Ice Dragon without Guillotine. The protagonist casually ignores the proposal to discuss their next course of action, much to Maiden's dismay.
The fact that Sakura called Mustang one of the "Four Heavenly Kings" makes Maiden think about the context to this. She posits that games tend to provide some kind of event or formidable-seeming enemy whenever the heroes get a new weapon or power just to demonstrate how amazing it is. Thus, as Guillotine deduces, this must have occurred because the Hero's Sword is now in their possession. Despite that, Maiden remains confident that Mustang will be a comparative pushover, spouting villain cliches like "That was the weakest one among us" or "My power level is over 9000!"
Regardless, the main point is that only one in-game day remains for them to beat the final boss and clear the simulation. Maiden suggests they speedrun the game by blitzing all Four Heavenly Kings and the White Ice Dragon in one go, which then leads to another problem; how are they going to find the Four Heavenly Kings? Fortunately, Emma comes in, noting that some weirdo screaming about entertainment was heard over at the Association. Maiden and the protagonist immediately peg it as Mustang, or the "Hedonistic Dance King" as Guillotine dubs him.
With a course of action set, Maiden just has one final thing to discuss, turning to Guillotine to confirm her condition before expressly forbidding her from using the Lethal Eye, regardless of the situation. Guillotine reluctantly agrees, but before they depart, Emma invites them to take a breather and a meal before the big fight. Guillotine and Maiden's faces twist in horror as they make excuses and dash away from doom the unneeded hospitality.
Along the way, the party witnesses several skirmishes(?) of varying levels of intensity. Eunhwa and Moran are deadlocked...because the latter is loitering in front of the former's store, with Yulha being dragged into the mess. Moran complains that she can't just leave without doing something after finally making an appearance, much to Yulha's exasperation, given that neither of them are part of the hero's party. Having become sufficiently irritated by Moran's idiocy, Eunhwa steps up to personally deal with the Queen.
On another side of town, Rosanna is surprised to see Drake alive, given how Laplace's companions were supposedly lost during the battle with Heavenly King Shifty. In response Drake cackles, calling the Hedonia boss a fake villain and telling her to leave...because Drake is planning to take over this village herself. Seeing Rosanna prepare for battle, Drake drags calls on Privaty for aid, coercing persuading the other maid to cast her "magic spell" that buffs ally stats.
Thanks to the completely unrelated brave efforts of other adventurers, the hero party makes it to the Association without a scratch. There, Mustang boisterously greets the heroes with a loud "EEEEEEEEE-ntertainment!!!"
Must Dance: A[]
Mustang boasts how the heroes have no chance, now that only one day remains until the Winter's Bane envelops the world and the Big O's hegemony becomes unstoppable. Seeing Guillotine unfazed, Mustang decides to "show mercy" by taking them down himself instead of letting the Queens do all the work.
Guillotine decides that since Mustang is going to be the only fighter, it's only fair for it to be a one-on-one duel, despite Maiden suggesting they knock Mustang to the floor and jump him with an all-out attack. Guillotine scoffs at such "unheroic" tactics and allows Mustang to choose his opponent, which is...the protagonist. Despite being singled out, the man in question is quite eager to get into a battle himself, given how most of the time he just hangs back and gives orders. Mustang crows as he declares the beginning of his...dance battle with the protagonist?
The system message notes directional inputs as music begins to play, with Mustang gyrating to the beat. After completing his dance, the CEO Heavenly King beckons the protagonist to try and keep up. Sadly, the battle goes nowhere. Dancing "up up down down left right left right B A" triggers Mustang's distaste for cheaters. Dancing "quarter-circle forward punch" similarly displeases him due to use of "dangerous techniques" during a "sacred dance battle." Meanwhile, perfectly copying the moves just prompts Mustang to ratchet up the difficulty.
All of a sudden, the roar of an electric guitar zaps from deeper inside the Association. Tracing it to its source reveals Volume, who intended to sit back and rest, but decided that the dance battle was far too lukewarm for her to stand idle. Affronted, Mustang changes his opponent to her, something the protagonist doesn't mind, since this dance battle is a complete letdown for him more up Volume's alley.
"Only a heathen would bring a gun to dance fight." "And only a moron would bring a dance to a gun fight."
With a spirited shout, Mustang breaks into an even more complex dance than before. Gasping for air, the Heavenly King gestures for Volume to try and keep up...only for the bard to casually whip out a gun and shoot Mustang. Seeing the Heavenly King fall over in defeat, Volume taunts him for thinking that someone would actually follow his dance battle rules.
Even in defeat, Mustang boasts that he is merely the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings, and after warning that the others are far stronger than him, vanishes with one final "Entertainment" whispered under his breath. The system chimes in with a notification of Mustang's defeat. The hero party feels that this ended in something of an anticlimax, especially after Guillotine had gone through the trouble of agreeing to a one-on-one bout...
The village chief thanks Guillotine for defeating the Heavenly King, and assures that with Mustang's defeat, the remaining Big O forces will be disorganized enough that the local adventurer population can handle them. That leaves Guillotine free to defeat the White Ice Dragon, end the Winter's Bane...and, as she mutters to the hero, give this story a happy ending that will satisfy Chloe.
The sudden mention of Chloe seems to shake Guillotine, though she's soon snapped out of it by Maiden. The chief explains that Laplace's companion Maxwell crafted a portal on the northern end of the village, which leads to the vicinity of the Demon King's Castle. Though Maiden is relieved to hear there's a shortcut, the chief warns that only those with the courage to move forward are able to enter the castle. Knowing that, the protagonist declares they'll regroup with Vesti and set off for the castle, only for Volume to tell him she'll look for their mage instead, and rejoin them at the castle once they've also mopped up the Big O. The protagonist agrees, given how as Maiden reminds, they're on a time limit to clear the game and free Guillotine.
The party parts ways with Volume and Vesti, setting off to defeat the White Ice Dragon by themselves...
Must Dance: B[]
The party finds on the other side of the portal a village completely frozen in ice. Its proximity to the castle means it was one of the first victims of the Winter's Bane, and now stands as an omen for what may await the rest of the world should the heroes fail to defeat the White Ice Dragon. While both saddened and steeled by the tragic sight, Maiden notices a light in the distance, and the party approaches it to find...a bonfire?
Rather, there is a rifle shoved into the ground spewing flames from its barrel. Huddled near the fire in a plastic chair is...Exia? Guillotine gestures to the protagonist and Maiden, proudly proclaiming that contrary to their last talk, she has comrades to join her on her quest. Exia seems unconvinced, merely repeating her previous spiel on the hero being companionless, much to said hero's annoyance. Maiden seems shaken by the presence of the hacker, muttering to remind herself that this "Exia" is just a simulacrum from Guillotine's NIMPH. This is not the Exia she once called friend used to game with.
Maiden recomposes herself and asks Exia if she'll boost their stats when they sit near the bonfire. The hacker ignores her, and simply tells Guillotine to try and defeat the White Ice Dragon, even "companionless" as she is. Maiden sighs as Exia appears to be a filler NPC with about 3-4 sentences' worth of dialogue.
Before the party approaches the castle, Guillotine suggests they stop to plan out the attack on the White Ice Dragon. A notion Maiden agrees with, since they're aiming for a no-death perfect clear. The priest starts off the meeting by warning Guillotine again to never use her Lethal Eye. Guillotine realizes that both times she's used it, she's woken up back at the inn, deducing that she lost consciousness after every use.
Guillotine breaks into a chuuni spiel, claiming that the "One-Winged Dark Lord" sealed in her eyes is trying to break loose. During previous uses, Guillotine leveraged its power without fully breaking the seal. But now, in this other world, Guillotine's eye has grown stronger...because the One-Winged Dark Lord within is trying to break the seal and hijack her body.
Maiden sighs over how her teammate keeps making up these odd scenarios, but the protagonist is more concerned and asks for more information about the One-Winged Dark Lord. Guillotine claims the entity desires to rule over a world of silence, thus seeking to possess her body so that it may wipe out all that stand in its path. The protagonist muses that this must be the reason why Guillotine attacked them after using her eye last time.
Maiden warns that this just gives further reason to not let Guillotine use her eye. If she loses control and the One-Winged Dark Lord possess her completely, then she will become a threat to the Ark, an Irregular. Something both of them are sworn to destroy as members of Extrinsic. Guillotine concedes as much, which is why she has something to ask of her companions, more specifically Maiden. Should she succumb to the One-Winged Dark Lord, and become an Irregular. She asks Maiden to carry out her duty as Extrinsic...and kill her.
Maiden is silent for a moment before turning the scenario back on Guillotine; would she be able to eliminate Maiden if the latter were to become an Irregular? After a moment silence, Guillotine declares she will, acting as Extrinsic and separating her personal feelings from her duty. That said, Guillotine has every confidence that Maiden will never become an Irregular. Because she will do whatever it takes to keep that from happening, even if it means sacrificing herself.
Maiden wonders what could possibly spur Guillotine to go such lengths, but a mocking voice cuts into their heart-to-heart. The protagonist is shocked to see Syuen of all people at the bonfire, though the CEO Heavenly King is as bratty unlikable as the real one. Maiden grouses at the Heavenly King's presence, as fighting her will take time they cannot afford to spare. In response, the protagonist slams his sword into the ground, a wall of ice splitting him off from the party. He assures Maiden that he can take care of Syuen while they go on and defeat the final boss.
As Maiden and Guillotine press on, Syuen mocks the protagonist for thinking that he can take her on after "only" defeating the weakest Heavenly King Mustang. The man himself muses that even if the context is different, he can still exercise what Syuen taught him so long ago. That nails that stick out...get hammered back down...
The Hero Is Overpowered but Helpless: A[]
With the help of their companions, Guillotine and Maiden reach the gates of the Demon King's Castle. After a moment's trepidation, Guillotine strides forth, taking point as per her strategic discussion with Maiden. She eventually reaches the archway leading to the castle...and bangs her head into a chunk of ice. Balking at the idea of the hero being unable to enter the castle of their fated enemy, Guillotine steps forward...and bangs her head into ice again.
Despite her assurances to Maiden, it's clear that Guillotine is vexed by her inability to cross, as neither goddess-blessed sword nor fist makes so much as a dent in the ice. Maiden recalls that the chief mentioned only those with courage can pass the castle gates. Which can only mean one thing, as Guillotine admits; she is...afraid of the White Ice Dragon.
Despite readily admitting such a fear, Guillotine refuses to give up. She muses that there must be another way inside the castle, only for Maiden to suggest she wait here. The Extrinsic leader muses that she's all too familiar with the kind of uncertainty wracking her teammate's heart, as the both of them recall Extrinsic's last mission prior to this debacle.
The squad was tasked with apprehending Electric Shock, a squad suspected of involvement in a terrorist attack. At that time, Maiden disobeyed orders, allowing Trony to abscond with Elegg. As punishment, Maiden was put on probation, while Electric Shock was memory wiped by M.M.R. Removed from duty as Extrinsic, and no longer able to spend time with her gaming friends, Maiden felt like she'd been cut loose and cast adrift. She wanted nothing more than to forget all the bad things that had happened. That's when the higher-ups came to her with a proposal. She could undergo a memory wipe, and return to being a member of Extrinsic. She could have stability in her life again.
This final quest to defeat the White Ice Dragon which so menaces Guillotine. It will be Maiden's last mission as her current self. So she wanted to thank Guillotine for this grand journey...before she bids farewell to it all. Maiden strides past the gates and into the castle, garnering no resistance unlike Guillotine. The hero tries to follow, but the ice refuses to let her pass, no matter how much she whales on it. Thus, the hero Guillotine's story ends here. Just short of the end-goal, without a single companion by her side. A miserable, lonely ending, that wouldn't satisfy anyone, let alone the narrator Chloe...
So close, yet so far...
Flailing at the wall, Guillotine curses her weakness. How could she let her fear stymie her from ending this story right at the climax? A voice cuts in berating Guillotine for being stuck like this. A voice she's all too familiar with. Ingrid...
The Hero Is Overpowered but Helpless: B[]
Ingrid ponders on how the Heavenly Kings didn't even need to show up, let alone fight. Guillotine's fragile courage fell apart the moment the Demon King's Castle loomed over her. The Winter's Bane will swallow the world, and all will fall under the dominion of the Big O. All because of Guillotine the Hero, who couldn't overcome her fear.
Guillotine is confident Maiden can defeat the White Ice Dragon, but Ingrid has every reason to not believe such. She explains that after Shifty's defeat, Laplace faced off against the other Heavenly Kings...and was brainwashed into becoming Syuen's servant. Now the ex-hero guards the castle and the White Ice Dragon against all comers.
Moreover, the bodies of those who the goddess chose as heroes have always been nigh-indestructible. Only special means, such as the Hero's Sword, the White Ice Dragon's Breath, and the Lethal Eye can bypass their defenses. The first and third are in Guillotine's possession, and the dragon would never turn its breath on one of its own protectors. All of this leads to one simple conclusion; Maiden will fall at Laplace's hand, and with Guillotine unable to enter the castle...they will have failed to save the world. Maiden will have her memory wiped, knowing that she failed to save her friend. The absolute Bad End to end all Bad Ends. For Maiden. For Guillotine. For Chloe. For everyone.
Ingrid continues to monologue, wondering if Guillotine is satisfied with this. Knowing that her own ineptitude is the cause for this shameless tragedy. Seeing the hero keep waffling, Ingrid barks at her to make up her mind already. Somehow, the familiar nagging snaps Guillotine out of her doldrum, and she cackles as she remembers why she came here. Thanking Ingrid for the pep-talk, Guillotine wonders why a Heavenly King is helping her instead of stopping her. Ingrid comments that Maiden would probably mention the trope where one Heavenly King betrays the others...
One-Winged Dark Lord[]
Maiden casts a spell to send ice shards flying at Laplace, yet the hero easily swats them out of the air. The priest attempts to use her kotodama, but Laplace clocks her in the jaw before she can do so, staggering her long enough to grab her face and begin charging. Just as all hope seems lost, Guillotine appears and swings at Laplace, forcing the brainwashed hero to let go of Maiden and leap back.
The hero returns in a dramatic fashion.
Guillotine declares that she'll take care of things, unsealing her eye despite Maiden shouting at her to stop. With a single glare from the Lethal Eye, Laplace falls over in defeat. Guillotine crows at triumphing over her predecessor before slumping to the ground herself. She pleads for Maiden to eliminate her should she succumb to the One-Winged Dark Lord's influence. To stop her now that she's become an Irregular, and become a hero of the Ark.
Guillotine consciousness fades shortly after she terminates the simulation, followed by Maiden screaming her name...
The Failure of the Hero Guillotine: A[]
The Extrinsic squad has always worked in isolation, both literal and metaphorical. Their duty of neutralizing Irregular Nikkes means they are ostracized by their own kind, while the classified nature of their work limits their ability to interact with other parties. Despite this, they still yearn for a place to belong, where others would accept them. A place where they could connect with others...
The system notes the One-Winged Dark Lord rejecting Guillotine's memory data as the Irregular hero swings at Maiden. All the while, she parrots her orders to eliminate all Irregulars. Maiden blocks countless strikes with her shield, but doesn't counterattack in any fashion until she remembers Ingrid's words. That if Guillotine were to become an Irregular, she'd be the only one in any position to deal with her erstwhile teammate...
Maiden chants a spell to freeze Guillotine in place. Despite the Irregular brushing it aside with her eye, Maiden instead physically strikes in that moment of distraction. The priest reminds that she's a mage as capable in close-range combat as she is far-range, but Guillotine doesn't pay heed. Instead, the Irregular starts parroting the same things she's said before, from her party request to her words of gratitude back in the village. Tears fall down Maiden's face as the mockery of her friend keeps parroting these words, until she eventually snaps, and commands the Irregular to stop. The system acknowledges Maiden's kotodama activation, and judges its power to be amplified by her emotions. The result is that all time in this world has stopped, leaving Maiden the only thing moving in it...
One thing remains in a world frozen in time...
In this world frozen both literally and figuratively, no sound can be heard save Maiden's sobs. Until she can faintly hear Guillotine's voice, seeping in from a wisp of black smoke...
The Failure of the Hero Guillotine: B[]
Guillotine is talking to a little girl, assuring her that everything is fine. She apologizes for showing such a gruesome display as she executed the Irregular Nikke. Though rather than be afraid, the girl is...excited? She begins babbling about "the Big O" and how Guillotine used the "One-Winged Dark Lord" sealed in her "Lethal Eye" to defeat one of their goons. The girl begins to cackle at Guillotine's confusion, claiming that the Nikke is a fellow "Association" member. Guillotine sighs and escorts the girl home, even as the latter keeps cackling...
The girl Chloe invites Guillotine into her home, accidentally letting slip that her delusions beliefs made her the target of bullying until her adversaries tossed her in the alley where the Big O jumped her. Guillotine pondered over the girl's bullying for a moment, and bid her to keep it a secret between them, justifying that the Big O may find out about her knowledge if she kept blabbing about it...
A year later, the girl ponders on how "strong" Guillotine has gotten, to which the Nikke claims that she is invincible with her "Virtual Combat Field." So much so that she's going to bestow her title of "Guardian of Balance" to her. Guillotine's eyes sparkle in delight as she turns to tell Ingrid about this...only to see the visible anger on the CEO's face, prompting Chloe to run "teleport"away.
Ingrid recomposes herself to talk with Guillotine. Though it's nice to see that Extrinsic's Nikkes are still able to make friendships, she does not appreciate how Guillotine had put so much urgency into this whole charade to the point of dragging her away from her duties as CEO. Ingrid goes back to HQ, ordering Guillotine to submit a report about this.
Some time later, Chloe and Guillotine are watching Volume's performance on TV. Sadly, the Nikke cannot oblige her friend's request to get Volume's autograph. Extrinsic's work as hunters of other Nikkes isolates them from their fellows every which way, something that vexes Guillotine to no end. Especially since she's always wanted to fight beside Absolute, Elysion's strongest squad and the "Blue-Eyed Little Devil" that makes her eye tingle. Chloe goes into deep thought, and suggests that Guillotine come back in about two days to discuss new methods of training...
Two days later, Chloe draws a "Soul Transfer Circle" on Guillotine's eye, which will "transport" her to "another world" to save it from the Big O. As Guillotine closes her eyes, Chloe pulls out a thick book of lore and begins reciting. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...there existed a land where flowers bloomed in perpetuity, and all who lived there knew naught but bliss...
Some time later, Guillotine has another role-play adventure with Chloe, resuming from when she teamed up with the Blue-Eyed Little Devil to fight monsters. Chloe is just as eager to keep going, claiming that there would someday be an "Ice Dragon Saga" to chronicle the hero's epics...
More time passes, and Guillotine looks around. Today's RPG session hero journey is taking place in a park rather than Chloe's house. Chloe chuckles and declares that with the story reaching the castle where the White Ice Dragon lurks, a change of scenery for a wider stage is in order. Guillotine heeds Chloe's warning that only those with courage can pass into the Demon King;s Castle, but before the session can begin, her phone rings with a call. Ingrid notifies her of an Irregular's presence, and Guillotine is forced to delay the session while she deals with this.
Some time later, the news reports that a Nikke went on a shooting rampage, killing 8 and injuring 20. Meanwhile, Ingrid tells Guillotine that Chloe...is in a coma. She ran out in order to retrieve the Ice Dragon Saga, and got caught in the crossfire...
Warrior, and a True Hero: A[]
Ingrid finds Guillotine moping in a park. The Extrinsic blames herself for the incident that ensued. Even knowing the Irregular was babbling nonsense, she still hesitated...and her friend Chloe paid the price for it. Knowing that, she can't just go back to HQ. She failed to carry out the mission she was made to do. She failed to protect her one and only friend. What has she left to go back to?
Ingrid barks at Guillotine to make up her mind and decide. Will she remain stagnant? Or will she dare to move forward? The CEO explains that with this incident, the higher-ups have decided that more personnel are needed for Extrinsic, and have assigned a new recruit. Ingrid tells Guillotine that at the very least, she can guide the newbie and ensure she doesn't run afoul of the same pitfalls she has. Whatever she feels she has to do, Ingrid will shoulder at least some of the responsibility as her direct superior. So she shouldn't feel the need to take on everything alone...
Some time later, Ingrid asks for an update on Maiden. Guillotine has other concerns however. It would appear that her chuuni unique way of speech has rubbed Maiden the wrong way, and the newbie stormed off in a huff. Ingrid sighs and decides that Maiden just needs time to adjust to her coworker's habits...
More time passes, and Guillotine is proud to report that Maiden is capable of carrying out missions all by herself now. Though she's "obviously" not quite up to Guillotine's level yet.
Later, Guillotine confides to Ingrid about some worrying behavior from Maiden. The latter has apparently holed up in her room playing a game all day, and refuses to come out. Ingrid's face twists in rage as she curses "that person" for giving Maiden a bad habit...[2]
Much later, Guillotine is happy to report to Ingrid that Maiden is making actual real-life friends. No, she is definitely not jealous or lonely at all from this development, even knowing that Maiden has become a little harder to get in touch with due her social commitments...
Much much later, Ingrid briefs Extrinsic on a mission. The Central Government suspects a squad of Nikkes to be associated with terrorist operations within the Ark. Their task is to subdue these Nikkes and bring them to M.M.R. custody. Guillotine offers to take over for the mission, but Maiden is only focused on one thing that Ingrid confirms. The targets are...Elegg and Trony of Electric Shock...[3]
After the mission gone awry, Guillotine checks with Ingrid on Maiden's condition. The latter Nikke has since holed up in her room, being prohibited from returning to Extrinsic unless she undergoes a memory wipe. At these words, Guillotine asked Ingrid to find a way to change the higher-ups' minds on the matter. As long as Maiden can keep her memories, then Guillotine will handle all future missions herself, and take responsibility for Maiden's actions.
Ingrid briefly balks at the request, but seeing the resolution on Guillotine's face, deems that this is the answer to the question she'd asked so long ago. Even if Maiden will never be allowed to work as Extrinsic again, she'll at least be able to keep her memories. Thanking her boss for the favor, Guillotine has one final supposition. If purely hypothetically, an Irregular appeared that Guillotine could not handle, would they reinstate Maiden? Ingrid posits that the chance is high, so Guillotine then puts forth another purely hypothetical scenario. That being what if Guillotine herself became an Irregular?
Ingrid muses that in such a case, Guillotine's dangerous abilities make Maiden the only one capable of neutralizing her with minimal collateral, and so the higher-ups would reinstate her in a heartbeat. The CEO freezes as she realizes the implications behind these suppositions, but Guillotine assures that she's not doing anything drastic. Even if the White Ice Dragon and the Winter's Bane consumes her, her comrade shall not suffer the same fate...
The final memory vanishes before Maiden's eyes, leaving her to stare at the grayed-out, lifeless body of Guillotine...
Warrior, and a True Hero: B[]
Maiden approaches Guillotine, but is stopped by a system window. It asks if she wants to terminate the simulation, and reset all progress. Recalling the hero's words about defeating her at all costs should she become an Irregular, Maiden admits that...this is the right choice. As a Nikke of Extrinsic, she is duty-bound to terminate anything that poses a threat to the Ark, even if that threat used to be her friend. Separating personal and professional matters is the prudent thing to do, and yet...
Remembering all the moments she spent with the friends she made, Maiden wonders what the point is to become a hero who is forced to stand alone, not allowed to extend a hand to anyone else. She recalls that though Guillotine's chuuni dialogue was exasperating to hear on a daily basis, she could tell that it was all a front, a coping mechanism for the tragedy and loneliness she went through. It felt as though Guillotine was a reflection of her own problems...and she hated her for it.
Even so, Guillotine fought past her own fear, and put everything on the line to save her. That kind of dedication can't simply be ignored. So Maiden beseeches Guillotine to keep going. To never stop. The thought of simply parting ways filled with resentment and loathing gnaws at her unpleasantly. So Maiden hits the cancel button on the system window, refusing to reset the game. Cradling Guillotine's face, Maiden pleads for the hero to wake up and continue this story. Not for Chloe, who's long gone. Not for Maiden, who didn't understand until the end. Guillotine's story must be continued, and ended, for Guillotine's sake alone.
Maiden leverages her kotodama once more, ordering Guillotine to wake up. Resonating with the user's will, the kotodama rouses Guillotine's consciousness. The cost is just as high as its power, as Maiden collapses into Guillotine's arms. The hero wonders what Maiden is doing in not defeating her, to which the priest quips that perhaps she's not suited to be an agent for the Central Government. All that aside, Maiden urges Guillotine to keep moving forward. So they can defeat the White Ice Dragon together...and then, they'll go beat the first dungeon in Final Quest Online. So, whether it's this adventure or the next...they'll do it together...
Extrinsic squad has always been an isolated one, where its members cannot connect with others due to the nature of their work. Yet perhaps that is why, in some fashion, they can connect with one another...
Ice Dragon Saga: A[]
Guillotine and Maiden stride through the castle until they reach the throne room, which is absent save for a lone notebook resting on the seat. Guillotine immediately recognizes it as the Ice Dragon Saga, the chronicles of her adventures with Chloe. Maiden posits that opening the book will summon the boss, and reminds Guillotine of their strategy. Voicing her understanding, Guillotine steps forward and opens the book.
With the party reassembled, the final battle could begin.
A system message warns of the White Ice Dragon's awakening as the beast materializes before their eyes, bursting through the castle roof and exposing the blizzard-ridden sky. Maiden blocks the dragon's breath as Guillotine charges forward, a horde of Raptures moving to bar her path. Suddenly, Vesti appears chanting and slinging explosions that decimate the swarm. Volume also appears, reminding Maiden that they'd regroup once the village was secured. Her gunfire ravages what few Raptures escaped Vesti's attack, keeping the mages covered while Guillotine maintains the front. The Hero brandishes her sword, and faces down her old enemy for the final time...
Back at the frozen village, Ingrid idly muses that the final battle has likely started by now. The protagonist thanks the Heavenly King for her assistance, as the latter facilitated Vesti and Volume's fast and safe trip to the castle. She also helped him deal with Syuen, though it was in large part her own grievances with the other Heavenly King.
Ingrid wonders if the protagonist isn't going to join the fight, given his role as the knight of the hero's party. He doesn't mind, given how he's not the main character of this story. This final battle, and how everything ends...those will be for Maiden and Guillotine to decide.
Ice Dragon Saga: B[]
Slashing across the neck, Guillotine wonders if everything is over as the White Ice Dragon's decapitated body falls to earth. Maiden's warnings against jinxing it come too late as the dragon enters the second phase of the fight, Raptures swarming over its body and reforming its head as it takes to the air again. though Maiden directs the party to prepare for phase two, Guillotine asks everyone to stand back instead. This dragon, this specter of the past that has haunted her for so long. She will end it with her own two hands. Seeing how confident the hero is carrying herself, Maiden agrees to the request, suggesting that she end it in a properly flashy finale.
As the dragon swoops overhead and back for an attack run, Guillotine takes a step, undoes her eyepatch, and begins sprinting ahead. All the while, she remembers the words Maiden spoke to her, when she first awoke after using her Lethal Eye for what she thought was the final time. She will end this story for her own sake, not Chloe's. Bounding onto the dragon's wing and flying past another breath, Guillotine swings her sword and cleaves through the White Ice Dragon. The hero safely lands on the ground, the dragon exploding in midair behind her.
Guillotine sprints towards Maiden and leaps into her outstretched arms, the hero cheering over her accomplishment as she's spun around in a hug. Tears well in both Nikkes' eyes as they ponder on the best ending they've achieved for this story. The clouds part as the sun shines through now that the Winter's Bane is over...
The protagonist reconvenes with the party, congratulating Extrinsic for saving the world. Guillotine crows that it was no big deal, though Maiden recalls that the fight was much closer than the hero may boast. Said hero tries to rationalize that keeping things on a knife's edge makes it more exciting, something Maiden chuckles and agrees with. The protagonist suggests they leave the game now that the final boss is defeated, but Maiden has...other ideas. That being to marry the protagonist and go to the best end credits with him as her reward for clearing the raid. The protagonist refutes that the best ending is happening right now.
The knight points to the horizon, where the sun is shining through the clouds as the simulation begins to break down. The game may be over, but their adventure is just beginning. Maiden sighs and accepts the rejection, reasoning that a real-life marriage would be far better anyway. Maiden logs out promising to file a marriage registration, leaving the protagonist with a sense of foreboding. Guillotine chortles that even if her behavior may be a bit unorthodox, Maiden has at least found the will and reason to move forward again. The protagonist agrees with the notion, adding that in undergoing this adventure and freeing herself of the past, Guillotine too has found the way forward. The protagonist then logs out, leaving only Guillotine and the village chief Chloe in this virtual world. Or rather, as Guillotine reveals...overseer Einkk.
Turns out Guillotine knew all along that this "being sent to another world" was a simulation, and along the way deduced that Einkk was watching their journey disguised as the village chief. Einkk wonders why she didn't just quit the sim if she knew this was a charade, to which Guillotine answers...she wanted a chance. To finish the story she couldn't so long ago. For giving her the chance to write the best ending she could for this story, Guillotine offers her thanks to Einkk.
The overseer hems and haws, seemingly taken aback by the gratitude. After a while, she decides to just close the simulation and boot Guillotine back to reality...but not before telling the hero that she wrote a fine ending to this story...
Hard Mode Epilogue - The End of a Great Adventure[]
Ingrid commends the protagonist on a successful extraction for Guillotine, as well as nullifying the threat of her being terminated. As an extra bonus, both his and Ingrid's words on Maiden have convinced the higher-ups to reinstate her without demanding a memory wipe. Guillotine nearly going berserk in the simulation reminded them of the need for a backup should the older Extrinsic ever go rogue.
Though Maiden and Guillotine getting off scot-free is a point of gratitude, what Ingrid really wants to thank the protagonist for...is giving the two Nikkes a chance to move forward. While not privy to the details of what transpired inside the simulation, she can tell that Extrinsic seems a lot less burdened as of late. She has him to thank for that, given how the Central Government's meddling meant she could only turn to him for a favorable resolution to the incident. The talk reminds the protagonist that he hasn't seen Extrinsic as of late, and Ingrid recalls they should be somewhere else right now...
Guillotine struggles to face the past once more.
Guillotine slumps against a wooden door, trying and failing to muster the nerve to open it. Eventually, a voice comes from the other side, as Chloe beckons her to come in. Though she veils it under some chuuni spiels, Chloe voices her understanding for why it took so long for her friend to visit. After the Irregular put Chloe into a coma, Guillotine was stricken with guilt, and feared that history may repeat itself should they ever meet again. Spurred by Chloe's encouragement and echoes of what she said when they first met, Guillotine opens the door...
A hero, a dragon, and an epic quest. A tale as old as time...
Chloe's appearance briefly takes Guillotine by surprise. In the time since they'd last seen each other, the former had aged to adulthood. Rather than talk about the passage of time, Chloe wants to hear of something else. That being Guillotine's adventures, especially since the latter claims that she's gotten the best ending she possibly could. As the very first friend she'd ever made, Guillotine decides Chloe is the best audience to first tell her story to. The complete Ice Dragon Saga, from beginning to end. One that begins a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
Ice Dragon Saga: END
Meanwhile, Exia and Maiden are going over their strategy for an upcoming raid. Exia's revelation that their party will include more members comes as a surprise, given how Maiden thought this would be a two-person raid. Exia then reminds her. In a time both so recent and so far away...the four of them resolved to one day see this raid cleared, from the first phase to the last. Maiden freezes as she parses what exactly Exia is implying...
Minigame Story[]
Dragon Dungeon Run![]
Guillotine has an idea she wants to suggest to Maiden and the protagonist, though she only does so after guilt-tripping the former into hearing her out. With a declaration and a system message, a new realm materializes around the party.
Guillotine displays the simulation she has created of the Demon King's castle, which they will attempt to storm as training for the real thing. With a unanimous agreement from the party, the Dragon Dungeon Run begins...
Chronicles of the Ark Mage 01[]
Vesti chronicles her very first experience being a meat shield running through a dungeon with friends. Maiden and Guillotine were bickering over the latter fumbling into the water, which stymied their progress on a previous occasion. Moreover, Guillotine had decided not to use the actually-functional wings of her outfit, claiming that handicapping herself was key to effective training, much to Maiden's mounting frustration. The party then agreed to go for another run at Maiden's threats suggestions, and any requests from Guillotine or the protagonist to take a break awee summarily ignored.
Trailing from behind, Vesti made it to the meeting spot only to find it bereft of anyone else. She contextualizes it in her diary as her teammates going on without her since they were worried that the dungeon was too much for her. How nice it is for her friends to be so considerate, she muses...
Chronicles of the Ark Mage 02[]
Vesti records one of her interactions with the bard Volume, who joined the party after meeting them at the Association. The mage was curious about the brew that Volume kept quaffing with every dungeon run, so the bard offered to let her have a taste. A few tentative sips were rewarded with a refreshing sensation in her mouth. Guillotine wandered over out of curiosity, and enjoyed Volume's "confidence-boosting potion" as much as Vesti did.
Cut to a while later, and both Vesti and Guillotine were noticeably unsteady as they asked for more of Volume's potion. Maiden took a whiff of the drink and was appalled to find that Volume was not only drinking alcohol in the middle of a training session, but giving it to others during said training.
A drunken Vesti tipsily writes in her diary about how nice Volume is, shortly before falling unconscious in a stupor...
Chronicles of the Ark Mage 03[]
Vesti records an important discussion that the party held, one that Guillotine claimed would decide the party's ultimate fate. That being...the party name. The protagonist turned to Maiden and suggested the two of them do another dungeon run, only for Maiden to agree with Guillotine, seeing the party's lack of a proper nomenclature a mark of shame as a gamer.
Guillotine proposed an overly long name , but only got up to "The Lonely Winter Crane" before Maiden vetoed it and suggested "Let's Photosynthesize", after the name of a group she previously ran with. Guillotine then used her veto to reject it and suggested "Lonely Winter's Slayer" as a "cool" name in her opinion. Maiden argued that the party name needs to do more than sound cool, turning to the protagonist for support. The man's own idea of simply calling themselves "The Hero Party" was also shot down for sounding too plain. Eventually, Vesti suggested they put it to a vote, which everyone more or less agreed with.
Vesti notes that in the end, the matter was never truly settled. Everyone made and voted for their own suggestions, including the new additions of "Make Some Noise" and "Everybody Loves Vesti"...
Chronicles of the Ark Mage 04[]
Vesti records an important discussion that the party held, one that Guillotine claimed would decide the party's ultimate fate. That being...the loot distribution. The protagonist turned to Maiden and suggested the two of them do another dungeon run, only for Maiden to agree with Guillotine, seeing the party's lack of a proper loot arrangement a mark of shame as a gamer.
Maiden proposed that Let's Synthesize distribute loot equally, as is usual. Volume protested and suggested Make Some Noise divide loot based on individual contribution. Vesti pondered if such a thing would work, since by that logic, everything that Everybody Loves Vesti earns would go to Vesti herself, since her explosion magic(?) arguably does all the heavy lifting for the party. Maiden protested doing so, and declared they do another dungeon run, with loot distribution based on contribution. Ignoring Guillotine's request for a break, the party stepped back inside the dungeon.
Vesti notes to her staff Kitty that she'll take a little longer to get it a nice new holding case...
Chronicles of the Ark Mage 05[]
Vesti records the events that happened shortly after last time's loot arrangement meeting. A dispute ensued over the division of some gold coins acquired during the latest run. Maiden requested that the protagonist act as judge for this litigation, so he gestured for the priest to make her case.
Maiden argued that her pathfinding helped the party dodge dragon attacks, and combined with her stopping a Rapture with her magic entitles her to the lion's share of the loot. Vesti raised an objection, reminding everyone that when Maiden used her ice magic to freeze the Rapture, she also froze everyone else and ran ahead, leaving them to deal with the Rapture themselves. Maiden fires back that Vesti's needless use of explosion magic threw up smoke clouds that obscured their path and vision. Even if they cleared out some obstacles, they also blew up some treasure chests and the riches inside.
Maiden rants that they could've had another 100 gold coins in their coffers if Vesti wasn't so trigger happy, only to pause as the tiny mage suddenly starts bawling and sobbing. Vesti later recounts that it may take longer for her to gather the funds to buy her staff a new case. First, she wants to...deal with the ice mage giving her so much grief.
Chronicles of the Ark Mage 06[]
Vesti records this strange feeling she's felt ever since the party's last dungeon raid. Like she's a spring that's coiled up too tightly. It's been poking at her ever since Maiden pushed her out of the way of a fireball, and ended up visibly singed over it. The priest sighed over needing to keep an eye on the party as its most experienced member, and asked Vesti to stop questioning her contributions to the party, a notion she giggled and agreed to.
As Guillotine and Maiden argued over why the latter did not protect the former as she did Vesti, the mage tried to ask Volume about what she was feeling. The bard said nothing, merely putting a hand on Vesti's shoulder. Grumbling to herself about these strange feelings, Vesti asks her staff what she should do...
Chronicles of the Ark Mage 07[]
Vesti records how the knight helped her to release all of her tensions and loosen up. Maiden profusely thanked Vesti for saving her from a mimic, her recanting on the "uselessness" of explosion magic was of particular interest to the mage, apparently being unused to receiving compliments for her efforts.
As Maiden asked Vesti what she got up to with her spells prior to joining the party, Vesti recalls that everything went as the knight said. She just had to make up with Maiden, and all of her stress went away...
Chronicles of the Ark Mage 08[]
Vesti records that she remembers inviting the party to have a meal after their expedition, but not what happened after that...
Vesti invited everyone to sit down for camp as she cooked them a meal, having prepared everything ahead of time. Guillotine volunteered to start the fire...before immediately turning to Vesti and asking her to help.
While stirring the cooking pot (with her staff, of all things), Vesti asked Volume why she wanted to join the party. The bard bluntly told her she didn't plan on joining, more that her brief tag-along when they asked for help somehow spiraled into sticking with them on a longer basis. As for what comes after, Volume planned to increase her prestige as a musician and expand her audience. Pondering on how this socialization isn't going any way she thought it would, Vesti prompted Volume to ask her about what she aspired towards. Which she revealed to be becoming the master of the Mage Academy, so as to prove to everyone that explosion magic is the best magic.
The conversation was cut short as the food was finished, and Volume called everyone over to try it. Vesti recalls that nobody in the party seems to remember how the meal went. She wonders how it could've gone so wrong, when all she had to do was reheat the soup Emma made for her. She muses that she ought to cook them another meal given how this one turned out less than ideally...
Chronicles of the Ark Mage 09[]
Vesti looks back on the adventures she's had with the party, filled with nothing but fond recollections. To have so much fun together that she can barely catch any sleep thinking bout tomorrow's adventures...surely, this must be what friendship is like...
Vesti's chronicling of her thoughts is summarily interrupted by Guillotine calling her for their latest dungeon trip. The mage takes offense at Kitty being merely called a "staff," prompting Guillotine to apologize with some fluster. Just a little behind, Maiden, Volume, and the protagonist are struggling to proceed without jostling each other too hard...only to tumble into the space where Guillotine found Vesti talking to her staff. Reaching her boiling point, Vesti chants a spell and explosions begin flying all over the place...
Even as ash and smoke begin clouding up the surroundings and her memories, Vesti wonders if she can continue these fun adventures with her friends forever...
Chronicles of the Ark Mage: END
Gameplay[]
Tickets (Expedition Requests) are spent to play stages and earn currency (Money Bags) which can be traded in the shop for rewards. Tickets regenerate to a maximum of 5 per day, and additional Tickets can be bought in the shop for Gems.
3 copies of SR Nikke Neve will be available in the event shop. Neve will NOT be added to the standard pools or anywhere else after the event is over.
Event Map[]
Ice Dragon Saga will feature its own map where players can travel around and collect Lost Relics. New Lost Relics will be added every day.
Part I[]
Part I of the story and its stages will be unlocked as soon as maintenance ends.
Part II[]
Part II of the story and its stages will be unlocked at 5:00 December 12th (UTC+9).
Event Minigame - Dragon Dungeon Run[]
Unlocked after clearing Stage I-5. Train for the climatic battle using a simulation of the Demon King's Castle!
Dragon Dungeon Run is an endless hopper game similar to games like Crossy Road. The goal is to get as far as possible, dodging traps and monsters while collecting gold coins and treasure. Getting hit by monsters and traps will reduce HP, while falling into water is instant death. While only Guillotine is playable at the start, more characters will be unlocked with successive plays and as time passes in the event. Each character has their own unique skill to facilitate a run.
The player can start further ahead in the dungeon, provided they have reached specific milestones and enough time has elapsed in the event
DDR features a daily and challenge mission system, where completing objective will earn rewards.
| Name | Ability | Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Guillotine | Extermination: swings a sword to break all destructible obstacles in a circular area
Usage limit: Infinity Cooldown: 7 seconds |
Available from the start |
| Volume | HP Recovery: Drink a potion to regain HP
Usage limit: 3 times per run Cooldown: 10 seconds |
Travel a cumulative total of 500m across all runs |
| Vesti | Fireball: Shoots a fireball that detonates on the first obstacle it hits, destroying all breakable objects around the target
Usage limit: Infinity Cooldown: 5 seconds |
Collect 500 gold across all runs. Unlocked after 1 week has passed since event start. |
| Maiden | Time Freeze: Stops all obstacles and enemies for 3 seconds
Usage limit: 10 times per run Cooldown: 10 seconds |
Achieve a score of 10,000 points or higher in a single run AFTER the time condition. Unlocked after 2 weeks have passed since event start. |
Mission System - The Association Quest[]
An event-exclusive mission system with its own rewards
Daily Missions[]
The event will have its own daily mission system separate from the standard game
Challenge Missions[]
One-time missions that can be completed to earn extra Money Bags. Clearing Stage I-12N grants a Memory Film to unlock an event in the Archives. Clearing Stage II-12N grants the CG "ICE DRAGON SAGA" to decorate the Lobby.
Challenge Mode[]
Spend Challenge Chips to take on high-difficulty battles against Land Eater. Chips regenerate to a maximum of 1 per day
14-Day Login Event - Silent Hero, Holy Hero[]
As part of the event, a new login bonus will be implemented.
Ark Mage Pass[]
An event-exclusive Mission Pass separate from the standard version. The premium track offers the costume "Ark Mage" for Vesti.
List of Bonus Nikkes[]
Clear stages using the following Nikkes for a chance to earn additional Money Bags. Bonus stacks at 100%
| Bonus | Nikkes |
|---|---|
| +60% | |
| +40% | |
| +30% | |
| +20% |
Version Updates[]
Recruit Updates[]
New Limited SSR Nikkes - Maiden: Ice Rose and Guillotine: Winter Slayer[]
Durations;
M:IR Duration: End of maintenance to 5:00 December 26th (UTC+9)
G:WS Duration: 5:00 December 12th to 23:59 December 31st (UTC+9)
SSR Nikkes Maiden: Ice Rose[4] and Guillotine: Winter Slayer[5] will be on rate-up in the Special Recruit for a limited time. Molds to directly purchase them via Gold Mileage Tickets will be available in the shop. Maiden: Ice Rose and Guillotine: Winter Slayer will be temporarily available as Trial Nikkes in the Union Shooting Range during their designated rate-up periods.
*Limited Nikkes will NOT be added to the Standard pools in a later update.
Reissued Limited SSR Nikkes[]
Duration: End of maintenance to 5:00 December 26th (UTC+9)
The Limited SSR Nikkes released with NEVERLAND (Ludmilla: Winter Owner and Mica: Snow Buddy)[6] will have their rate-ups rerun in the Special Recruit. Molds to directly purchase them will also be added to the Mileage Shop. Ludmilla: Winter Owner and Mica: Snow Buddy will be temporarily available as Trial Nikkes in the Union Shooting Range during their designated rate-up periods.
*Rerun Limited Nikkes will NOT be available in new Nikke banners
*Limited Nikkes will NOT be added to the Standard pools in a later update.
Reissued SSR Nikkes[]
Cinderella, Grave, and Flora will be added to the Standard and Mold Recruit pools (not including Tutorial, New Commander 10-roll, or Mileage Shop). Cinderella and Grave cannot be pulled from the Social Point Recruit.
Archives Update[]
D.ark Hero will be added to the Archives after maintenance.
Coordinated Operation[]
Durations:
Modernia: 12:00 December 6th to 23:59 December 8th (UTC+9)
Chatterbox: 12:00 December 20th to 23:59 December 22nd (UTC+9)
Players will team up to take on the bosses Chatterbox and Modernia and earn Broken Cores to trade in the shop
Solo Raid[]
Duration: 12:00 December 12th to 5:00 December 19th (UTC+9)
Players use their Nikkes to take on the White Ice Dragon to earn Harmony Cube and Collection Item materials.
Full Burst Day[]
Duration: 5:00 December 7th to 5:00 December 19th (UTC+9)
5:00 December 14th to 5:00 December 16th (UTC+9)
During Full Burst Day, all rewards from Simulation Room and Interception are doubled.
Misc. Updates[]
- Outpost redecorated for winter season
- New Titles and Profile decorations
Trivia[]
- This is the 10th event to be fully voiced in its first iteration.
- The entire event is a parody of "transported to another world" fantasy stories, also known as "isekai." As such, cutscenes, visuals, and map features reference various isekai tropes as well as quotes and aspects of other popular media;
- The prologue's opening of "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..." is the same phrase used for various movie openings from the Star Wars franchise.
- Enikk greeting Guillotine with "Hey, you're finally awake." is a reference to the meme from the opening sequence of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Being sent to another world by a divine entity following death, usually by a vehicular accident is a common method for isekai authors to convincingly(?) set a context as to why the isekai would happen and/or why the main character would agree to it.
- A trope of isekai stories is to have the main character be offered a superpower, artifact, or otherwise a "cheat" to facilitate their journey. Some stories attempt to subvert the trope by giving the MC a "weak" or "trash" ability that they will invariably somehow use to overcome the odds. On rare occasions, stories may have the lead start with literally nothing.
- Guillotine's declaration of "[her] body will pierce the heavens" is a parody to Kamina's quote, "Your drill is the drill that will pierce the heavens!" from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann.
- Exia's quips of Guillotine lacking companions references the "Maidenless" meme from Elden Ring, which is used to poke fun at players/the other party for behaviors or shortcomings that ostensibly make them unpopular with women.
- Maiden's aversion of chickens is a reference to how some games ironically make small innocuous creatures like chickens the most dangerous creatures to provoke, most notably The Legend of Zelda and its Cuccos.
- Drake's "Stop right there, hero scum!" is a parody of the memetic "Stop right there, criminal scum!", one of many phrases said by guards in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion when they catch the player breaking the law.
- Maiden's pointing as she shouts "Objection!" and the protagonist's "Take that!" in "Objection! A Trial of Objections!" heavily references the Ace Attorney series, where attorneys in a trial will object, point, or generally do everything in overly dramatic fashion.
- The entire "battle" sequence in "The Power of Nikkes Is Staggering: A" is taken straight out of the Pokemon games, from the intro jingle to the UI to even the list of commands the protagonist can issue.
- The protagonist's inner monologue after "Change Nikke" is selected is a reference to Karen's quote after beating her in the Gen 2 games.
- The use of a flute to wake Frima references the Poke Flute item, which in Gen 1 games is used to wake up a sleeping Snorlax obstructing game progress.
- Maiden's "over 9000" comment in "A Night Where Destiny Sleeps: B" is a reference to the meme of the same name from Dragon Ball Z
- In "Must Dance: A", Maiden suggests knocking Mustang down and dealing an all-out attack on him, a reference to the mechanic from the Persona series.
- The dance battle sequence references rhythm games in general, most notably Dance Dance Revolution and Friday Night Funkin' with directional-based inputs.
- The options in the dance battle aside from copying Mustang's moves are the Konami Code and the Electric Wind God Fist from Tekken.
- Maiden asking Exia to boost their stats at the bonfire in "Must Dance: B" is a direct reference to Dark Souls' mechanic of increasing stats at bonfires.
- The overly-long names for stages and cutscenes is based off how many light novel titles (especially those of the isekai genre) are incredibly long both in their native language and translated, as well as how often those titles will explain the premise in a straightforward manner.
- "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Hero": That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.
- "My Lethal Eye Is So Overpowered, No One Stands a Chance Against Me": My Instant Death Ability Is So Overpowered, No One in This Other World Stands a Chance Against Me!
- "In Another World With My Companions": In Another World With My Smartphone
- "Problem Children Are Coming from This World, Aren't They?": Problem Children are Coming from Another World, aren't they?
- "The Hero is a Part-Timer!": The Devil is a Part-timer!
- "The Hero Is Overpowered but Helpless": The Hero is Overpowered but Overly Cautious
- The plastic chair and katana on the second island in the map references a meme based off a mod for Devil May Cry 5 that puts the character Vergil in a lawnchair.
- The blizzard that swirls towards the chair is a reference to the chorus of "Bury the Light", Vergil's theme song in Devil May Cry 5.
- The bonfire on the second island with a gun sticking out of it references the Dark Souls games, which use bonfires with a sword stuck in them as checkpoints.
- Vesti's Ark Mage costume and her explosion-obsessed behavior heavily reference the character Megumin from KonoSuba.
- Vesti launching explosives after Stage I-10 references a scene in KonoSuba where Megumin explodes a mountainside castle as practice.
- Maiden being stuck in a mimic after Stage I-10 references the character Frieren, the eponymous protagonist of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, who has a nigh-memetic tendency to get caught and swallowed by mimics.
- The map will undergo changes as the story progresses;
- "Guillotine has defeated the A.C.P.U.": After Stage I-1, A.C.P.U. and most NPC Nikkes will vanish from the map
- "Drake misses the hero Laplace.": After Stage I-3, Drake will appear in the center plaza
- "Maiden has found a way to earn money.": After Stage I-6, Maiden will be sweeping the center plaza. Vesti will appear near the guild
- "Emma has begun making delicious food. The banquet for the Hero and her companions has begun.": After Stage I-8, a party will begin on the east end of the village.
- "Vesti is using explosive magic. Volume has joined as a companion. The Four Heavenly Kings is ready to invade the town.": After Stage I-10, Volume will appear near the guild. Vesti will be firing explosion magic at the nearby mountain. Maiden can be found in the east end of the village, swallowed up to her upper torso by a mimic.
- "One of the Four Heavenly Kings, Mustang, has invaded the town.": After Stage I-12, Mustang and Underworld Queen will appear in town.
- "The adventurers are fighting with the organization.": After Stage II-2N, Nikkes in the village will square off against Mustang and Underworld Queen.
- "Maiden and Guillotine are heading towards the Demon King's Castle.": After Stage II-3N, Maiden and Exia will appear near the Demon King's Castle.
- "The frozen gate has opened. Maiden has been stopped by the brainwashed Laplace.": After Stage II-5N, The gate to the Demon King's Castle will open. Laplace will appear in front of the castle.
- "Guillotine's memory fragment has surfaced.": After Stage II-8N, Laplace will disappear from the map. The second island will be dotted with ice shards, which can be interacted with to reveal snippets of Guillotine's memories.
- After Stage II-10N, Maiden will disappear from the map. More memory fragments will spawn.
- "A faction supporting the Hero Guillotine has appeared. The townspeople gather to enjoy the party.": After Stage II-12N, Guillotine's memory fragments will despawn. Laplace and Drake will appear near the bonfire.
- During the final days of the event, the BGM was changed from "ICE DRAGON SAGA" to "Christmas Town."
- The minigame Album images reference other games and media, both in and out of Nikke;
- "Gotta catch Guillotine!" (Falls into water): References the fishing minigame from Beauty Full Shot, as well as a scene from Genshin Impact where the character Paimon is fished out of water.
- "Trap ahead." (Spike trap): Shows a UI similar to that of Dark Souls. Maiden leaving a message on the floor is similar to a common feature in Soulsborne games, where players can leave messages for each other.
- "Blasting off again!" (Rapture defeat): A running gag from the Pokemon anime where the antagonist Team Rocket is sent flying into the sky after defeat.
- "Art is an explosion!" (Fireball trap): Title is a catchphrase coined by abstract artist Tarō Okamoto and popularized by the character Deidara from Naruto. Guillotine lays in a crater similar to the memetic "Yamcha pose" from Dragon Ball Z.
- "It's dark and scary in here! Save me!" (Mimic defeat): References Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and the eponymous protagonist's tendency to get trapped in mimics. The title references the phrases Frieren shouts while caught in the mimic.
- "The most powerful White Ice Dragon lets out a roar." (Death by dragon's breath): Uses a "To be continued" in the corner similar to Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. The description dialogue is similar to that of the Resonance Cascade incident from the first Half-Life game.
- "The battle with despair." (F-rank clear): References Darkest Dungeon in art style and text, showing the party suffering from Affliction.
- "The cart is insurance." (D-rank clear): References Monster Hunter, showing the party riding a cart after a defeat, with the description referencing a Lynian.
- "Shall we go to the dungeon again?" (C-rank clear): Party rendered in an overly-muscular art style similar to older anime, such as Fist of the North Star or the early parts of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.
- "The excellence of Nikkes is the excellence of courage!" (B-rank clear): Party is posed like characters from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, complete with the "ゴゴゴゴ" (gogogo) onomatopoeia to underscore an ominous aura.
- "Get Over It!" (A-rank clear): References the (in)famous Getting_Over_It_with_Bennett_Foddy in both name and visuals.
- "Praise the Sun" (S-rank clear): Reference to a meme from Dark Souls, with the party performing the gesture that shares the same name.
References[]
- Notes
- References