Ch. 001 - What could possibly go wrong?

Gamindustri: a land of video games where the people of four great nations - Planeptune, Lowee, Lastation, and Leanbox - live their lives in constant danger from monsters, but also under the protection of their patron Goddesses: the Console Patron Units (CPUs) and the CPU Candidates.

It is a land where belief in a Goddess manifests as Share Energy, their source of power, and the more Share Energy a population generates, the stronger their deities are. Due to this, the nations spend most of their time in friendly but nonetheless strong competition to create new games and hardware, to gain the favour of the citizens of other nations and their respective Shares. That said, while rare, open conflict and war with lethal weaponry are far from entirely unknown.

The Goddess of Planeptune is a young-looking lazy airhead with a big and magnetic personality called Neptune. In her Hard-Drive Divinity (HDD) form, she becomes a taller and much more curvy female swords-woman named Purple Heart. Planeptune's CPU Candidate, known as Purple Sister and also Neptune's younger sister, is Nepgear. Ironically she looks like the older and more mature one, but she adores Neptune greatly. Gentle, kind, and a genius with technology, she does everything for her sister and the people of Planeptune. She is also well-liked by her friends as a very competent leader despite her typical demeanour.

The Goddess of Lowee is a young teen-looking girl named Blanc. Her white clothes, short brown hair, and disinterested blue eyes which seem to always be stuck in a book, alongside her quietness, hide a powerful personality prone to aggression and violence, which truly comes to show when she turns into the ferocious White Heart. Yet despite these traits, she and her two sisters, the quiet Rom and the bratty Ram, are immensely popular among Loweenians and abroad.

Lastation has two girls on its own - the CPU Noire, a regal-looking girl with long black twin-tails whose signature black-blue dress, rapier, and perfectionist personality hide a life of work and secret loneliness. She is never truly satisfied, always striving to improve herself and her nation, as well as displaying a show of superiority and arrogance as Black Heart. Her younger sister, Uni, looks remarkably similar to her and is also of a similar personality - but being stuck in Noire's shadow takes its slow but steady toll on her self-esteem.

Finally there is Leanbox, but it is an odd exception as it does not have a CPU Candidate. Its sole ruler is Vert, a very mature-looking woman of golden hair and eyes as blue as the sea. Fond of her curvy body, she is one who often makes light of the others' forms. Nonetheless she is highly educated, gentle, and loves games and her people over everything else. In battle, she becomes Green Heart, the most self-sure goddess of all and to her friends she proves an immensely powerful ally. The fact she has no younger sister of her own however is a constant drain on her mental well-being.

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It is a beautiful spring day. In a forest located in Western Planeptune, the Candidates are out for an enjoyable walk. Or so they intended.

"Haaaaaaaaaah!" screams Nepgear as her blade slices through a Fenrir, a dangerous wolf-like monster. The creature lets out a stark howl as it bursts into particles.

"Nepgear! Step aside!" a voice comes from behind her, and she barely dodges as a powerful plasma beam scares the landscape, burning a gash through the ground and right through another Fenrir. Split in two, it immediately turns back into energy and dissipates.

"Great job you two!" comes the enthusiastic voice of Ram, the younger of the two Lowee Candidate twins.

"W-Well done..." agrees Rom, the quiet older one.

The four candidates go into a close circle, smiling at each other over another hunt well-done and an emergency quest quickly fulfilled.

"B-But really... the monsters never stop coming back..." Rom mutters, almost too quiet to be heard by anyone.

The other girls nod in thought, already tired from the fighting.

"Hey, I know! How about we visit Plutia?" Ram suddenly suggests, her fist in the air with a cheer.

"Well, the portal is close-by, so we could." Nepgear agrees.

Everyone thus goes to a large teleporter device that connects this Gamindustri to another, similar one. Yet that Gamindustri, while it has copies of Blanc, Noire, and Vert, lacks its own Neptune as well as any Candidates. Hidden behind greenery and shrubbery, only the sun in the blue sky over it provides it with any light at all. Because for some reason, it is deactivated.

"...Huh? That's odd. Histoire said the teleporter cannot be shut off. Nepgear, could it be broken?" Uni wonders aloud as Nepgear heads to the device to take a look at its control panel. Pushing a few buttons, there is no response to the purple-haired girl's commands.

"It... might be damaged. Let me see if I can fix it." she says, taking a small computer device out of her white school-uniform-like dress and goes to work.

The others rest for a moment on a few benches installed around the teleporter as Nepgear does her analysis.

"Ohhhh, I got it!" she suddenly exclaims, getting the attention of the others.

"So what was the problem, Miss Nepgear?" Rom, ever-so-quietly, asks.

"It was just a few cables being burned out. I replaced them with some spares and rebooted the OS. Although there were some weird symbols in the code, I tried to fix it from memory. So it should be fine once it's powered up."

"Then what are we waiting for!? Start it up and gooooo!" Ram shouts, causing Rom to flinch a bit over the sudden outburst.

"Alright. Stand back." Nepgear says as she initiates the device.

With a low, steady hum, it powers up, a bright white light flashing and glowing in its core - the actual portal which the device creates to connect this place to its mirror. Suddenly the wind picks up and the girls have to shield their eyes due to the dust being blown into the air. A storm seems to come right out of the portal, but instead of pushing, it sucks the air instead.

"Wh-What's going oooooon!?" is all that Nepgear can make out over the extremely loud winds as she loses consciousness.

Everything goes black and then... nothing.

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When the Candidates finally come to, they find themselves in a very different place. No green forest, no technological structures, not even sunlight... and no sight of the teleporter device. Instead they find themselves in a weird circular room dimly lit by purple torches, with stone walls of impeccable masonry depicting people doing... things.

In the middle of the room is a pedestal upon which rests a statue of sorts.

"Wh-Where are we?" Nepgear can only say as she looks around.

"I don't know. This doesn't look like any place I've ever been to. Not even Lastation Castle looks quite like this." Uni answers.

Ram and Rom are still coming to, but start hugging each other, a small pile of blue and pink as they stay close together. Rom is clearly scared, while Ram tries to calm her down.

As everyone gets up and looks around the room more closely, there is only one exit at the other side of the room, shut off with a large stone door detailed with intricate runes.

"Everyone, stay on guard! This might be a trap!" Nepgear shouts, trying to transform into her Purple Sister form... to no avail. "Wh-Why? Transform! TRANSFORM!" Nothing.

"I can't feel any Shares in this place. It's like we're completely cut off!" Uni explains, herself as well as the Loweenian girls failing to transform into their CPU Sister forms, too. At the very least, they can summon their weapons as those are not created from Share Energy but their own power.

"Should I try blasting the door?" Uni suggests, but immediately gets a shake of the head from Nepgear.

"No, we don't know what could happen. We should investigate this pedestal first."

So the Candidates step onto the stone pedestal, in which's mid stands a weird device.

"It... kinda looks like a motorcycle seat." Uni remarks, having seen her sister drive a motorbike a couple times.

"It's made from stone though. Why would anyone make a bike from stone!?"

"M-Maybe they didn't have metal?"

"Well, whatever the reason is. Nepgear, do you think you can find out what this is for?"

"Leave it to me!"

Thus Nepgear goes to work, but finds nothing of note. It is seemingly just a stone sculpture in the shape of a seat and handlebar.

"Miss Nepgear, look over here!" Rom suddenly shouts, and everyone looks in her direction. As they follow Rom's pointing, they see a stone tablet with an inscription.

"Straddle tis seat and prove thou art a woman."

"Straddle... what? The seat? And prove we are women?" None of the girls has any idea what exactly it means. Then they look around and notice the engravings on the walls. As one, they look to the ground, blushing. While very pure, the four are not completely oblivious after all, and they quickly realise what exactly the tablet wants.

"I-I still think we should just shoot the door open!"

"Y-Yeah, there's no way any of us could do this."

So the four get into position, Ram and Rom starting to cast magic on Nepgear's blade, herself ready to strike after Uni shoots the door to hopefully warm and soften it up.

"Ready? FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Uni shouts, her summoned plasma rifle letting lose a continuous stream of extremely hot energy. The door hisses and slightly bends... and then the stream suddenly bounces back!

"Get down!"

On command, everyone throws to the ground just in time for the blazing-hot plasma to come back and scorch the walls.

"Ouch ouch ouch. I think I singed some hairs..." Ram complains as they get up again.

"Well that was a bust. Sorry."

"It's not your fault, Uni. It must be some kind of forcefield at work. But I guess that leaves us with only one option."

"I-I... I'll do it!"

Everyone looks at Rom, the blue-dressed diminutive girl who otherwise always seems to be just about to cry, with astonishment.

"Rom! No! If anyone, it should be me, your darling sister. Right!?"

"N-No! I made up my mind. I want to help Miss Nepgear in this. So I'll do it!"

Determination in her eyes, Ram is actually taken aback by the attitude.

Nepgear and Uni also try to talk her out of it, but Rom refuses to budge. As the Loweenian Candidate steps once again onto the pedestal, she hesitates for only a moment. With a gulp, she climbs onto the bike-like seat and grabs the handlebars.

"...N-Now what?" For a moment, nothing happens, but then metal wires coated in some kind of oil come out of new openings from the seat and latch onto Rom. At the same time, a strange glow surrounds the pedestal.

"Ahhhhh!?" she shouts as she is pressed onto the seat and rocked back and forth, forced to rub her white tights-clad crotch against it.

The other three spend only a split second before running toward her, but the eerie glow repels them.

"Rom! ROM! Are you alright!?" Ram shouts, fear for her dear sister clear in her voice.

"I-I-I don't know!!! It feels... it feels... weird... strange... good!? AHHHHHN!!!"

Rom's body heats up as the contraption picks up speed, making her small body go through a forced act of masturbation, culminating in perhaps her first-ever orgasm as her vision goes white and her mind blank from the pleasure.

"Hah... haaa... aaaaahhhh..." She can only mutter under her breath as the glow recedes and the metal wire things retract, the holes covered up again as if never there.

With a loud rumble, the door opens, revealing stairs leading downstairs.

As Rom slowly gets off the device, the place between her legs still wet and sticky, Ram rushes to her to comfort her.

"I-I'm fine, Ram..."

While concerned of course, Ram does not push the matter. Rom showed bravery here, so even she knows not to ruin the moment. So do the other two, respect in their eyes that Rom would sacrifice herself like that.

"Miss Nepgear... the way is open. I think we can go now." Rom says in a low voice, still a little hazy from the experience.

"NOT SO FAST, YOU FOUR!"

A loud, booming voice rings out from all around them, making them snap to attention.

"ONLY THE ONE WHO PROVED HERSELF MAY GO FORTH! THE OTHERS SHALL AWAIT THEIR TURNS!"

"Who are you? Why are you doing this to us!?" Nepgear shouts at the walls, sword at the ready. Back-to-back with Uni, she is wary of even the tiniest detail. But no answer ever comes.

"Tsk, coward! I knew I should have put more force into my gun."

"Err, I doubt that would have helped. In any case, I guess we can't go yet?"

"I'll go!" Rom declares with her staff held high.

"Rom, no! You already did your best. You can't just go alone!"

"Ram, I'll be fine, I promise." And with that, she gets up and goes straight to the stairs. As she reaches the stones in front of them, a forcefield much like the earlier one surrounds her, ensuring that no one else can follow her. With a faint smile, she steps down, her blue hat the last thing the others see as the gate snaps shut once more.

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While the other three Candidates can now only wait, Rom slowly and carefully goes down the stone stairs. Eventually reaching the last step, before her opens a sprawling room not unlike the first.

"This looks... like some kind of arena, maybe?" Unsure, she edges further, but stops only a few metres away from the stairs, which promptly disappear into the brickwork with a loud thud! Now trapped, the only way is forward. Clutching her staff, her usual unease makes itself known, so she shuffles slowly forward.

*Click*!

"Ahh---!?" is all she can say as the stone beneath her shoe gives way, activating a trap. A dense pink fog starts surrounding her, and various chambers across the walls open up, unleashing a horde of small, humanoid monsters.

"Gegege! Gege!? *Sniff sniff*... A female! Catch 'er, bois!" The green creatures, resembling goblins from various fantasy games, immediately start running towards the startled Lowee girl, frozen in place for a moment. But Rom is no mere little girl anymore. She fought against death itself with her best friends - the other Candidates - by her side, and even rescued the CPUs from its clutches while doing so.

"I-I-Ice Stooooorm!!!" The area immediately drops below freezing, a huge wave of ice and snow covering everything in an instant. The goblins have no time to even react, it happens that quickly.

Panting, feeling flushed with heat despite the now-freezing cold surroundings, Rom's breath suddenly becomes ragged. Her body aches in a numb pain, but also pleasant feelings. Putting her hands below her skirt and tights, she tries to pleasure herself. Unskilled as she is as this is extremely rare for her, her dainty hands try to find a good spot to rub against. Carefully exploring, she notices that her nipples are starting to hurt and demand attention as well, so she gets her right hand up and puts it into her jacket from below.

"...Ah... Haahh... Ahnn... This might be, ahhn, the right spot? Ahhn!?" Hitting the right spot after some trial and error, she focuses on rubbing and pinching her left nipple as as well as around and inside her pussy. Trembling from the feeling, she speeds up the movement, panting and moaning all the while until, with her spine arching back in pleasure, she cums even stronger than earlier.

Nearly passing out from the orgasm, she can only lie there in the snow for a bit as she enjoys the afterglow and the white world around her and inside her head.

Ability gained: Desire Addict! - A girl who likes masturbation and erotic play. Her fetishes are not changed by this, but the urge to have her sexual desires fulfilled on a regular basis is almost overwhelmingly strong now.

The weird announcement rings in her head, and Rom quickly notices that something has changed inside her. Her head is suddenly filled with the urge to masturbate again, and again, and again until she has tired herself out completely. Barely able to resist the relentless throbbing from deep inside her pussy now, she gets up, using her staff as a crutch, and shakes her head.

"N-No... no! I must... advance... find a way out!" Thus she is on her way through the arena-like room, thankfully not activating any further traps on the way. But when reaching the next stairs, she needs to take another break as the demands of her pussy to be satisfied have very quickly become completely unbearable. Putting her staff on the ground, she starts straddling it, rubbing back and forth while trying to play with both her nipples. With some effort, she cums again in a loud outcry, and her body is finally satisfied. For the time being.

With her mind clearer now, she makes it down the stairs quickly and finds... another room. Octagon-shaped and much smaller this time, the walls are lined with glass yet none of it offers any reflections. In the middle, on a pedestal smaller than that of the initial room, stands a large rectangular mirror. It is lined with tarnished gold and seems to lack a backside.

Cautiously, Rom steps forward, this time making sure not to step on another trap (not that there are any plate-activated traps in this room, but she does not know that.) The mirror is actually mounted on a strange gear and follows her direction, so she is unable to see what it looks like on the backside.

Gathering determination, she goes even closer, onto the pedestal, and is surprised when a grey fog starts collecting behind the mirror's surface. Taking shape, two red lights shine out, and a figure steps from outside the mirror.

"S-Sister? Big sister Blanc!?" Rom can hardly believe it, but right in front of her stands Blanc, in all her usual regalia. The only thing off about her is that her eyes are red instead of blue, but she does not radiate any malevolent intent.

"Rom? What are you doing here!? Why didn't you come back to the castle for dinner!? And where is Ram!?"

The barrage of questions makes Rom flinch. She knows that when her sister is like this, it is only moments before she transforms and starts punching walls.

"W-We were in the forest by the teleporter because we wanted to visit P-Plutia, and... something went wrong. We found ourselves here. The others are 2 floors above, but I had to go alone." Casting her head down, Rom recites the situation to an angry-looking, but not just-about-to-go-berserk, Blanc.

Unexpectedly, Blanc kneels down and hugs Rom.

"S-Sister!?" This is very unusual. While Blanc is very fond of her younger sisters, this affection rarely involves hugs and cuddles even when the three read story books together. But Blanc is very warm, so Rom quickly relaxes and loses herself in the embrace.

"I-I was so scared!!!" Her emotions flow free and she starts to cry.

"Shush. I can imagine. What you did was very brave, and I'm sure the others thought so as well. But you must continue onward." Tightening the hug, Blanc then starts whispering into Rom's ear.

"Rom, you must never forget. We, as the CPUs and CPU Candidates, exist to serve and protect the people. Their wants and needs and desires must be fulfilled, and they provide us the Shares we need to live in turn. If someone asks you to get their cat out of a tree, you fly up and rescue the kitty. When a monster threatens a village, you must head out and blast it to bits. And when a man has had no luck with girls, why, it is only right for you to spread your legs and offer him a piece of the heaven only we can offer. Do you understand that?"

As Blanc continues her talk, something else changes inside Rom. This time, however, it is not her body but her heart. No, her very soul is being altered.

"Y-Yes... I fully understand. I'll do... whatever the people ask of me...!" And with that statement, the change is finalised.

Blanc, satisfied, nods and steps toward the mirror again.

"I can't help you any more than this, but I am sure you are strong enough to continue from here on out. I believe in you. Because you are my darling little sister." And with that, she is gone, leaving Rom behind.

Rom's eyes glaze over for a moment, as if in deep thought. "Serve the people at any cost. No matter what they ask. That is what we do. Save the animals, protect the humans, even offer your very body to others if need be. That is what we do... What we do..."

Rom drops her staff and leans against the mirror.

"I'll make Big Sister Blanc proud."

Unbeknownst to her, a shadow watches her from a corner of the room, smiling darkly to itself.

Ability gained: Lewd Good Girl! - A girl whose pure heart has been changed so she believes that offering up her body to anyone who just asks nicely is inherently virtuous; she will do absolutely anything to fulfil other people's sexual desires with a smile on her face.