Paradise of Infinity: 350

Title: Harem Takeover Time (3)

“That sounds amazing,” Nik gushes. His enthusiasm brings a smile to Samus’ face as she continues. “It was. I moved from planet to planet, dealing with all kinds of situations. But I must admit that my adventures feel lacking compared to yours. Those Primordial Spirits… seem Godly.”

“They might as well be ‘Gods’ of their realms,” Nik shrugs. “But I never faced them in their domains. All of them were severely weakened in the mortal realm but could still kick my ass.”

Samus nods. “You are also physically strong. Excuse my bluntness, but do you train? Or do you rely on your bloodline as Denny did?”

“I train,” Nik smiles before sighing, “Whenever I get the time for it. It’s hard to form a schedule that instills everything, like meditation, spending time with my family, focusing on the outside world, developing my Scar of Infinity, and training.”

Samus appears contemplative at the information. Meanwhile, Nik continues, “But I’m fortunate to have others to share the burden. I’m planning to bring a great help to the development of my world. As for my training…”

Nik works his jaw. Becoming a Master is no easy feat. Others primarily supported his growth as a Master of three different elements. However, he slowly realizes the talent one needs to become a master like Toph, Azula, Katara, Zuko, and Aang. Despite training, his Airbending’s improvement is stuck at an Expert rank. Even Ignit’s better at Lightningbending than Nik.

“Well, training always depends on effort,” Nik sighs. “I’m going to give my all. Let’s see how good I can be at stuff.”

‘Or I can extort spirits for their essence and consume their husks.’

“That’s the spirit,” Samus smiles, a little too pleased with Nik’s answer. “I confess that Denny wasn’t the likable sort for me. She took me in as a means to train other girls. That’s how Denny saw me—a tool. It wouldn’t be so bad if she let me do my job. But Denny always let others, like Hayase and Faye, walk over me. Don’t misunderstand. I don’t dislike those two. I just wish they didn’t use Denny against me. It’s quite frustrating.”

“You’re worried they would do the same with me?” Nik smirks.

“If you employ me at your service, yes,” Samus maintains a level of professionalism lacking by others. It’s also her way to try and fend Nik off to some extent if he has some ‘ideas’ about her.

“You will love Suki,” Nik chuckles.

“Suki?” Samus inquires.

“She’s my fiancee,” Nik beams. “And she’s the leader of the Big Butt Scam Recruitment.”

“Pardon me?”

“Don’t tell her I told you this,” Nik jokes. After all, everyone in Nik’s mansion knows this by now. “But Suki’s primary method of recruiting other women into her training group is by promising them wide hips and perky, bubble butts. Locally, Suki and her group are called the Kyoshi Warriors. Several of my Fiancees train under Suki or spar with her group to maintain their expertise.”

Samus blinks, bringing her slender fingers to her chin with a ponderous expression. Even if in baggy attire, Nik feels power radiate from Samus. She isn’t petite or thin but a picture of mass and well-defined musculature under her pale, smooth skin.

“What is it?” Nik questions.

“Nothing… I’m just marveling at your Fiancee’s schemes.”

“Eh?”

“Of course!” Samus snaps. “I could have used Denny’s lust for those women against them by promising Denny my training regime would make others more attractive! Why didn’t I do it?”

‘Because you have a soul?’ Nik blinks. After all, he pities Jin, who never gets a reprieve from Suki. Jin used to get away by manipulating Suki’s kindness… but those days are long gone. Suki is aware of Jin’s schemes.

So, the thought of someone like Samus meeting Suki…

Well, Nik vows to remember Jin’s beautiful smile in his heart cause she ain’t gonna smile for some time.

“I’ll introduce your group around after I see what’s on the top floor,” Nik smiles as Samus snaps out of her thoughts before she nods.

“Thank you again,” she pats her wrist.

“Don’t mention it,” Nik shrugs.

“Now… only she is left, right?” Samus questions. “She… she’s been like that for some reason ever since Denny said something to her.”

Nik huffs.

“I’m sure she is grateful for everything,” Samus quickly defends the final ‘member.’ “Denny must have revealed something particularly distasteful for her to become like this.”

“I understand,” Nik smiles. “Is she going to come here? I can meet that person in her room if she doesn’t want to come out.”

Samus blinks.

“You will?”

“Lady,” Nik deadpans. “Have I been anything but accommodating?”

“Oh, right,” Samus smirks. “You’ve been the most helpful. Come on, I’ll tag along.”

Nik and Samus leave the living room. Of the four floors, the ground floor consists of a shared kitchen, two bathrooms attached to separate toilets, and a common room for others to relax in. The other two floors are divided into adequate bedrooms with attached dressing rooms and a shared bathroom on every floor.

Occupying the common room, the other girls discover Nik leaving with Samus, walking up the stairs. Curious, they follow the duo before realizing their destination.

Stopping beside the door, Nik knocks. “Are you awake?” He questions. “I’d like to ask you a few things.”

Samus and others didn’t expect any reaction. Nik is the same. When he saw this woman… well, calling her unkempt would be an understatement. Even now, he can smell the sour scent pervading beyond the room.

Surprisingly, a voice drifts past the door. “It’s… open…”

Nik blinks before twisting the doorknob and entering the room. Others are left outside as he closes the door, letting his gaze wander around the neat room. Nothing feels out of place.

Everything, except for the unkempt bed, is untouched. Sitting cross-legged on the mattress is a brown-skinned, dark-haired woman. Her light pink lips thins at his appearance, and her brown eyes reveal slight discomfort. Still, she attempts to adjust her short, shaggy hair.

“May I?” Nik looks at the chair, not trying to become overly familiar with the woman and making her uncomfortable. He can probably charm them. However, he has no thought of ‘conquering’ others just because they happened to find themselves with his opponents.

She nods, waiting for Nik to sit before opening up, “What do you want?”

“I want to know more about you and the world you’re from.”

This gets a reaction out of her as the woman grits her teeth.

“But if you’re uncomfortable about it,” Nik clears his throat, “that’s understandable. Samus told me how Denny said something to you, Casca. Are you going to be alright? Do you require some help?”

“I—” she sharply inhales. “I’ll be fine.” Casca schools her expression.

Nik smiles at her. “Great. Do you have anything you want to do once you decide to step out? I’m unfamiliar with your world’s culture, so I don’t know what to suggest.”

She frowns, hesitating, “I’m… I’m not good at things other women are supposed to be good at.”

“That would be?” Nik questions.

“Being a woman,” she averts her gaze. “Being gentle… cooking, and other things… all I’m good for is with a sword in my hand.”

“Oh? I’ll be happy to test your skills,” Nik shrugs. “Besides, you don’t need to know how to cook to be a woman.”

“What do you mean?” Casca frowns.

“I mean… women can be bad cooks,” Nik snickers. “They can be bad at cleaning, too. I don’t think one’s skill defines what you are. At best, skill concludes what you want to be.”

Casca looks down, clutching the blanket against her bosom. “Denny… she showed me some things. Is it true that we… people like me are known to others because of printed pictures?”

“Do you mean manga and comics?” Nik nods. “It’s possible. But I don’t know you. I tend not to focus on ‘characters’ since it takes away from how I want to live. That’s why I asked about your world, not your friends and families. I’m more interested in the wonderful sights you’ve seen.”

Casca’s body shudders as her head sinks lower. Tears soon fill her eyes as the woman begins sobbing into her blanket.

Surprised, Nik backtracks, “Did I say something wrong?”

“N-No,” Casca shakes her head, wiping her tears. “I… my friends…” She swallows a lump before falling silent.

Nik guesses, “Do you miss them?”

“It’s not that,” Casca regains her composure. Her brown eyes dim as she slowly reaches for a book with a thick, black, leathery cover. On it is the word ‘Berserk’ written in red.

“Denny showed me this…”

She hands Nik the book, who calmly begins to flip through the pages before promptly closing it. He frowns, almost vexed.

“Why would she show you something like this?” He sets the book aside. Sure, he doesn’t know much about the plot. But there were a few scenes about a woman eerily similar to Casca being…

Well, for the lack of a better sentence—

—being devilishly tended to.

“She said I was wrong to put my faith in my leader… former Leader,” Casca stares into nothingness. “But… it can be a lie, right?” She suddenly looks at Nik. “Denny… she was lying, right? It can’t be true. Why would he do all this to our band? Griffith singlehandedly made us who we are!”

Nik falls silent.

“There are different variations to a world. Yes.” Nik answers.

“So, you’re saying the Griffith from my world would have never done this, right?” Hope resurfaces in her brown eyes as Nik recalls his experiences. He stopped caring about the character’s meta-knowledge partly due to Avatar: The Live Action and his own thoughts.

However, Nik knows there’s a pattern to things, as—once explained to him by the Primordial Spirit of Fate.

No matter the distortion, things tend to follow their original route. Aang will defeat the Fire Nation in every verse, including the suspicious Cum-Verse. However, the addition of Hosts like Nik can distort that pattern.

Still, things shall return to their intended courses once the hosts leave.

For instance, had Nik decided to kill Aang, another Avatar would have risen to defeat the Fire Nation.

So, if he isn’t wrong…

“Perhaps you’re right,” Nik smiles. It’s wise to not look away from the worst situations, but it won’t do him or Casca any good should he dash her hopes. Maybe her world is different indeed. Also, whether this Griffith guy does things in his world has nothing to do with Nik. He only sees an opportunity to diss Denny and pull Casca into his support.

“I wouldn’t think much of what Denny said or wanted you to think.”

Casca blinks before appearing earnest. She waits for further words.

“It’s clear Denny wanted to have physical intimacy with you,” Nik reveals the ‘truth.’ “The quickest way would be to lower your trust for someone you liked—”

“I- I don’t like Griffith!” She snaps and puckers her lips. “I admit… I learned a lot about myself through these books. But that Casca—” she points at the manga volume, “and I am different.”

“You are,” Nik affirms. “So, don’t think too much about this.” He points at the manga volume, too. “Besides, you’re a swordswoman, right?” He smirks. “I’ll get you a fine sword to cut anyone who thinks stupid things about you.”

Casca glances at Nik, appearing dazed.

“Yes?” Nik smiles cluelessly. Did he say something wrong again?

“Nothing…” Casca coughs before tossing that book a repulsive glare. “Can you please destroy it? I’ll be grateful—”

Nik taps the book with his right hand, devouring it for AP.

“There,” Nik stands. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. May I suggest something?”

“Of course,” Casca smiles. Nik just felt… comfortable. He even eased her worries in a few words, accepting a significant burden in her mind without reluctance. Such kindness is refreshing.

“A bath every few days goes a long way.”

Casca’s smile freezes in its tracks before she thunders, “GET OUT!”

Nik rubs the bridge of his nose as he avoids the pillow while emerging from the room.

“What happened?” Samus questions instantly as Casca shouts again.

“And don’t say another word about it!”

“Got it,” Nik chuckles as he closes the door before he looks at Samus. “I’m going to go check out the top floor. I appreciate everyone’s cooperation till now.”

They could only nod, curious about Nik’s dialogue with Casca. Yet, they couldn’t question him since he already climbed the stairs.

<<<>>>

Nik looks at the metallic door at the stair’s end, barring the entire floor. Narrowing his eyes, Nik touches the contraption, using his senses to get a feel for the lock and the layout of the floor beyond the door. Unlike the lower floors, the top floor isn’t divided into rooms. It’s an open layout with several items stationed.

Still, Nik feels slightly odd.

After her death, Denny’s circumstances appear odd. She was… too rich.

One way or another, every host brought over this time must have been on a similar standing. Ray might bitch about it, but she’s loaded, too. Accu-mulet takes such wealth to another level. But Denny?

The supposed Shapeshifter felt strangely unimpressive from how she’s tended after these women.

Anyone with a shred of self-respect would not have created such a mess of a Harem. For instance, Denny needed to have a child’s mind about forging relationships else she would have never shown Casca pictorial descriptions of the man—she seemed to have worshipped—violating her in her lover’s presence.

In Denny’s shoes, Nik would have gone about it all in or all out. For instance, Nik would not have the mind to play pretend with his slaves IF he ever thought of rearing them. That doesn’t cut it. Sure, it’s also circumstantial, as he revealed before. He will buy someone he directly knows to save them from a fate worse than death.

But Denny?

She’s been oddly unimpressive in everything but her wealth.

Nik calmly metalbends the gate as he ponders the situation.

Again, he feels Denny’s incompetence from something peculiar he sensed on the top floor. So, he exhales and calls loudly. “Samus? Can you hear me?”

“Yes?” Samus’ voice drifts to the fourth floor.

“Can you come up?”

“In a moment,” she replies, as confused as the rest. But she will know what’s up once she enters the top floor.

No wonder others cannot enter the area.

Nik shakes his head as he grunts in annoyance. The metal door opens with a resounding ‘ka-cha’ as Nik steps inside. Samus is already by the stairs of the third floor when she hears Nik’s loud, almost frightful yell.

“Take everyone out, NOW!” Nik screeches as a resounding explosion shakes the building.

Not asking further, Samus instantly turns around, hearing Nik’s order resound through the entire building as his voice seems to be enhanced.

“GO TO MY SCAR OF INFINITY. DON’T STOP FOR ANYTHING IF YOU WANT TO LIVE—”

His warning is cut short as another explosion shakes the building. Samus watches Nik’s figure crashing through the floor with a being of fiery orange light slamming into Nik. Wide-eyed, Samus’ body kicks into overdrive, like the rest, as she helps others swiftly leave the building before rushing in the direction of the border of this world to travel to the other side.

“H-Hey! What if he’s lying?” Tomo yells, still cautious of Nik. Yet, her eyes pop wide the second she glances back.

“I got you, Bug.”

A terrifying, hoarse voice explodes as the entire building collapses. The rubble morphs into a massive golem with a skull head, orange light flickering in its sockets. It holds a tiny figure in its clenched fist.

Nik.

Tomo shuts up as she grabs the least physically inclined Misuzu before running ahead. Yor picks Carol, and Samus does the same for Shuuko.

Hayase and Faye are fit enough to follow after the group as waves of apprehension fill their hearts.

“Where are you sweethearts going?” They feel a stifling pressure rest atop them, only for it to disappear the next second.

“Go.”

They hear a calm voice directed at them.

Unwilling to stop, all the girls experience is a sharp violet glow casting shadows from their backs as the hoarse voice grunts.

“Quite the feisty bug, are we?”

Be it islands, worlds, or others’ Scars of Infinity…

Nik can’t catch a break.

***

Alternate Title: Nik and Samus About To Fuck Metroids… Ingame *Cue Dantes Unhinged Laugh*; Suki: So, I would Like To Welcome You To Big Booty— ehm, Kyoshi Warriors; Avatar Kyoshi Drowning in Big Booties; Avatar Kyoshi Knew What’s Up—Nik’s Plunderer; Suki and Samus Exist *Jin: Chuckles, I’m In Danger*; Samus: Suki Is Filled With Wisdom *Nik: I Call It Cum or Nut, But You Do You*; Samus: So, You Saved The World? Smash; Samus Ain’t a Tool… It’s Denny; The Last Member?; Denny Really Working Everyone’s Trauma; Denny To Casca: Hey? Did You Watch This Cool Manga? You’ll Love It; *Femto Approved Moment*; Casca’s Here; Casca: I Don’t Like Griffith! *Eyes Nik With Some Gratitude* *Also Nik: Kay. Do You Like Baths?*; Stank Casca; The Depression Is Real; The Oddly Unimpressive Denny; Denny Practically Gifted Nik a Supreme Harem of Slice of Life and Tragic Figures; Harem Characters From Otome Dori, Tachibana Sexual Circumstances, Taimanin, Kuroinu, and Takeda Hiromitsu/Shindol Works: Tragic Figures? Real Shit; Nik Exists *Plot: Catch These Hands, Mofo*; Tomo: Hey, He Can Be Lying! *Sees Nik Getting Beat Down By a Building* Perhaps I Judged You Too Harshly; Denny’s Vengeance From Beyond The Grave; Shuuko, Misuzu, and Carol Get The Nobara Pick-Up Treatment

***

A/n: There it is, people! We’re going for the holy grails for tragic figures. We’ve got Saki AND Casca. Let’s aim for Sakura Matou For The Wholesome Grail. (Fuck Sakura’s Dad and the Bug Bastards.)