The Ancient Darkness
By Zoram Selrof
Chapter 1: A great calamity
06:08 AM (Bermuda Time), Saturday November the 1st, 2204…
"… Whoa. This room looks important! Let's make sure to document all of it in case there's something we can analyze later on…"
A person was standing in the middle of a round stone chamber which was slightly flooded while looking around the walls having illustrations and glyphs drawn into them: a hole on the ceiling two meters higher seemed to be the only way inside of the room.
"Heh, heh, heh. It was easy entering this place. Denpa – Henkan makes things so easy…"
The guy speaking looked slightly over a meter and fifty tall: his main color of choice was red.
He sported black shades: a flock of messy reddish hair came out from behind the helmet given how it only covered the face and the front of the head: his ear-pads had two purple "V" letters drawn inside of them.
His armor had the purple letters "BS" engraved on the chest area while his legs were colored black and had two red stripes running down the legs' sides in a parallel manner.
His right forearm was covered by a device colored red coupled with a piece of it which was colored transparent red: a small indentation near the wrist had the same "BS" initials engraved there: and, where the hand would be, a large double-barreled shotgun emerged instead.
"Name's Blood Shadow… And my very existence is somewhat of an irony, even… Since I'm shaped after an existing person… But that's fine anyway, so… Let's concentrate on our mission."
Blood Shadow headed forward across the irregular ground having cracks or dislocated stone blocks.
"Hum, hum."
He reached a small square cavity cut in the wall and surrounded by some purple-colored glyphs: what seemed to be a Giga Card was set inside of the compartment while leaning against the far wall in a 45º angle.
"Giga Card…? I knew these guys had come up with those "Ancient Star Carriers", but Giga Cards… This is worth a quick analysis. I'll take it to the HQ and then return it once we're done. We don't wanna stir up Burai's bad moods… Luckily, he seems to be obsessed with beating all "Omega" version Denpa Bodies, so…" Blood Shadow muttered.
He picked it up with his left hand and examined the label: a person clad in an ancient tunic could be seen giving the back and adoring eight columns of purplish light extending both up and down: a purplish evil-like "face" was draw in the middle of it.
"That face reminds me of the Darkness Hole Giga Card, even! But this has gotta be something different… Yet… The hole I found to enter this room looked like it'd been hastily sealed up but Ra Mu's explosion a few months ago weakened it enough to collapse… Maybe it isn't such a good idea to take this outta Mu, after all…" Blood Shadow sounded worried.
He placed the Giga Card back at its spot and looked around: he spotted a square cube which seemed to have fit on the cavity, so he picked it up and placed it inside of the cavity, almost all the way in.
"There. Sealed again. Let's get outta here NOW." He muttered with a hint of nervousness.
He ignited a pair of thrusters adjacent to his heels and flew out of the room and into a curved corridor which was heading downwards: he examined the hole and was seemingly trying to think how to seal it up again.
"Hmmm… Let's try taking out part of the wall."
He drew a Long Sword and used its blade to draw a square on the wall: he then created a handle on it to pull it out to immediately place it on the hole: it fitted perfectly.
"To make sure… This place is pretty warm, so… Ice won't do to secure this thing into place… Let's try using plasma to melt part of the stone and make this block be jammed into place… Machine Flame X!"
Blood Shadow used the Battle Card and managed to get the block stuck into place: he sighed in relief and brought the left hand to his chest.
"I don't have a "heart" per se, but, if I had, it'd be beating at a hundred beats per second… In these few months I've been active, I'd never felt such angst and nerve… That Giga Card seems to be something terrific which they barely managed to get under control… Well. You know the motto: "he who plays with fire gets burned", so…"
He then headed upwards the corridor while illuminating everything using a flashlight: he looked nervous and was constantly looking behind him.
"I've gotta be paranoid, really… Even Denpa Viruses would find it difficult to show up here, so… And the walls have fluorescent paint into them, so it's not really pitch-black… Nonetheless, this place gives me the creeps and I should go back to Kodama Town to meet up with aibou… The sooner, the better!"
He began to run up the corridor while a giggle rang out: Blood gasped and increased his pace.
"Escaping is futile, foolish one!" A manly voice rang out.
"That ain't Burai… It's gotta be a watch system or something like that, similar to the Erand Soldiers Subaru – kun had to battle while making his way across this place…!" Blood Shadow nervously muttered.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh… You freed me and now I shall use your body to accomplish my mission!"
"What? The Giga Card…? But I sealed the room!" He gasped.
"The mere touch of a Denpa Body was enough to wake me up and I could take off some energy off you to escape… I am a formless program by now but I shall soon have a "form" to use!"
"Shit. Curiosity got the cat…!"
"Stay still… You shall be my container!"
"I won't make it easy for you, ugly."
"Hah. You fool! I have slept for millennia… Nothing can stop me from becoming the "incarnation" of the "Dark"…!"
"Lovely! These guys have been toying with the "Dark Side" and they got a program which escaped their control…!"
"Heh, heh, heh… Soon the world shall be thrown into chaos and fear… And nothing will stop me!"
"Ya obviously don't realize the scope of things, ugly… Wait 'till my superior gets a hold of this and he'll come to slaughter ya." Blood Shadow muttered aloud.
"What? There is an even stronger being around? Perfect… I shall make use of it!"
"I'd like to see ya trying, ugly. Our defenses against foreign programs are at maximum." Blood Shadow grumbled.
He looked over his right shoulder and gasped: the "face" drawn into the Giga Card was chasing him while having a creepy smile drawn into it: the whole thing was scary enough.
"Damn. Now I regret sealing the chamber! I could go back and destroy the Giga Card which allows you to exist!" Blood Shadow cursed aloud.
"Heh, heh, heh. What bothersome foolish beings! You are all the same across the eras: trying to toy with the "reverse" and ending up creating us to then attempt to seal us in a desperate manner… I laugh at such inconceivable foolishness!"
"Quick! The emergency signal… At least I can ditch this guy inside of the continent since there are no Wave Roads which enter this place… Let's hope it works!" Blood Shadow muttered.
He pressed his left ear-pad and kept on running: purple-colored electricity began to gather in one spot after showing up of nowhere.
"Hurry, hurry…!
The energy drew a circle tall enough for a person to fit into: Blood Shadow jumped inside of it and the circle vanished immediately afterwards: the "face" stopped its chase and hovered there.
"What! Ran away… Hah. But I am not in need of Wave Roads to escape this repulsive capital! I shall find a host, take the information I need, adopt a form of my own, and generate more and more beings like me to then sweep through this worthless world! Hah, hah, hah, ha~h!"
The "face" continued climbing the corridor until it reached a ramp cutting through the central wall and heading upwards: the top of it was sealed but some slight cracks allowed for the filtration of water.
"Hah! I see. The capital itself is submerged and the central shrine has collapsed… Ra Mu was destroyed, even! Not even that bothersome Denpa God can stop me now! I shall escape this repulsive underground area to then explore this world! Hah!"
The "face" vanished and reappeared inside of the flooded "capital" area: the whole area was ruined and several species of fish were swimming past or around the large area: the "face" looked upwards and saw a tiny speck of light far, far upwards.
"The surface… Heh, heh, heh… Soon! I only need to climb upwards until I break out of this watery grave! And once I have my "incarnation", then… I shall find that repulsive survivor of the Mu bloodline and erase it from the face of this Earth! Then nothing shall oppose the rule of the "Dark Side" across this worthless world! Bwah, hah, hah, hah, ha~h!"
The "face" flew upwards at a mad speed until it broke out of the water and jumped into a Wave Road: it spotted a Denpa – kun travelling across it and jumped into it: the Denpa – kun's coloring changed to purple and his eyes became blood red.
"This one will do! Bothersome Mu sages! Trying to control me… I disposed of all of them save for their chieftain who managed to shut down my program inside of the Giga Card… But that is old history. Let us go!"
18:28 PM (Japan Time)…
"… Blood Shadow. What happened?"
"Dr. Lartes…! I caused a gigantic mess!"
"What?"
"I'm serious, sir!"
"Calm down and explain it to me."
"R-roger, sir…"
Blood Shadow was standing inside of a metallic cubical room illuminated by fluorescent lights somewhere: the only decoration was an armored door on the south wall and one curious machine set on the north wall.
The machine consisted of a pyramidal platform with a ring – like device tall enough for a person to fit inside: some computers and screens were attached to both sides of the ring.
"Dr. Lartes, sir… I… I'm to blame, really."
"Calm down… Start at the beginning."
Blood Shadow's interlocutor was a man on his early twenties: he had black messy hair and brown eyes.
He was clean shaven and sported reading glasses.
He had a white medic's coat on plus brownish pants and shoes.
He currently looked surprised.
"I was investigating the Mu Continent as per your orders, sir, but…"
"Burai found you?"
"No, sir! I found a chamber which had come to be unsealed which contained a mysterious Giga Card inside of it: given the creepy vibe it gave me, I left it there and sealed the chamber up: but the mere touching of it awakened the dormant program inside of it: a "Dark Side" program capable of possessing Denpa Bodies at will…!"
"What!"
"It began chasing me and the only way to ditch it was using the portal, sir… But I feel like it won't stay trapped inside of the Continent…!"
"Damn. A failed experiment gone out of control…?"
"Correct, sir… Now… I'm not sure about its power, but we should contact all Denpa – Henkan users and owners of powerful Wizards…! That program could try to target them!" Blood Shadow argued.
"Shit. Let's move out, then."
Both of them ran out of the room and into a metallic curved corridor with armored doors on both sides of it: some arches were set across the corridor as well while the illumination was provided by fluorescent lights on the ceiling.
"We should call Sigma first! He's in Kodama Town having a friendly face-off with Ox Fire, so… That program could catch them off-guard! I guess it'll go for Ox Fire since Sigma's high defenses would destroy it upon attempting to possess him!" Blood Shadow suggested.
"True! Let's hurry it up: every second counts! The observation room will give us enough signal strength for a direct call without having to use our antennas 'cause they're undergoing maintenance…!"
Both stepped into a room across the corridor which only had a large viewing window set on the south wall to allow views into the spinning Earth: Dr. Lartes took out a Hunter – VG and dialed a number.
"Sound only: it has higher speed…!"
"Yo! Doc! Sorry, but I'm still in the middle of the face-off with Ox Fire over 'ere, so… Guess I'll be done soon, though. I only need one more trick to beat the guy up… Mwah, hah, hah… Come at full power!" A heavy manly voice replied.
"Beware! A hostile program could be headed your way and trying to possess Ox Fire or another Wizard close by! It looks like the "face" in the Darkness Hole Giga Card!" Dr. Lartes warned.
"Huh? What? Uh! Okay! Oi! You two! Look around for any weird-looking programs!" The one named Sigma told Ox Fire off-screen
"Buro~! What, what? What the heck's going on? Aren't we in the middle of a face-off?" Ox Fire asked.
"Heh, heh, heh… What bothersome foolish beings!"
"Crap!" Blood Shadow gasped.
"Correction! The guy looks like an "evil" Denpa – kun!" Sigma reported.
"Obviously… He's tested his ability already!"
"… The black one has too high of a defense… I shall take the information of the red one!"
"Buro~! Ox Fire!"
"Stop, you two! You'll delete the Denpa – kun: he's being controlled! He's not the culprit!" Sigma yelled.
"Bu… Buro~!"
"Too late!"
"Now for the next one… I smell remains of a Denpa Body close by… I shall have its information, too!"
"Information…? Crap. He wants to build up a database to then select which form he'd like to recreate!" Blood Shadow deduced.
"Huh? What am I doing here? Wasn't I in the Bermuda Labyrinth?" The Denpa – kun wondered.
"Step aside!" Sigma growled.
He seemingly ran out of the area in pursuit of the program.
"You ugly Demon King jerk: stop right there!"
"Hah. I cannot be destroyed!"
"Of course ya can: ya are a materialized Denpa Body!"
"Damn."
"Hah! Hit a spot…"
"Hah! Too late, you damned fool! I have already taken the remains of that Denpa Body and… Huh? An even more powerful one is heading this way…"
"Hello, Sigma – san! What's going on?"
"O-oi! Rock Man! Get away from 'ere!" Sigma gasped.
"Crap! What bad timing, really!" Blood Shadow cursed.
"This power… Bond Power…? Hah. Interesting! You lowlife must be the base model for the red fool." The program sounded amused.
"Red fool, you say…? Hey! What have you done to Blood Shadow?" Rock Man demanded.
"Leave this guy to me! Demon Sword!"
"Slow!"
"Gu… Gua~h!" Rock Man yelled.
"No good!" Blood Shadow gasped.
"Damn! Blood! How do I stop the guy from trying to posses…?"
"… Outta my body, ya jerk! War Rock – sama says ya jerk are fired like Bert Saxby! Crunch!"
"Grah! Dare to bite me…! You foolish Denpa Body… Whatever… I have enough information! Hear out, Rock Man, hero of Earth! My name is Kurayami: "Darkness" itself!" The program announced.
"Ku – Kurayami…?" Rock Man demanded between pants.
"I have decided! Using the info I have extracted from you lowlife, I shall create my "incarnation" and destroy this worthless world! Farewell, you bothersome foolish beings! Bwah, hah, hah, hah, ha~h!" The program laughed next.
"Damn!" Dr. Lartes howled.
"W-what's going on?" Rock Man asked.
"I dunno, really!" Sigma admitted.
"Subaru." Dr. Lartes called out.
"Master!" Rock Man gasped.
"Dr. House VIII?" War Rock laughed.
"Come to the HQ: we need to talk. Sigma: come as well. What's Ox Fire's status?" Dr. Lartes commanded.
"That guy is tougher than ya think… He'll be fine."
"Kurayami… And he's going to become my real "antithesis" by adopting a form based on my own…!" Rock Man muttered.
"Hah! If we've beaten Sirius, we can beat this jerk, too! We beat that army of fake War Rocks, too!" War Rock exclaimed.
"But that was because they were mass-produced…"
"Che. Always finding flaws to everything…" War Rock grumbled.
"That sounds like Bloody Shadowy, really." Sigma laughed.
"Sigma. This isn't funny." Dr. Lartes growled.
"Huh! I apologize."
"Come ASAP using the Cosmo Wave and the "Home Turf" program to find out where to make contact with the HQ."
"Roger, Master."
"Master of mastery masters?" War Rock laughed.
"Jeez. War Rock! Be serious!" Rock Man complained.
"I'm such an idiot for allowing this to happen… I should've tried to destroy that thing! Damn it all! I'm an idiot!" Blood Shadow slapped his face with the left hand.
"No use crying over spilled milk. A new incident has begun… Damn."
