Chapter 8: A Legend Unleashed
Last chapter, Sora, who was in what seemed to be a memory travel, had finally understood that as long as you don't protect those who are important, the cause is useless. Upon understanding that, he somehow ends his journey through Megaman X's memory. Last thing he saw was a flash after going through with X.
Seconds later, he starts feeling wind blowing through his face ferociously. He opens his eyes to find himself still falling from the sky. He stayed calm and started thinking. (Alright, think. How can I get myself out of this pinch?... If I had my bracelet…) His chain of thoughts was suddenly cut off by a sound of a familiar electronic bird.
Sora looks to his right. He looks surprised as he sees Blue Wing flying down next to him. "BLUE WING!" He screamed. The mechaniloid barrel rolls, like it is signaling that it's here to help. Sora adjusts himself, falling feet first. Blue Wing got under him and manages to have Sora on top of him. "Alright! Counting on you, buddy!"
Blue Wing makes out a sound, it then starts dashing down as Sora was holding himself so that he doesn't fall off.
Meanwhile, on the ground. The battle was going badly. Most SEED soldiers have already been knocked out, with Sky barely able to stand, holding his weapon as he spits out blood. "Pfft. Done already?" Says Vector, the main cause of the mayhem. He walks in his armor slowly towards Sky. The students were too scared to even move.
"S-Sky! Run!" Elina calls out to her brother. He then tries to move, but falls on one knee. Vector starts laughing while cracking his knuckles. "Don't worry. I'll make this painless." Vector says. Sky then says while panting, "… If you hurt the students…. I'm gonna hunt you down, even in my death…" Vector sarcastically pretended to be scared, stepping back. "Oooh. I am SOOO scared. HAH! As if."
"Oh man, oh man.. What are we gonna do?" Kiyoshi was confused. He didn't know what to do, trying to think hard. Elina, who was shocked from Sora's believed-to-be death and Sky's current situation, became angry. She wipes off some of her tears and without thinking ran towards Vector. Kiyoshi couldn't catch her in time. "H-HEY! WAIT!"
Elina brings out a slipper and hits Vector's head with it from behind. "… Eh?" He turns around, seeing the frightened and crying Elina holding the slipper. "… OK, seriously? You think that was supposed to hurt?" Sky notices Elina's action and tries to stand up. "Argh.. Damn.. ELINA! RUN!" Elina was too scared to pay attention to what Sky says. She steps back slowly as Vector's walking towards her. She stumbles while walking back and fell down.
She freezes from fear, sobbing while Vector walks towards her. "Ya know, you could've asked. I'd have killed you to follow your boyfriend." Vector says. Elina remains silent and then gathers some courage. "… H-He's not dead." Vector stops after hearing that. He then starts laughing loudly, like a maniac.
"Ooooh, you just made my day!" Vector said. "He's not dead!" Elina screams at Vector. Vector then brings out Sora's bracelet. "Look! He doesn't have his precious tool. He won't be able to survive the fall. Hell, by now he's a lovely shooting star in the sky." He said, tauntingly waving it around. Elina remains silent then screams again, "He's not dead! I believe in him! There's no way that he can die from just that!"
"Heh. Brave words, girl." Vector says while pointing his fingers at her. He was about to shoot as she closes her eyes. "ELINA! NO!" Sky screams, trying to save her. But he can't manage to stand up properly.
Right at that moment, Sora was flying on top of Blue Wing. He sees Elina and Vector. He then remembers what X said, and his new resolve. "… I'll protect her… I'll protect them all!" He says, suddenly a red light emits on his forehead, in a shape similar to Megaman X's crystal. His left hand starts to shine.
He starts screaming as he jumps off Blue Wing, falling directly towards Vector. They all hear the scream without knowing the direction. As soon as he realizes, Vector looks up and receives Sora's intense punch with his glowing hand. The force of the punch had Vector slightly slide back. Sora then jumps off him and lands in front of Elina.
"VECTOOOOOR!" Sora calls out as he jumps towards him. With his shining hand he grabs Vector's helmet and starts pressing on it. His grip was so powerful, as soon as his hand slipped from the helmet it made a huge crack on the helmet. Vector was holding his helmet while groaning in pain, letting go of the bracelet without realizing it. "Rrrgh!... YOU!" Vector says in anger.
Sora grabs the bracelet and puts it on. He looks at the shocked Elina, who felt overjoyed that Sora came back. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's talk after I'm done with him, alright?" He then faces Vector and slides his card.
MEGA RIDE… MEGAMAN X
He transforms into Megaman X. This time, there was something different. His eyes were glowing irregularly along with the crystal on his helmet. Blue wing hovers next to him. "… Keh! I'll just have to kill you with my own hands this time!" Vector said in anger.
Sora snickers at what Vector said. "Heh. I'd like to see that happening this time." He cracks his knuckles. "I beat you once, what's the difference now?"
Sora replies, "I'm not the one who's gonna be beaten like a Vava la Pinata." That comment irritated Vector. He slams his fist with his right palm. A voice command comes out.
FORM RIDE… VAVA MK. V
Vector's armor changes. It turns into a shade of green, with shoulder pads and an upgraded red shoulder cannon. There seemed to be orange pipes attached to his helmet with the jetpack he acquires on his back. A rocket launcher also generated on his left shoulder.
"Let's see you top this, punk." Vector says. Sora got in a ready position. However, Blue Wing suddenly dashes towards Vector. Vector jumps to the side as Blue Wing flies by. It stops next to Sora again, suddenly a slot at its back opens. A card flies out as Sora catches it without realizing. "This is… One of my cards… Right?" He says while looking at it.
The card was different from the others. It had a different pattern on its back, with a blue aura emitting from it. He inserts it into his buster. And a new voice command activates.
… CONDITIONS MET. SOUL SYNCHRO RATE: 100%
FINAL FORM RIDE… M-M-M-MEGAMAN X
Sora's armor starts to shine brightly. Blue wing suddenly flies towards him, as they both emit a blinding flash. No one was able to look at their direction. Soon as the flash goes off. Everyone was shocked to Sora's new transformation.
His armor drastically changed. Now with black edges, his armor legs and arm parts transform into midnight blue. Not only that, but they were transparent enough for them to see Sora's body inside from the visible limbs, with some mechanical layers on top of his body. At the legs, there was a gold lining on his foot with fins on the sides. There were red crystals around the shoulder parts and chest piece along with the golden lining. The torso also had a green crystal. The helmet had 3 horns with a red crystal beneath them. Sora's eyes had transformed red.
After the transformation, Sora stood straight and remained silent for a second. He then spreads his arms and lets out a battle cry so strong, it echoed through the district. The air around everyone felt intense as Sora's energy is overflowing him with power. He then screams again as he swings his arm to his side, shattering the ground beneath him.
Vector hesitated for a bit. He then charges at Sora. Sora was standing still, not even flinching as Vector was prepared to send a punch. Right at that moment, Sora pushes away that punch and sends a kick that send Vector back flying. Vector adjusts himself with the jetpack and aims his cannon. He shoots 5 giant plasma cannon shots at Sora.
Sora blazes through them using his leg parts to boost. Vector shoots some mini-missiles that are locked onto Sora. Sora activates his buster, letting out two fins at the side of the arm part as his right hand transforms into his Ultimate Buster. He shoots green spear shaped shots that made the missiles explode before they reach Sora.
Vector gets irritated. He then snaps with his fingers.
MAXIMUM ATTACK RIDE… VAVA
Vector shoots out lightning currents seemed to hit anything around his vicinity. Luckily, the students and SEED soldiers were all out of range. Only Sora was in danger enough to get hit. He inserts a card into his new buster.
ATTACK RIDE… CHAMILION STING
Sora's armor color suddenly changes. The transparent blue transforms into green as his second colors turn a lighter shade of green. He starts charging energy as he avoids the incoming thunder bolts. There was an incoming thunder bolt that Sora could not dodge. Right at that moment, he releases the energy. Transforming into the colors of the rainbow as the bolt goes through him. He seemed unharmed. He inserts yet another card.
ATTACK RIDE… TRI-THUNDER
His colors this time change into being transparent black with yellow-esque green. He then rises his hands onto the sky. Lightning Bolts fly fall down from nowhere and hit around Vector. He seemed to be not damaged from that. Soon after, both their attacks ended, with Sora's invincibility wearing off. "… I'm not done with you yet!" Vector runs at Sora again. This time, he jumps in the air and shows his knee at Sora, letting out a flame thrower aimed at Sora with blue flames. At that moment, Sora inserts a card quickly.
ATTACK RIDE… FROST TOWER
As his color changes into Ice blue and violet, he summons a wall of ice above him that protected him from the flame thrower. He then jumps away from Vector as Vector lands and faces him. Vector aims his cannon, shooting something like an energy boomerang towards Sora. Sora jumps in the air as he inserts a card
ATTACK RIDE… HOMING TORPEDO
With his colors grey and brown, he shoots missle that flies around the boomerang, headed towards Vile. Sora uses his dash to fly to the side away from the boomerang. It then dissolves. At that time, Vector looks at the incoming torpedo and grabs his arm. It transforms into a missile as he shoots it towards the direction of the incoming missile. As both missiles collide, the explosion pushes back Vector and he falls on the ground. He stands back up, heavily panting while looking at Sora in anger. "… N-Not… Done… Yet.."
He starts running towards Sora, who reverted to his original armor color and is charging his buster. Sora looked at Vector with a grin as he aims his charged buster at him. He shoots a giant blue plasma shot. This one had electric currents emitting from it. Vector then shoots a normal cannon shot at it as they both collide and explode. Vector keeps running towards Sora, but wasn't expecting what was gonna happen to him.
After both projectiles collide, residue of Sora's charged shot remained as a plasma current in mid-air. Without realizing on time because of the explosion induced smoke screen, he couldn't avoid it and got shocked. He falls on one knee as smoke is coming out of his armor. Vector then opens his palm.
ATTACK RIDE… RIDE ARMOR
Vector's ride armor gets in front of him again as he stands on it, breathing heavily. Sora then brings out the same new card that activated his form and inserts it again.
MAXIMUM ATTACK RIDE… MEGAMAN X
At that critical moment, Sora ran towards the ride armor and jumps. Three fins come out at the back of Sora's armor, shaped almost like a plane's back tail. Some heat starts generating from the jets at the back of the armor. Sora screams "Super… NOVA!" As he charges, with a red hot layer on top of him as a result from his speed and heat as he charges head on towards Vector and his Ride Armor.
Vector jumps off the ride armor at the last moment as Sora goes through it, resulting in it exploding. Vector fell on the ground, aching as he felt the raw power of that attack. With Sora landing in front of him. As Vector's trying to stand up, Sora grabs him from his collar and lifts him up. "Alright, we proved who's stronger. Now I want answers!" Sora says.
"Gah… I ain't telling you shit…" Vector exposes his knee, sending out a burst of flame that made Sora step back away from Vector. "We're gonna settle this next time, bastard.. Until then, keep my trophy with you." Vector said as he opens a portal behind him and jumps through it. "WAIT!" Sora shouted. He runs at the portal, but closes before he makes it on time.
Sora holds his wrist as he reverts to normal, eyes returning to green. He runs towards Sky. "You OK?" He asks. "… Took you long enough, dumbass." Sky replies. "What's with you? Sheesh. That's the thanks I get." Sora attempts to help Sky stand up, but Elina runs at both of them and hugs them. "Idiots! Don't scare me like that again!" She says. "Ack! Elina, too close…" Sora says, trying to get off. "Don't say that! You almost died, you jerks!" She then kept repeating jerk while hugging them tightly and crying. Sora lets out a sigh of relief. "I'm here now. And I definitely won't die. Not yet, anyways." He then looks at the students, who were helping the injured SEED members. He sees Kiyoshi, who gives him a thumbs up. Sora then chuckles.
"Say, Sky. I'm gonna need some help explaining this." Sora asks Sky. Sky replies, "… I'll make sure the squad don't mention anything about this to HQ. The students are your problem." "Sheesh.." Sora says with a sigh. Elina just smiles while hugging them tightly. "Speaking of which, didn't you hug us long enough? Let go already." Sora says. "I don't want to." Elina says. "Now isn't the time. Oy, are you listening? Elina… Elina. Oy~." Sora calls out while she ignores him.
