ZERO NETWORK TRANSMISSION
Rockman Zero/Rockman Battle Network
Chapter 10: Ignite, Soul Unison!
Authored by The Several
Author's Notes: W… What's this? …Can it be? …Is it really happening? Holy freakin' cows, yes it is! An actual update! Not since September last year has Zero and Ciel's adventure in the Battle Network world been continued, and at last I finally have the guts to continue it out! I'm sorry about the long delay, but I didn't want to hand in anything that wasn't up to my usual quality. So I laid out the whole plot, thought about the little details, the battles, and the climax. Now, I shall continue once again. Please enjoy.
Zero. EXE, a being once known as the Zero Virus, now a netnavi under the ownership of the netop, Ciel. Leviathan. EXE the Elegant Guardian and Harpuia. EXE the Swift Guardian, both solo netnavis that protect their as-of-yet undefined 'Master'. One netnavi down, another severely injured, and the last slowly recovering. Not enough time.
One opponent. Heat Genblem. EXE, one of the Eight Einherjar Warriors, commanded to find and destroy Zero and obeys it unquestioningly. Though weak compared to Zero and the Guardians, they are but lambs to the slaughter compared to his evil mastermind's trump card – the DarkChip.
Little is known about how they are made or how they even exist in normal space. But a netnavi that uses this forbidden dark alchemy inherits the power that almost rivals the power of the God of Destruction. All this for the price of the willing participant's soul.
What once seemed like an equal fight quickly turned into a one-sided catastrophe, with Zero's body ending up badly damaged but recovering, courtesy of Ciel's healing.
With pride and honor, Leviathan. EXE enters the fight with Zero… and a combined strength unleashed a power Zero thought familiar, and what Harpuia never thought possible.
Harpuia watched the blinding light that was so familiar to him in all his time protecting his Master. He knew what had happened, but it simply could not register in his mind.
"The Master's own unique skill… How could it exist with him now? Did the Master come in contact with him, or…"
"Can it be… that Master has given him this strength?"
Doubtful or not, willingly or otherwise, it happened. The glowing light that bathed Zero and Leviathan only a few moments ago dissipated… and what replaced them was a shining new form, glowing cerulean, armed with a crystal glaive.
"Z-Zero?" Ciel wondered, seeing Zero there on her PET screen but with a different new form. Leviathan was nowhere to be found, but Zero's bright blue color obviously indicated that the two had somehow merged.
"It's… I don't know how… But it IS Soul Unison," Harpuia murmured with a worried gritting face.
"Soul Unison?" Ciel asked, looking at the new-formed Zero that entered the battlefield.
"Our Master had THREE powerful abilities that placed him above all other netnavis… First and foremost was his ability to assimilate his opponent's abilities and use it against them. Zero has a similar ability – the Z-Knuckle – but Zero's is only a third of the strength."
"But if Zero's Z-Knuckle already multiplies it by a third then," Ciel gulped. "Then… that makes your Master's ability multiply the original by a total of NINE times the strength! EEP! This Master of yours was really something…"
"His second," Harpuia continued, "was his ability to fuse with his allies, holding their 'souls' within his own… an ability called Soul Unison! With this ability, my Master can utilize not only a hundred percent of his own strength, but another hundred added of his combined ally as well."
"So Zero right now… is harnessing Leviathan's soul?"
"…Yes," Harpuia said with some doubt and some thought. "Except… as far as we know, Zero has no such ability."
Inside the battletop, Zero and Leviathan, unlike the others outside of battle, had no idea that the Soul Unison had already triggered. "What's going on? Where did that annoying blue netnavi go?"
"Hey, Zero!" Leviathan spoke in his head rather angrily. "I'm right here, you idiot! The name's Leviathan. EXE, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't badmouth people right in front of them… especially a girl!"
"Oh, you're here," Zero ignored. "Weird, I can't see you."
"You wanna pay attention to the battle now? Let's get this over with!"
"…Alright," Zero agreed, crackling his fists in anticipation. "For some reason… I feel stronger all of a sudden… Enough to obliterate this talking trashcan with a single fist!"
With that, though unconsciously, Zero/Leviathan dashed towards the corrupted Heat Genblem with their new spear aimed at their opponent. The DarkChip-infused netnavi growled at their attack with uncontrolled rage, breathing out a waving flamethrower at the charging unison.
Zero backs off, realizing his speed may not have been as good as before, and was partially hit with the flamethrower's blast.
"This is bad," Harpuia said out loud. "This form is usually powerful, but this particular Soul Unison is unsuited for this type of battle."
"Meaning?" Ciel asked.
"Leviathan is an Ice-Type netnavi. While underwater, she moves thrice as fast and is able to utilize 100 percent of her ice-elemental abilities. But over land, Leviathan is slower, and… weak against Fire-Type netnavis… Heat Genblem's element."
"Zero!" Ciel shouted out. "Watch out! Your weak to his fire attacks now!"
"What are you doing?" Harpuia shouted. "You're his netop! Can't you do something?"
"Ah… Oh, right!" Ciel almost forgot, still dizzy from the hit she took when she and Zero were in Full Synchro. Still, she endured, taking out a battlechip from her pack. "Barrier, battlechip in… download!"
With her download, Zero/Leviathan's fusion form was surrounded by a field of energy, able to repel a certain amount of attacks. Ciel had used this chip many times before on Zero, but this time...
"Huh?" Ciel sounded out, realizing what was off. "The ZERO Chip… It became a normal chip again!"
Harpuia looked up to where Ciel showed the freshly-downloaded battlechip from. Indeed, the battlechip that was once used by Zero and infected was now a normal chip.
"Heh, I see," Harpuia smirked. "Because of the purity of the fusion via Soul Unison, Zero is unable to infect any chips, and any previously infected ones will be returned to normal. Of course, as long as Zero cannot infect them you will not be able to use any of Zero's original arsenal like the Shield Boomerang, Triple Rod, etc. You'll have you deal that in mind."
"Hmm… I understand," Ciel nodded.
Meanwhile in the battletop, Zero had heard Ciel's previous outcry, but couldn't understand what it means. "Weak against fire attacks? Me? What is she talking about?"
"I told you your netop is crazy. But I think she means me," Leviathan pointed out. "I'm the one who's weak against the Einherjar's attacks."
"Pitiful isn't it?" Leviathan thought out loud. "The only use I'll ever be to Master X is in my own underwater domain…"
"You want to save that self-pity for later?" Zero bluntly said. "You're the one who said that netnavi's should pay attention to battle."
"Heh, you're right," Leviathan scoffed. "She might be crazy, but I'm sure your netop will think of something. You know, I think I actually feel jealous…"
"Huh? ...Jealous of what?"
Leviathan smiled. "…Nothing. Let's do this."
At that time, Zero once again, felt that surge of energy dwelling inside him. Though he didn't hear as Harpuia stated earlier, the Soul Unison worked as well as the two souls were shared. And at that moment, the power of the Leviathan Soul jacked up, and pushed the Soul Unison to its limits.
Genblem's crazed attack ignites once again, this time, with one of Genblem's devastating fire knuckles. Zero barely evades the attack as he flips upwards, aiming his crystal partisan at the infested Einherjar. "Crystal Arrow!"
Sharpened pillars of ice materialized out of Zero's partisan and blasted towards the armored tortoise. Unfortunately, Genblem hides inside his shell and began to spin as he emitted fire, making him invulnerable to the thrusting spears of ice.
Genblem tried to attack Zero with his flaming spin, but suddenly out of nowhere Ciel calls out, "Aqua Seed, battlechip in… download!" In a matter of seconds, Zero's footing and soon the whole field was covered in a deepening ocean. Though resistant to the Ice and Water-based element, Genblem could not spin in the water's buoyancy because of his heavy shell.
"Perfect, now's our chance!" Leviathan shouted. "Ciel, a Program Advance!"
"Right!" Ciel nodded agreeingly as she had already readied three chips for download. "AquaSword x3, battlechip in… advance download!"
Zero stabbed the crystal partisan into the icy ground, where cold air suddenly gathered. Soon, his weapon absorbed all of the surrounding Water Panels power into his Program Advance. With a strong swing, Zero and Leviathan shouted in unison: "Program Advance - Shougetsujin!"
Huge tsunamis of ice blades erupted from the ground and blasted their way towards the stunned tortoise. Unable to evade, Genblem. EXE took a direct hit from the giant blades of ice that ran from the ground and slammed his heavily armored shell with ferocity and force, cracking a bit of his hardened body. Not only that, Genblem's body was frozen in ice by Zero's Program Advance.
"Now's our chance!" Leviathan gathered. Without thinking they dashed towards the paralyzed Genblem without even thinking of the powers the unholy DarkChip has granted the Einherjar.
Suddenly, a blinding blast of energy pierced through the prison of ice that held the corrupted carapace. Genblem's ultimate move, the Solar Cannon, was activated, hitting Zero full on.
"This… This is bad," Leviathan said as she keeled in pain with the unknowingly fused Zero. "Genblem's EX Skill allows him to attack with a powerful solar-powered cannon while being safe inside his shell. And with that Dark Chip inside of him, who knows how long he can keep it up before running out of gas!"
"We cracked his armor before," Zero determinedly reminded. "We can break him with one hit, but we'll need to take his Solar Cannon head on."
Leviathan hears the cannon charging up again, and it looks like this time it won't be stopping. "Alright, fine… but I'm going to kill you if we die."
"Get ready then," Zero grinned in anticipation as Genblem unleashed the fury of his Solar Cannon. "Ciel, increase our defense! Everything you can give!"
"Right with ya!" Ciel nodded as she readied multiple chips for downloading in succession. "Holy Panel! Barrier100! Invisible! Battlechips, in.. DOWNLOAD!"
As Zero's barrier clashed with Genblem's powerful cannon, Leviathan followed up with a skill of her own. "Eat this! EX Skill – Twin Ice Dragon!" With this attack, Zero summoned a continuous array of ice pillars that crystallized into two dragon-like projectiles right smack in the middle of Genblem's attack. Though weak against fire, Leviathan's powered-up EX move makes its way onto Genblem's armored core.
"I-It broke through!" Harpuia gasped in disbelief.
Broke through it did, and crashed into Genblem's nearly invulnerable shell, freezing his whole body once again in an ice cage.
"Hurry, before he releases it again!" Leviathan dashed.
"I know," Zero said as he powered up his Z-Knuckle and unleashed another surprising move. "Z-Knuckle Copy, EX Skill – ThunderLance!"
"The move he stole from me earlier – and Genblem's elemental weakness!" Harpuia exclaimed.
The ThunderLance erupted in a powerful burst, as Zero aimed it directly at the crack in Genblem's armor he made earlier. Seeping into his body, the ThunderLance literally blasted its way into his systems and broke his defense like so much scrap. In a grand climax, Genblem's body exploded and his corrupted carapace cracked away from his body as she slammed harshly to the ground in defeat.
"Z… Zero, you did it!" Ciel shouted in tremendous joy. "I was so worried!"
"Indeed," Harpuia snickered. "I am amazed as well."
Zero smirked towards his netop, not realizing that his Soul Unison separated as the battle drew to a close.
"Jeez, that was a hell of a thing," Leviathan commented as she spawned what she felt like was a serious headache. "I'm seriously never doing that again…"
"That was impressive, Zero," Harpuia commented on the red navi for the first time up front. "Utilizing our Master's Soul Unison… I must admit, I didn't think someone like you would be capable of the Master's most trusted ability."
"...What are you talking about?" Zero said with a raised eyebrow.
"Y…You don't know?" Ciel asked.
"Okay, what are you guys talking about again?" Leviathan asked as well.
Before any explanations were given, an earthquake inside the battletop suddenly erupted. Zero and the two Guardians prepared for the worst as a fiery energy erupted near the broken body of Heat Genblem.
Suddenly, it stopped.
Ciel could hear her own heartbeat, fearing the worst was about to come. And in that instant, it did. A group of netnavis suddenly digitized themselves into the battletop and surrounded the damaged Genblem's body.
Fenrir Lunaedge. EXE, Mino Magnus. EXE, Noble Mandrago. EXE, Pegasolta Éclair. EXE, Tech Kraken. EXE, Popla Cockapetri. EXE, Sol Titanian. EXE. The rest of the infamous Einherjar, all in the same room with one wounded Zero and two beaten Guardians.
"Pathetic, Genblem. Such a dishonorable match, without honor," the grand pegasus, Pegasolta Éclair. EXE declared as he summoned his lighting lance. "An entertaining match nonetheless, yet still lacking in finesse."
"You and your finesse, kwah!" the cocky cockatrice, Popla Cockapetri. EXE dispatched. "They beat one of our Einherjar, kwah!"
"Oh, keep it down," the elegant vine, Nobel Mandrago. EXE piqued. "Tech Kraken, you can fix him back, can you not?"
"Quite easily... though not in this drab shack," the intelligent Tech Kraken. EXE replied. "Mino Magnus, carry the big lug, will you?"
"Graaah…. I… I will… d… do th… do thattt….." the gigantic minotaur, Mino Magnus. EXE slowly nodded.
"Magnus, canyouspeakalittlefaster?" the nimble wolf, Fenrir Lunaedge. EXE spat. "! CRAZY I tell youuuuu!"
"Can we get back to the topic in hand then?" the self-absorbed Sol Titanyan. EXE insisted with a sigh. "After all… this is the God of Destruction in our midst."
The Einherjar looked towards Zero… and form murderous smiles. Ciel looked at their expressions, and felt a chill up her spine that almost gave her a heartattack.
The Einherjar wanted death.
To be continued…
NEXT CHAPTER: The Eight Einherjar had come with a message – a warning of death. Now on the same side, the Guardians explain an important and vital detail to Zero's past… and his unfortunate self-destruction. The Zero Virus, the Nightmare, a being known only as 'X'… It all led back to a man named Cerveau, Ciel's father.
CHAPTER BIOGRAPHY
1. Leviathan. EXE – though one of the Four Guardians in the Megaman Zero games, Leviathan's motivation and character was never really explored. Of the four, she was also usually the one to be undermined. According to the Rockman Zero Complete Works interview, even its creators thought that Leviathan did not have enough plot involvement or character, and was disappointed that they could not add any more. With this story, I gave Leviathan her chance, and I believe her character didn't disappoint. Leviathan. EXE, despite her hatred of netops and Ciel in particular, matured over these challenges and actually enjoyed having a tag-team with her. Though ashamed to think of it, Leviathan. EXE secretly wanted a netop of her own from then on, especially someone like Ciel.
2. Soul Unison – the Soul Unison or Double Soul is not much different in the story as it is in the games. The major difference is the Unison involving Zero, because of his viral nature. As long as SU is active, Zero cannot use Zero-Infected battlechips hereby not allowing him to summon his traditional own Zero weapons. He can still however use battlechips as he pleases, but all Zero-Infected chips used while SU is active will become uninfected because of the Soul Unison's purifying ability.
Author's Notes: Imagine you were playing Megaman Zero 4. Imagine you fought and defeated Heat Genblem. Now, after a hard fight and a huge loss of your life bar, suddenly ALL 8 EINHERJAR SHOW UP and they want you to die.
I think I'd piss my pants.
Never before in a Megaman game have I ever had the chance to go up against all robot masters AT THE SAME TIME. I think it would rule. I think it would be pretty awesome… you know, except for the fact that they'd kick my ass. 8 bosses, 8 life bars you have to take down… and the only thing getting in their way is your skills in a Megaman game.
I think a battle with all 8 robot masters at the same time will probably never happen in a real Megaman game. But that's why I made this story for. And believe me - he will kick ALL their asses. I think both Megaman and Zero combined WOULD be able to kill all robot masters at the same time.
On a side note, I hate fighting Heat Genblem. His spinning Solar Cannon attack beats the crap out of me and it lags the hell out of my game. Wall-jumping isn't my cup of tea either. And though I say that, Heat Genblem is also my second-favourite of the Einherjar, so he gets special treatment for this story. Expect more coming from Heat Genblem in the future.