CHAPTER 10: Ultimate Rematch! The 4 Guardians of X!

Harpuia stared intently at the black Reploid in front of him. "What took you so long, boy?"

"Who me?" Axl said sounding more of like a statement than a question. "You know sightseeing, getting souvenirs, grabbing a bit to eat, smashing some evil crazy Mavericks. You know the usual tourist stuff."

Harpuia scoffed at Axl's attempt at humor. Did he really think he was some kind of comedian? Will he did certainly have a way to lighten the mood in the atmosphere.

"So…" as Axl stated folder his arms and gave Harpuia a cynically smug look, "Where's X been lately? I haven't seen him around."

The green Reploid looked Axl dead in the eyes, clearly not amused. "That's for me to know, and you to never find out."

Harpuia slowly took out his twin daggers, the pinkish purple blades brimming with killing intent.

"Well then," Axl ready himself into a battle stance. "I guess I'll search this place top to bottom then!"

"You honestly think I'll let you go in and out as you please? You're sorely mistaken if you do!" Harpuia eyed Axl irritatedly.

Axl looked at him with a more serious look and tone. "Of course not! But I'm going to burst right through this place!"

"This is not a place for someone like you! You will regret coming here!" roared the green Reploid signaling the start of the battle.

Axl clashed his guns with Harpuia's blades as the green Reploid rebuke and took to the air. Harpuia quickly asserted himself with a fury of circular arcs of air shockwaves grinding the ground as they pursuit Axl.

The black Reploid rolled out of the way fired a rapid unison of bullets where Harpuia is, following him around as he dodges left and right, up and down avoiding all of the attacks and sky dived at Axl.

Axl kicked himself into a somersault, spinning himself above Harpuia as Axl twist his body around aiming his guns at Harpuia and unleashing a charge shot at him.

The guardian of the winds hack it away by slashing it in a downward circular arc dispersing it as two shockwaves followed suit in response to the blast's demise. Axl A-Trans himself into Harpuia and slashed away Harpuia's air slashes.

"Just become you've taken my form doesn't mean you're my equal!" roared the green Reploid as he flew into the sky at mach speed.

"Ha! I'm just adding your powers to mine, making me more dangerous than you!" mocked Axl-Harpuia as he followed Harpuia in the same mach speed.

The two green figures clashed and collided with each other, a burst of shockwaves bouncing off of them as they smashed into each other. A pair of purple-pink lights roaring in the air threatens all around them as they pierced the sound barrier.

Parrying, hacking, and smashing the two sets of daggers continue to break each other with their owners letting up. Harpuia instead of a downward arc from above proceed to flow into an upward slash from below knocking Axl-Harpuia's dagger away and forming another slash arc with his other blade.

Axl-Harpuia however kicked the green Reploid in the chin, as he limbo his way out of the attack and spinning himself downward near the ground. Harpuia followed suit chasing after Axl-Harpuia blowing debris from their pathway and a powerful gust of turbulence leaving in their wake.

Harpuia launched another set of shockwaves at Axl-Harpuia as the shape-shifting Reploid turned himself around hacking them away. Quickly as Axl-Harpuia brush the attacks off Harpuia closed the gap between them in a few moments to resuming their air duel.

A blow aimed for Axl's head, he parried away the assault and counter with his own attack. Harpuia blocked it by forming his blade in an X-formation and slashing it away causing a small shockwave to push Axl back. The copy Reploid coughed up some blood as he continues to defend against Harpuia's onslaught.

Another circular arc aims for Axl's head, but this time the boy grabbed Harpuia's arm and tossed him right above his head and into a wall.

The shape-shifting Reploid reverted back to his original form and pointed his guns at Harpuia as the green guardian pulled himself away from the wall and increased his velocity to ram Axl into the ground.

"GIGA CRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSHHHH!"

A steam of lightning blue lasers shot out from the barrels of Axl's guns encasing Harpuia's body in an electrified form causing a continuous amount of pain circulating throughout his body. a

The green Reploid was knocked out of the air and landed smacked dab into the concrete. The guardian of the winds slowly brought himself out of the ground and struggled to where Axl landed. He refused defeat! There's no way he'll go down like this!

Harpuia eyed Axl with great enmity yet at the same time respect for such a powerful warrior. "It cannot be… if only someone like you… would have joined our side… you are a great warrior…"

Axl shook his head. "I'm not great, I couldn't be there for my friends and I caused a lot of trouble for everyone. Don't mistake me for some grand kind of hero; I'm just me… a Maverick Hunter…"

"Very well, but know this… I'll never give you for this… I'll stop you… for I am…X's Guardian!" Harpuia breathed heavily saying every word as long and clear as possible before falling unconscious lying on the ground.

Axl turned his back at Harpuia with a solemnly expression. "Sorry, but I can't stop. I'm going to put an end to this."

Continuing down the room Axl comes across another door, another obstacle to overcome.

Axl looked at above the next gateway, reading the words 'Flamma Wies' imbedded. Axl simply shrugged it off and opened the door.

Fefnir greeted Axl as he entered the room, smiling and waving at him like an old friend. Axl looked at him puzzlingly, unsure on what the red Reploid's intent was.

"Hee hee hee hee. Welcome Axl bud! I've been expecting you. You've kept me waiting for long enough you hear! So please don't give up so easily!" shouted Fefnir in excitement was he pulled out his twin busters.

"Ah, give up? Do you know who the hell am I? I never give up!" replied Axl as he too pulled out his twin guns. "And to be honest I've been looking forward to fighting you again!"

Fefnir grinned. "Ha! That's what I like to hear! There's no other Reploid to be provide an entertaining battle like you! So let's get started! There's no need to be formal!"

Fefnir started sprinting towards Axl, his busters letting out a fiery aura. "No beating around the bush, huh? I like that! Let's go!"

The two Reploids clashed with each other, Fefnir disengaged his busters as he threw a punch at Axl's face as Axl blocked the incoming attack with his arm and grabbed him as he elbowed Fefnir in the gut. However the red Reploid also grabbed his arm and tossed Axl into the ground as Fefnir pulled his buster to Axl's chest but Axl kicked the buster away from the fire attack shot and rolled himself away to safety.

Fefnir's hand began to glow as his kicked himself off the ground and slammed his fist to where Axl was as the black Reploid jumped away from the aggressive red Reploid as an electrified shockwave erupted the ground and dashed toward Axl.

Axl jumped into the air and somersault himself in front of Fefnir as he launched an axe kick at his face. The fierce warrior jumped away and fired three medium-sized fireballs at Axl as the black Reploid performed his A-Trans ability into Fefnir. Mirroring the red guardian of Master X, he launched his own set of fireballs canceling each other's flames as they collided.

Both warriors run into each other punching and kicking at each other, Axl-Fefnir slammed his right buster into Fefnir's right buster as he shot up a roundhouse kick at Axl-Fefnir's side. The copy Reploid brought his leg up to cancel it and fired a round at Fefnir as the red Reploid arc a punch at Axl's face causing both Reploids to back away and grazing each other.

Fefnir snickered. This was way too much fun! He hadn't had a good long battle like this in a real long time!

"Time for me to get serious!" beckoned the red guardian as he slammed his power charged buster into the ground burning the air around and shooting towers of fire storms from the earth.

Axl-Fefnir rolled left and right away from the attacks as Fefnir combo his attack with fully charged fireballs all aim where Axl's safe spots are to trap the shape-shifting from escaping the attack and burning him in the process.

The copy Reploid charged up his busters as well and kicked himself up into the air and fired his shots below him to give me a double jump effect and somersault behind Fefnir, smacking his in the side of his face with his fist as the red Reploid turned around to defend but failed.

Fefnir rolled into the ground, but picked himself up shrugging off the attack was nothing. However despite smiling and looking pleased with himself he was breathing heavily and was easily tired from the fight. Axl too was exhausted as well, he fought two fights in a row without rest and the fatigue was starting to catch up to him.

The red Reploid roared as he sprint, Axl doing the same closing the gap between to the engage in close combat. Axl reverted back to him and jumped behind Fefnir fired a few shots at Fefnir as the red Reploid brushed it off and slam his fist where Axl was knocking him away from the shockwave and followed up with a roundhouse kick.

Axl timed it perfectly and landed on Fefnir's legs as Axl kneed Fefnir in the face. Axl quickly grabbed Fefnir's legs as Fefnir started to spin around from the impact and slammed Fefnir into the ground. The black Reploid jumped away several feet and put his guns away, declaring that he won the match. The red Reploid pulled himself out of the ground and smiled. He wasn't done yet, but something stopped.

Fefnir kneeled into the ground, no matter how much he tried his legs wouldn't response to his command. This was exactly like last time!

Fefnir's legs failed him once again, looking down at the damaged body parts he cursed. "Dammit! No, not yet!"

Axl walked over to him twirling his guns around before putting them away into his gun holders on his waist.

"But… No! Why can't I move my legs! The fun was just getting started!" Fefnir sighed in defeat as he looked up at Axl. "So be it… I'll let you live for a little while longer! Besides it will be to boring if you kicked the bucket already!"

"Of course! After all I've been through there's no way I'm going down so easily! Well take care of yourselves, later!" Axl waved to him as he walked away.

Fefnir laughed. "Hehe! Farewell kid! Better stay alive as I can beat ya next time!"

The red Reploid hanged his head to rest until his legs wake up again. Axl leaving the conscious Reploid behind came upon another door just like the previous two.

Before examining the door Axl pulled out an emergency Sub-Tank he brought with him that was located in the Transporter Room. It was well-prepared, but only two were left. Axl couldn't help but thank the person for setting them up for him as he pulled off the cap and started drinking the contents in it rejuvenating his body.

"Got to remind myself to thank Cerveau when I get back," Axl mused to himself. Looking up at the door before him he studied it in great detail.

The words 'Glacius Passio' etched into the plate just above the blue orb door as Axl hurries in.

To his surprise he fall into a pool of water, something he didn't expect. A playfully feminine laughter caught his attention to a familiar female Reploid.

She gracefully swam toward where Axl, even swimming around him to get a good look at him before stopping in front of him.

"I was wondering when you'll get here. It's been lonely without you," she playfully giggled.

"Ah sorry, it's rude for a gentleman to keep a lady waiting." Axl smirked as he pulled out his twin guns. "To make it up to you, I'll promise to show you a good time unfortunately it will be short. I'm in a hurry."

She laughed, amused by Axl's eagerness and his playfully words. "I've been looking forward to playing with you again."

She materialized her halberd and took a battle stance, her eyes filled with an innocent and mischievous look she locks her eyes with his.

"You have no chance of winning this time! You're all mine until then! So please be gentle with me!" she said each syllable carefully in a playfully and sultry manner as she started steaming at high-speed towards Axl.

The fury of thrust came without warning, their god-like speed threatening to puncture holes inside of Axl and the thought of them doing so creped more and more into Axl's imaginative as he dodges each blow as best as he could.

The aqua warrior danced circles around Axl incoming thrusts from all around him made it difficult to evade them all as he was grazed many times from each unsuccessful dodge. Axl had no choice but to use his A-Trans ability as soon as possible or he'll lose here and now.

Leviathan wasn't letting up her attacks, she was determined this time to defeated Axl as the black Reploid noticed how much tougher she is than their previous fight. Axl launched a semi-charge shot at Leviathan and gave him the time he needed to transform into Leviathan herself to even out the playing field.

"I see you've taken my form. Do tell me, do you fancy it so?" she teased him in her playfully mannerism.

Axl-Leviathan scoffed in a playfully manner as well. "Well it's one of my better looking female forms and I don't mind it at all."

Leviathan giggled quite happy with what she heard. "I'm glad to hear it; it's so hard to be appreciated these days. I'll give you an extra something after this fight! A goodbye kiss if you will!"

Hehe… I'm so glad she doesn't know Marino or thankfully I never took on Marino's form! She'll kill me… and I have to find out if she's alive because I want to yell at her for putting her DNA into my Copy Chip! Axl mentally cursed himself.

"Done thinking about my kiss? Then let me beat so I can give it to you!" Leviathan said in a sultry tone. She thrust her halberd at Axl-Leviathan as he… or she… too countered with the halberd.

"You know, saying that to me in a female form is quite… unwanted attention," Axl nervously chuckled.

Leviathan scoffed. "Who cares? I know you're a boy and that's all that matters."

So you don't care if I take on the form of a female and still…!

As Leviathan backed away from Axl's attacks she mused to herself. "However I rather kiss you as a boy, so revert back for me after I beat you m'kay?"

Axl-Leviathan looked at his questionably. Good grief… Well she's easy to get along with…

Leviathan spun her halberd around and fired icicles at Axl-Leviathan as the copy Reploid hacked away at them and formed an ice dragon from the halberd. Axl-Leviathan's pet dragon snaked it way over to Leviathan as she pulled herself closer to the surface.

Suddenly without she threw her halberd piercing the ice dragon that followed and recalled it back to her and started swimming back and forth forming ice crystal mines above Axl-Leviathan from her halberd. Axl reverted back to normal and changed his gun to the Ray Gun and fired off lasers and lasers at the ice crystals shattering them in the process and changed them back into his regular guns.

"Sorry, but I'm in a hurry! So here's the finisher touch! GIGA CRUUUUUUUUSSSHHH!"

Axl's powerful electrified blue lightning beams burst at high-speed ripping even the water apart causing Leviathan to be suspended in midair and hit dead on from the attack. The water reformed itself after the attack and Leviathan quickly pulled herself together as Axl swam at his and smashed his fist into her gut.

The female Reploid coughed, she wasn't expecting the black Reploid to treat her so roughly but he respect and didn't hold back because she was a woman. She smiled as holding her stomach where Axl slugged her and looked at him with a suggestive look.

Leviathan pulled back, losing all of her energy from Axl's final attack. "Puff… puff… That's enough…"

She slowly descends to the ground, looking tired and exhausted. She took her time studying Axl's appearance one more time, only a few scratches and cut marks on his black armor.

"You won. I accept my defeat…" Leviathan tireless said before chuckling to herself. Axl pitched a brow, puzzled a bit.

"Sorry if it seems like I'm going easy on you, but that means you'll get another chance at me and grow stronger. I look forward to seeing you again," Axl gave her a wink and turned his heel walking to the next door.

"I am happy that I met someone who can defeat me… I've been looking for a Reploid like you… I'll personally terminate you someday… but after I had more fun with you! So stay alive… Axl darling… I'm not satisfied yet…" Leviathan said as she soon fallen to the warmth of darkness sleeping on the underwater ground to recover.

…

…

…

"Was it just me? Or was this whole fight… way out there?" Axl pitched that question to no one particular and walked off.

The final gateway blocking Axl's path to Master X's room stands in front of him. Anxiously looking at the 'Umbra Profess' words above the door Axl mentally prepares himself with his fight with Phantom.

"Give light to the people," a cold voice greeted Axl as he entered the room. A black and white Reploid stood in the center with his fingers together in ninja style, though it looked more to Axl that he was praying.

"Give death to the Mavericks," Phantom opened his eyes towards the intruder. "No will shall disgrace Master X."

"I'm not going to disgrace Master X," scoffed Axl looking peeved. Why is it that he can't stand this guy? "I'm going to break him."

Phantom narrowed his eyes, telling Axl the same message over and over again.

You will die.

You will die.

You will die.

"Your termination will now commence Maverick!" Phantom ready himself, however Axl's hand shot right up. Confused, the ninja Reploid looked at the young Reploid puzzled.

"Before we begin I have something I like to say," Axl took in a deep breath. "Do you realize what your master is doing? Don't you realize what he's doing is wrong!"

Phantom looked at Axl questionably. "Why do you ask that? I will follow my master no matter what path he takes! I will never leave his side, I will never betray him! I will protect him with all my might!"

His unnerving and undying loyalty caused Axl to flinch and narrowed his eyes. "I see, that's why I can't stand you."

Axl's hand was beginning to tremble, angry seething throughout his entire body. He looked up with a piercing glare at Phantom and yelled at his face, "You remind me how I used to be! With my best friend Red! When he started acting strange I didn't question and kept on helping, until I saw that the Red there was not the Red I once knew and left! I knew someone was causing him to act strange and I didn't let my loyalty blind him from the truth!"

Axl roused his guns up pointing at Phantom. "I knew he took the wrong path and the only way to help him was to become a Maverick Hunter and set this right! I had to save from the creep and from himself! You make realize I could've become someone like you, and it ticks me off! If you want to help your master then stopped him from killing innocent and help him find a better path to happiness!"

The ninja Reploid silently took in every word Axl had to say to him. "I see… that's why I can understand someone like you. Unfortunately I will not go against my master, no matter if they seems faulty to others. I took an oath! If you wish to change my master then you must kill me and get to him first!"

Axl widen his eyes in shock and then cast his gaze down in disappointment. "I see, so there's no other way getting to you then? If I can't talk you out of it then I'll kick your ass instead!"

The ninja Reploid, Phantom, started the battle by throwing shurikens and kunais with explosive tags on them at Axl as Axl counter by firing off his bullets as them. The resulting collision caused a mass of fire to erupt in a five feet radius where it was, both Axl and Phantom a good twenty-five or so feet away from each other as they started to sprint at one another.

Phantom drew out his blade and clashed it was Axl's guns, who was using his guns as swords, parried and slashed away at each other with Axl firing when the opportunity presented itself at Phantom he dodged them with relative ease. The black Reploid sent a roundhouse kick at Phantom as the ninja jumped above the attack and spun himself and his blade at Axl's head prompting him to bend out of the way and cartwheel away from the onslaught.

In a matter of seconds after performing his hand signs as soon as Axl backed away, Phantom summoned three copies of himself and all four of them threw a giant shuriken at Axl. The four ninjas jumped onto the spinning weapon and assault Axl with raining kunais with explosive tags attached to them.

The black Reploid responded to this by A-Transing himself into Phantom himself and retaliated with four giant shurikens himself with a hidden explosive tag on all four of them. The real Phantom noticed the incoming danger and jumped off the shuriken as Axl-Phantom's shurikens came in contact with Phantom's blowing them up in the process.

"Impressive, but I will not allow you to win!" declared the ninja and began glowing.

Axl-Phantom stopped himself and noticed an ominous feeling in the air. "Huh? What's this?"

Phantom chuckled, keeping his nonchalantly statue in perfect harmony. "I didn't bring this with me last time and I'm wondering if you can A-Trans into an enemy who has an armor enchantment if they didn't have it with them at that time of their DNA is copied!"

Axl-Phantom narrowed his eyes, he was in trouble. He can copy enemy forms and abilities, including armor enchantment, but only if they were present at the time! If they didn't have it then he can't change into them! Axl gulped, what sort of armor was it?

"Arrrrgggghhhh!"

The ninja Phantom jumped into the air and his body radiated a dark light from it and soon his appearance changed completely. He truly looked a like a phantom now, or possible a dark lord!

His mask guard extended almost giving me a bat-like appearance with four red dots where the face is to indicate those are his eyes. His body was cone-shaped in appearance with no legs or noticeable arms and strange shield-like armor covered his body giving the impression he was wearing a cloak.

Axl-Phantom studied hard, this wasn't what he expected! What was this armor!

"This is called the Armed Phenomenon. All four Guardians of Master X has one, however none of them had it at the time when they fought you and even now. Only I bought my mine, to make sure I defeat you with full power! Now come, Axl!" Phantom spoke in his usual calm and composed voice. "I will let you sleep forever in the darkness, hidden from the world's hatred!"

Phantom's cloak armor arose and started chasing after Axl-Phantom. The shape-shifting dodged all the incoming thrust and slashes from the armor, noticing them like a swordsman or samurai fighting style. Four of the armor cloaks ascend into the air and descend at great speed behind Axl-Phantom cutting off his escape route as the other cloak armors continues to attack him.

The situation was making a turn for the worse if Axl didn't do something to change this fight around. He looked at all the arsenal he had it has disposal, unfortunately he didn't have a lot of energy left and he had only one Sub-Tank left for reserve. Axl-Phantom calculated the best course of action to take, granted it was risky but it's the best way out of this sticky mess.

Axl-Phantom performed his own shadow clone technique and scattered prompting the cloak armors to chase after each clone and one by one the clone was hacked and beheaded dispensing them all until one remain. The copy Reploid sprinted as fast as he could to where Phantom was as the armor cloaks hot on his heels.

"Hehe" Phantom chuckled.

Before Axl-Phantom to figure out why he laughed he soon found out as he collided into an invisible wall.

"I forget to mention that I can create an invisible energy barrier." Phantom mused.

Axl-Phantom picked himself up and avoided the oncoming attacks. "No! You just didn't tell me that's all!"

"And I forgot to mention this!"

Suddenly Phantom's chest began to glow and fired a high-dense red energy beam at Axl-Phantom as soon as he was far away. Axl dodged roll just in time before the attack could graze and turned his attention to where Phantom was. He noticed him hunched over and his energy shield disappearing, a flash a light was seen and vanished in a few moments.

However Phantom's armor cloak returned to where he was and he vanished into thin air. Axl-Phantom perked up his head, something that big doesn't vanish unless they teleported away, cloaked themselves, or…

SMASH!

Axl-Phantom was hurled into the wall from the back. Phantom reappeared above Axl as he reverted back to normal. The armored ninja Reploid shot an electrified wave from his chest and lifted Axl into the air.

"My win Axl," said Phantom in a stoic tone.

Axl, however, let out a painful chuckled. "Got'cha…"

Phantom perked his brow together and then looked to the ground where he sees several shurikens with explosive tags on them underneath some rubble. When did he…!

The explosive knocked Phantom off balance and Axl landed back safely on the ground after Phantom let him go from the unexpected shockwave. Axl then charged up his guns and took this golden opportunity to slam his guns into Phantom's armor and continuous fire this plasma bullets across his body like a blade slashing through the body.

Phantom let out an agonized voice of pain as he tried to back away from Axl's sudden outburst attack. Axl kicked himself gently off of Phantom to distance himself and swirl himself around with his guns emitting the same glow from his previous fights.

"Goodbye Phantom… GIGA CRUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSHHHH!"

The electrified blue-lightning beams ripped Phantom's armor apart piece by piece. A current of electricity circulating throughout Phantom's body causing small explosions to destroyed his body from the inside out.

Phantom's Armed Phenomenon was completely destroyed and its pieces scattered all around the floor. The ninja Reploid coughed up some blood. Wore and tired from the fight he kneeled over trying to support him by pushing himself up with his hands.

"Impossible… How could I…?" Phantom coughed up some more blood.

"Don't you get it! This guy isn't the real X! He's a fake, a misguided replica of the real X! Someone needs to teach this guy a lesson!" shouted Axl.

"I know my master is the real master," Phantom declared.

Axl did a double take. He… He knew the whole time this X was an imposter!

"If you have known he was a fake the whole time, why did you follow him!" Axl angrily lectured Phantom.

Phantom slowly picked up himself back up staring directly into Axl's eyes, with unwavering determination and unflinching spirit burning within his iris. "He is the symbol of hope and peace! If he disappears the world will be thrown into chaos! I cannot allow that to happen! And I will await the day the real Master X appears! Until then I will continue to fight!"

"Phantom…"

"So it's impossible for me to lose here! So I won't… I won't allow you to reach where Master X is… fake or not…" Phantom's body began to glow. Axl noticed right away what he was about to do. "I'll take you with me… Arrrgggghhhh!"

Phantom's body erupted. A huge explosion quickly spread within the room.

Axl jumped out of the way, getting away from the huge explosion that erupted where Phantom stood burning everything within a twenty feet radius. Axl was lucky he noticed it right away or that would've ended badly, however Axl couldn't help but mentally kicked himself.

He could've saved him! There could've been another way! Hell, Axl was pretty sure the two of them would've gotten along if it was for this whole damn mess with the Neo Arcadian and the energy crisis!

Before exiting though the final Guardian door, Axl looked back to where Phantom once was. Silently praying to the fallen Guardian, admiring him for his bravery and his loyalty, he kept on running and running. Not looking back, and kept on moving forward. For Axl, there's no turning back the clock no matter how much he wished it.

Running, running, running. Axl kept on running throughout the long hallway. After his skirmish with Phantom, Axl took the time to rest for a bit to recover some of his energy, by taking out an emergency Sub-Tank and gulped it down, from fighting all four of the Guardians of X in a row and to clear his mind and solidify his resolve after witnessing Phantom's death.

Axl stopped dead in his tracks in front a door. THE door. He was here, the imposter of his best friend, enemy of the Resistance Army, and… his enemy. The grey color door etched with futuristic lines all around in, glowing and fading blue lights in unisonance.

The door opened up, as if inviting its guest to come right in like he was welcome and well-expected. He didn't care, trap or not, he went in to finish this once and for all.

Shortly stepping into the floor three figures materialized in front of him engaged in battle stance. Their armors and appearance still battered, tore, and exhausting from their previous fight but the look in their eyes showed undoubted determination and loyalty.

Pulling out his twin daggers, the green guardian pointed at Axl viciously. "That's enough! You will NOT go any further!"

Fefnir glared at Axl as he pointed his twin busters at him. "There's no way I'm allowing you to proceed anymore! I like ya as a rival, but it ends here!"

"Sweet dreams Axl dear, it's time to give up!" Leviathan said sweetly and serious, keeping her glance focused onto Axl's eyes.

Drawing his guns, he completely serious and cold in his demeanor he uttered his next calmly and almost emotionlessly, completely out of his usual characteristics. "Out of my way, or I'll trash you! I'm not fooling around here anymore!"

"Glad to see you take this seriously, but this is the end!" Harpuia dashed forward.

The green Reploid slashed his daggers in a circular arc at Axl as he jumped out of the way. Fefnir appeared above Axl's head and fired two giant sized fireballs directly where the black Reploid stood.

Without batting an eye, the Reploid boy rolled off to the side and pulled his gun at Leviathan's face as she almost seemingly glided over to his right and brought the halberd down onto his side. As soon as Axl fired a round at her face, she pulled away almost grazed his side.

Axl kicked off the ground and swirled himself around, as he grabbed Harpuia's arm before he struck Axl in the back and pulled him down, pinning the green Reploid to the ground.

Fefnir jumped in, like a red bullet, and slugged Axl square in the face however that didn't stop him as he pulled the fire-shooting Reploid into a headlock and finally pointed his gun at Leviathan as she was about to hurl her halberd at him.

"I'll ask again, nicely," he said the last word with irritably. "GET. OUT. OF. MY. WAY."

"I agree, let's stop this."

Everyone turned their attention to the far side of the room. A blue-clad Reploid approach the group casually with a gleefully and sly smile before slowly turning into a stoic and an expressionless face.

"The three of you are no match for him in your present state. Leave at once and go repair yourselves!" the voice this time commanding and a high level dignity. The black Reploid let go of both Harpuia and Fefnir and backed away from Axl slightly.

Harpuia was the first to response. "Master X! But…"

He looked stunned, shocked, and scared. Despite that Axl was also tired and weak from their previous fight, he still didn't want his master to fight this worthless Reploid!

"Dammit… come on!" a low growled coming from Fefnir looking away discouraged.

Leviathan, however, bowed her head in respect and backed away. "…As you wish, my master…"

She agreed willingly and without resistance, but the look in her eyes suggested otherwise. "Brothers… we must heed our master's wish. Let us be off!"

Like any lady, she went first and soon her two older brothers followed suit teleporting out of the room as if they didn't exist in the first place.

With the three guardians gone the only ones left in the room with the black Reploid with copy abilities and the copy Reploid of the legendary hero X.

"Welcome Axl, to Neo Arcadian. I am Master X, it is an honor to finally meet you." The blue Reploid said playfully in a cynically tone.

Axl narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, I'm been waiting to meet you too. Master Fake X."

Author's Note: Finally I'm done! I wanted to get this chapter done before Christmas, but sometimes things just don't go your way. This is the LONGEST chapter I've written so far for this fanfic, and I planned on making it the longest too! This whole chapter is about fight after fight after fight, something of a challenge of some writers to try their best to describe a vivid and detailed battle with tension beating in it.

I'm not the best when it comes to it, but I hope everyone enjoy it! The Phantom fight was the longest one as I wanted Phantom to fight in his Armed Phenomenon as he never got the chance to do it as he died and it gave me a chance to experiment and see how he would've fought in that form. And it helps to focus on Phantom's loyalty and determination to protect his master no matter what.

This was a tough chapter to write, but I'm happy I get the chance to write this! The story is reaching is conclusion so I hope you get a chance to read it to the end!

Please and review my story and tell me what you think OK! Oh, and happy holidays to everyone!