Chapter 21: Decisive Battle! Nebula Base!
14:57 PM (Japan Time), Sunday March the 25th…
"… The "Aquarius Hotel", you say?"
Netto and Enzan were driving somewhere using Enzan's limo.
"That's the hotel Dr. Yoru is lodging at." Enzan replied.
"I still can't believe it… THE Dr. Yoru…" Netto muttered.
"I should've realized it earlier! Back when the retrieved "Dimensional Converter" was destroyed…" Enzan made a grimace.
The limousine soon stopped in front of the hotel: its structure was a tower built on a cliff's side together with an underwater section: both of them entered the reception and headed to the counter.
"Ah! It is Ijuuin – sama." A clerk greeted.
"I want to investigate Dr. Yoru's room." Enzan went straight to the point.
"Ah. Yes, sir…"
They were led to Room 1701.
"This is it, sir." The clerk announced.
The clerk unlocked it using a master code and both Enzan and Netto stepped in: the room was empty and deserted.
"Anetta isn't here!" Enzan cursed.
"Enzan!" Netto called out from an adjacent room.
There was an open laptop placed on top of a table.
"Dr. Yoru's PC. We may figure out something there!" Netto suggested.
"Yeah." Enzan agreed on it.
Netto took out his PET.
"Counting on you. Saito – niisan." He told him.
Netto aimed at an infrared Plug-In port on the lower left corner of the screen and Rock Man entered the system.
"Netto – kun, otouto. I'm going to search." He announced.
Various folders and programs appeared onscreen so Rock Man manipulated the "mouse" to access the diverse contents: there was a file inside of a folder which brought up a screen with live feed from an aerial camera displaying a tanker cruising in a body of water somewhere.
"What's this ship?" Netto asked.
"It's a tanker which Dr. Yoru owns."
"Tanker?" Enzan asked.
"He's publically known as a scientist but… He also seems to be deeply involved in the oil industry."
"Why would a scientist own such a thing?" Netto wondered.
"Do you know the ship's current position?"
Rock Man opened a file adjacent to this one and a screen with a map and a moving arrow appeared: the application also had a maritime compass and it showed how the ship was nearing a landmass somewhere by heading north-east.
"Here!"
"Me. I request a jet helicopter to come pick me up at the Aquarius Hotel ASAP!" Enzan was speaking with someone using the PET.
"Yes, Vice President." A man replied.
"Are we going to board the tanker?"
"Netto…" Enzan began.
"What the… Don't tell me stuff like I slow you down or something like that again!" Netto protested as if guessing.
"No."
He holstered the PET and looked up: his expression which showed determination.
"I can't possibly do it by myself this time around. Will you come with me? I need your power."
"Obviously!" Netto smiled.
An IPC chopper landed on the Aquarius Hotel's helipad and Enzan opened the pilot's door.
"Please come down. Blues will do the piloting." He commanded.
"Understood." The pilot acknowledged.
The pilot climbed out and ran out.
"Plug In! Blues, Transmission!"
"Take – off." Blues announced.
The chopper climbed up and flew towards the ocean: Netto briefed the Net Police as they chased the tanker.
"A tanker, you say?" Superintendent Manabe inquired.
"Dr. Yoru's ship, ma'am! The kidnapped Anetta might be there, too, ma'am." Netto reported.
"Please let me borrow it!" Meijin asked Manabe.
Manabe handed Meijin the PET.
"We'll get ASAP. You two: don't do anything reckless before we get there and…!" Meijin told them.
"The transmission has been cut." Manabe told Kifune.
"Manabe – kun! Arrange for helicopters ASAP!"
"Yes, sir."
"… Dr. Yoru… I can't believe he was the mastermind behind this whole affair…!" Yuuichirou grimaced in the Science Labs' briefing room.
The chopper was eyeing the tanker's deck: Netto and Enzan were scanning its length and Netto suddenly spotted the enemy's chopper.
"That chopper…!" Netto exclaimed.
Three "Dimensional Converters" emerged from various spots on the ship all of a sudden.
"…"Dimensional Converters"…!" Netto muttered.
"Land, Blues! Hurry!" Enzan ordered.
"Roger!" Blues acknowledged.
Netto made a grimace: the helicopter quickly descended, but the helix was cut by the forming "Dimensional Area" so the chopper began to fall towards the deck: Netto and Enzan braced for impact.
Oh crap! "K. S." thought as he checked on them.
The chopper hit the deck and skidded a short distance across its length towards the bow: they soon stopped and both "Net Saviors" sighed in relief.
Phew. Huh? Oh heck.
They gasped upon seeing a huge amount of Viruses materializing on the deck.
"… Mwah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah! Now that we've obtained the "Dimensional Converters"… We don't need to cooperate with the humans anymore! We'll annihilate the humans and the surface will be ruled by us "Darkloids"!" Shade Man, standing in front of the throne and unfolding his wings, proclaimed.
I did well on checking on him… He'll go face the head of "Nebula", Dr. Yoru Yami, next! The "Commander" grumbled.
The two "Net Saviors" were puzzled by the fact the Viruses were content enough with wrecking the ship.
"This is weird! Why would the Viruses attack their allies' ship?"
"Watch out, Netto! Get out!" Enzan suddenly gasped.
He then grabbed Netto's right arm and opened his cockpit door to run out of the chopper and not a moment too soon, since it was hit by a Virus' attack and blasted to smithereens: Netto and Enzan kept on running across the deck.
"Netto!"
"Enzan!"
"Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"
Upon realizing "Cross Fusion" the Viruses stopped fooling around and focused on the duo.
"Rock Buster!"
"CF" Netto shot at some Viruses and easily deleted them while "CF" Blues drew his default sword and dashed forward, slicing some of them on his wake: "CF" Netto jumped towards the right and blasted some more Viruses.
Hit those Viruses! I'll try to help by infecting them with a self-deletion program for the Viruses too… And I think that "Nebula" is actually thankful that we're getting rid of them this time around... Ironic!
"CF" Netto and "CF" Blues were soon surrounded by a horde of them: "CF" Blues looked around and made an exasperated sigh while "CF" Netto aimed the Rock Buster around.
"Curses… Battle Chip, Salamander!"
"CF" Netto's tactic helped clear some of the Viruses.
"Netto! Save up the Chips!" "CF" Blues ordered.
"That's easier said than done…!"
"CF" Blues jumped into the air and cut the base of a column thus making it hit the deck: the shockwave destroyed some more Viruses.
"Good job!" "CF" Netto complimented.
"Let's go search for Anetta!" "CF" Blues exclaimed.
"Yeah!" "CF" Netto acknowledged.
Both of them ran inside of tanker and found someone waiting for them in the midst of the corridor.
"Mariko – sensei…? No! That's not it! You're Yuriko! Aren't you?"
"Where's Anetta?" "CF" Blues demanded.
As an answer, she threw a bomb at a Curzdo Virus behind them.
"What repulsive Viruses, huh?" She complained.
"You guys… Why are you being attacked by Viruses?" "CF" Netto demanded.
"Welcome. I was ordered to guide you gentlemen… By that person."
They followed her, still being rather unsure of her intentions, and entered an elevator which descended towards a lower level before stopping.
"Please step in." She told them.
"Where's Dr. Yoru?" "CF" Netto demanded.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh."
Yuriko giggled and the elevator's doors closed behind them.
"Ah! Curses! We were tricked!" "CF" Netto cursed.
The lights suddenly died.
"Netto!" "CF" Blues warned.
The wall behind them split in half, revealing the command room, and both of them walked inside.
I see! This room is built in the lower deck of a fake tanker!
A figure could be seen sitting on the command armchair together with another shape sitting on another armchair a bit forward and to the left of the main command chair.
"Dr. Yoru!" "CF" Netto yelled into the vast room.
"…The "Dark Chips" and the "Dimensional Areas"... You're the shadowy human who cooperated with the "Darkloids" by employing evil science…!"
Part of an unlit face which seemed to be wearing a helmet could be spotted: Dr. Yoru's voice then boomed out through some speakers.
"Indeed! That's me. However! Call me "Yami"."
"Why? Why would you, the enshrined global authority in "Super Energy" engineering, do this…?"
"Wait. If you get closer… This mistress will be in danger."
Some focuses activated, revealing Anetta: she was sitting on a blue leather armchair, was out cold and was inclined towards the right.
There they are: the person of yesterday morning… Hmm?
There was a person's shape behind her which was sitting on the command armchair: this person seemed to be wearing a helmet and some kind of bodysuit and their face was obscured by the shade projected by the helmet's forehead: they were immobile.
This figure reeks.
"Anetta!" "CF" Netto gasped.
"Release that child! Yami!" "CF" Blues demanded.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh! Don't be so impatient! I've scheduled to greet another guest apart from you guys. Before that… I'll explain what's going on."
"CF" Blues gasped and "CF" Netto looked angst-filled.
"Just as your father deduced… Hikari Netto and Hikari Saito…" The man began: he sounded like he was sneering.
What! He knows our secret! How could he know? Netto inwardly gasped.
Maybe he's hacked Papa's computers! Saito calmly suggested.
"… They, the "Darkloids", are a species of data life-forms which naturally sprouted deep within the Cyber World... Their ambition is to escape the Cyber World and rule the surface in the humans' place."
Both "Cross Fusion" members stood still: "CF" Netto tried to focus his gaze on the figure sitting on the command armchair, but the intense brightness around it made it difficult to guess.
Papa's hypothesis was right, then. Netto told Saito.
Yeah. And this guy was behind it.
"But I, who knew of their existence, made a patch with their "Leader", Shade Man – dono. I provided them with the "Dark Chips" as reward for their ruckuses to cause terror and fear. But I thought of employing those as bait to turn the "Darkloids" into my servants. Anticipating, obviously enough, that the "Dark Chips" would degrade them."
So what happened to Beast Man and Desert Man was part of the plan…
"And those hungry for "Dark Chips" have betrayed Shade Man – dono and are gathering at my side. But I didn't expect things to go so quickly. I believe that it's because their materialization in the "Dimensional Areas" promoted the side-effects of the "Dark Chips". Talk about a happy miscalculation. The "Dimensional Area" covering this ship is Shade Man – dono's counterattack."
"Shade Man's…?" "CF" Netto asked aloud.
"To be honest… This is surprising. I wasn't expecting Shade Man – dono to come this far. Perhaps he's produced the "Converters" by using the abandoned WWW hideout."
"The World Thee, you say!" "CF" Blues exclaimed.
"Dr. Wily also carried out research on "Dimensional Areas"." He replied.
"You… know Wily?" "CF" Netto questioned.
This guy was a member of the WWW?
Maybe…
"Heh. Well. Who knows?"
There was a big tremor and the ceiling started to shake like if something had impacted with violence against the deck: "CF" Netto gasped and he and "CF" Blues looked towards it.
"The guest has arrived."
A burst of purple light broke through the ceiling: both gasped as the burst of purple light hit the ground behind them and turned to look at where it landed.
He came! The "Commander" gasped.
When the light died, Shade Man was standing there, looking very serious and having part of his face hidden by the obscurity.
"Hmpf."
Ah! This guy again! This guy must be Shade Man, then! Oh! I remember! Beast Man called him by his name the first time we performed "Cross Fusion"! Netto realized.
I'd say "Vampire Man" would fit him better…
Niisan! This isn't the time for jokes!
"Dr. Yoru Yami… I've used your scientific capabilities as a foothold into this three-dimensional-world. Now that we have gained the "Dimensional Converters"… Your usefulness has expired!"
"Wrong. That is your current status, Shade Man – dono. Those gentlemen now cooperate with me and have sworn loyalty to me. You've lost your so-called "army"." Yami answered.
"Hmpf. So you mean that everything went according to your plotting, huh."
"Your dreams were foolish… Did you think that I, a human, would allow you to destroy me? No way. You only think of destruction. I think of ruling through fear and terror. Savages like you will never understand what a true ruler is. " Yami exposed while tapping the right armrest.
Shade Man grumbled something under his breath: he formed an energy sphere on his left claw and tried to shoot it towards the figure with a roar of anger only to have it intercepted by "CF" Blues, who jumped into the air and sliced it in half.
"Don't get in my way!" Shade Man roared.
"CF" Blues landed back on the ground, crouching, and "CF" Netto looked towards him.
"Enzan!"
"Stop the guy! Anetta's in danger!"
"CF" Blues jumped towards Shade Man before "CF" Netto could reply: Shade Man merely folded his wings.
"E~h. Bothersome gnats!"
He used his Crush Noise and hit both of them, knocking them into the ground, hard.
"If you're in such a rush to die then I'll get rid of you humans firstly!"
"Action sequence: start! Camera… Action!"
What. Cousin got influenced by Video Man or what?
"Battle Chip, Boomerang!"
"Battle Chip, Flame Sword!"
"CF" Netto shot the boomerang while "CF" Blues dashed towards Shade Man: Shade Man merely used his right wing to block the boomerang and part of his left wing to block "CF" Blues' Flame Sword: Shade Man opened his wings and roared as he used the Crush Noise again so "CF" Netto and "CF" Blues hit the ground with their backs, hard: they somehow managed to sit up although they were panting heavily.
Netto – kun! Your physical strength is at the limit! We can't maintain the "Cross Fusion" anymore! Saito told him.
"CF" Netto grumbled and looked at his right towards Shade Man.
"Enzan – sama. It is dangerous to push it any further." Blues warned.
"Mwah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah! What's the matter, gnats? Is this all there's to you humans' power?"
They stood up while barely keeping their balance.
"Come to these… The trump card! Enzan…!" "CF" Netto told him.
"Fine!" "CF" Blues replied.
"DOUBLE PROGRAM ADVANCE!"
"Oh! Start up the next BGM!" Yami announced with obvious eagerness.
"Battle Chip! Cannon, Hi Cannon, Mega Cannon! ZETA CANNON!"
"Battle Chip! Sword, Wide Sword, Long Sword! DREAM SWORD!"
"GO!"
"TAKE THIS!"
"Don't underestimate me! You humans!"
If this doesn't work…!
The brutal explosion shook the whole tanker and it was visible from the outside: both boys flied backwards with their Cross Fusions falling apart before they hit the ground, hard, along with their PETs: smoke filled the room: Enzan managed to rise up a bit and looked forward.
Netto – kun! Otouto! Saito called out.
Netto opened his eyes and gasped as he sat up a bit.
"Did that do it?" Netto asked.
They gasped when eyeing Shade Man's figure: he'd lost the right arm a bit below the shoulder and gotten some bruises, but apart from that, he was still standing.
Oh crap! That didn't do it!
"Shade Man!" Enzan yelled.
"It can't be!" Netto uttered.
"Your attacks are inferior to those of worms!" Shade Man proclaimed.
He walked forward and the two prepared for the worst but he ignored them and continued walking forward.
"Anetta!" Enzan yelled and looked towards her.
Shade Man stopped once reached the base of the platform.
"Hmmm…" He muttered under his breath.
The silhouette sitting on the command armchair suddenly stood up and planted its right foot on the ground: Shade Man gasped and both boys stood up to see, also gasping.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh! Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!"
The figure jumped down from there and landed in front of Shade Man.
The figure was over a meter and ninety tall.
His body design was highly reminiscent of Rock Man's one.
He wore a helmet with a mouth guard activated: his eyes' irises were visible and it could be seen that they were colored crimson red.
His chest emblem consisted on just two shades of black and white split by a horizontal grey line: he had two curious shoulder pads which were shaped as two split halves of a diamond.
His main body's color was navy blue although the forearms and his boots were colored in purple.
A black smooth cape hung from the back of his shoulders and reached all the way to the floor as well as an add-on to his bodysuit.
"What?" Netto was surprised.
"That's not Yami!" Enzan exclaimed.
"You're…" Shade Man uttered.
"Have you forgotten me? Shade Man – dono?" The newcomer asked in a familiar voice.
The newcomer removed the mask: he was Yoru Yami alright.
"Correct! I am a Net Navi!"
"A Net Navi, huh?" Shade Man wasn't too surprised.
"B-but…!" Netto gasped.
"I developed a robot body for any Navi to "Plug-In" into: their forms are then recreated! Thus I don't need "Dimensional Areas"!"
"What!" Enzan gasped.
"I can change my appearance. My human name is Dr. Yoru Yami. But my real name is… Twilight!" He announced.
"Twilight?" Both asked.
"I'm above that ultimate defective life-form." He taunted Shade Man.
"Shut up!"
He tried to hit Twilight with his right arm's claw by closing it and moving it forward but his attack passed through Twilight, as if he wasn't solid: Twilight merely stood there, unfazed, while Shade Man recoiled and looked at his left claw in disbelief.
"So?" Twilight challenged.
"A hologram?"
"Yankee! Go home!" He exclaimed.
He snapped two of his right hand's fingers: one of the "Dimensional Converters" got cracks all over it and stopped working: the Viruses on the deck began to frizzle and Shade Man's body started to frizzle as well.
He's cracking up the "Dimensional Converters" with a mere snapping of fingers? He's powerful!
This just made a turn for the worse…
"After all… If there's no "Dimensional Area" then you can't exit the Cyber World. You gentlemen are data life-forms: it's forbidden to exit outside of the Cyber World."
He snapped his fingers again: the second "DC" got cracks all over it and stopped working as well: the Viruses were unable to stay materialized and had to de-materialize: Shade Man's body kept frizzling.
He's going to force Shade Man to leave by removing the "Dimensional Area"!
"The final blow! Vanish!"
He snapped a third time: the third "Converter" cracked and broke into a myriad of glass, plastic and circuitry which fell into the ocean: the "Dimensional Area" vanished completely and Shade Man was forced to de-materialize: both Netto and Enzan gasped.
"Hmpf… The real fear and terror will now begin! Farewell! My beloved… Half – brothers."
He pointed a finger at Netto as he blinked an eye, waved good-bye and vanished in a stream of light which shot towards the ceiling, leaving Netto and Saito chilled to the bone.
H-half – brothers! Netto felt all blood on him chilling.
That guy's also a human become a Net Navi?
Papa and Mama only had us as their sons! I don't recall Papa or Mama ever being married with someone else before they got married!
I don't either! This reeks!
Ah! I don't care right now! We must go help Anetta!
Both Netto and Enzan rushed to Anetta's side.
"Anetta! Hang in there! Anetta!"
Enzan tried to wake her up and he crouched in front of her.
"Huh… Enzan… Enzan!" Anetta muttered.
She gasped, opened he eyes wide, and hugged Enzan.
"Thanks goodness… You aren't hurt?" Enzan asked, smiling.
"No." Anetta replied.
"… Crap! What the heck is going on? Where's Yami… No! Where's Twilight?"
"Anetta." Enzan addressed her.
"I was out cold the whole time so I didn't get to see anything…"
"I see." Enzan replied.
Alarms started to blare around the ship: they all gasped and looked around.
"Netto – kun! Shade Man!" Rock Man yelled.
The "Darkloid" leader, quite pissed off, was trying to overload the ship's energy furnace within the Cyber World.
Crap! Shade Man! How vengeful! And Yoru Yami… No! Twilight… He's going to take over the "Darkloids" now…!
"Sink along with the ship! You humans!" He roared.
"We must escape quickly. They intend to make the energy furnace explode!" Blues reported.
Netto eyed one of the four screens around the platform.
"The enemy's chopper: let's escape with that!" Netto exclaimed.
"Wait!" Enzan told him.
The chopper started and Yuriko smiled.
"Bye-bye! Boys!"
The chopper lifted off: Netto banged the screen in frustration and growled under his breath.
"Confound it all!" He cursed.
"Enzan – sama. Please Plug In." Blues requested.
"Blues…" Enzan looked at his PET.
"We'll halt Shade Man!" Rock Man added.
"Niisan!"
Can you? I'll try my programs on him but I'm not sure if they'll work.
Both he and Enzan nodded while a fleet of Net Police choppers was heading towards the tanker.
"What is this ominous feeling…?" Meijin wondered.
"… Gya~h!"
"A~rgh!"
Both Rock Man and Blues hit the ground: the energy stand was quickly overheating and Shade Man laughed like a psycho.
"Futile! Futile! Hah, hah, hah, hah!" He exclaimed.
Enzan got some calculations on his PET's screen and cursed aloud.
"It'll cause a great explosion in five minutes if it keeps up!" He swore.
"EH?" Anetta was panicking.
Netto rummaged his short's right pocket and took out the dreaded "Dark Chip" Anetta had been given: he pictured Twilight's face, and his voice.
"…"Dark Chip"…"
Netto's eyes widened, filled with fear: he closed the hand and his eyes.
No! Don't fall for that! No! Don't do it, Hikari Netto!
Rock Man was struggling to stand up using the hands to lean on the ground: his vision was blurred, but he could make out Shade Man stomping Blues' head with one foot.
"Geh! How about I delete you lowlifes first! You bothersome humans' puppets!"
Rock Man also heard the ominous echoing voice and pictured the ominous face.
"…"Dark Chip"…"
Rock Man lowered his gaze.
"Netto – kun! Give me the "Dark Chip"!" He called out.
"What?" Netto couldn't believe what he'd said.
You can't be serious, Rock Man!
Enzan looked towards him as well.
"Normal Battle Chips don't work on Shade Man, so…"
"Don't say nonsense, niisan! If I used the Chip, then you…!"
"I'll probably become… your enemy… otouto…"
"Saito – niisan…" Netto muttered.
"I don't really want to do that! But that's better than being annihilated if we don't do anything! I'm begging you, otouto… The ship's gonna explode! We don't have time to waste!"
Netto was afraid while Enzan and Anetta looked on: Enzan was calm while Anetta was guilty.
"Hurry up… Give me the "Dark Chip"!" Saito begged while looking up.
"…"Dark Chip"…"
"Saito – niisan!" Netto exclaimed.
"…"Dark Chip"…"
Netto closed his eyes and clenched his teeth: he opened them again and lifted his right arm.
"Dark Chip, Slot…!"
Enzan suddenly yanked the Chip out of his right hand, to Netto's utter shock.
"Forgive me, Blues!" Enzan exclaimed.
Enzan raised his right arm.
"… "Dark Chip"…Use it!"
They could picture Twilight's eager face.
"No~!" Anetta yelled.
"Dark Chip, Slot In!"
What! Ijuuin Enzan! Have you gone MAD?
The "Dark Chip" appeared on front of Blues' face: the "Dark Aura" surrounded him and his eyes flashed red under the shades: Shade Man recoiled.
"Ugro~a~h!"
Blues stood up, roaring and the "Dark Aura" entered him: he took out a Sword Battle Chip and the light reflected on his shades: Shade Man kept on recoiling.
"Blues…" Enzan looked really disgusted at what he'd done.
"Enzan… You…" Netto was stunned.
"Don't stand there! Make Saito stop the energy furnace's heating!"
Blues launched a powerful attack which sent Shade Man flying and crashing into the ceiling with a loud roar.
"Battle Chip, Ice Cannon Ball!"
Rock Man threw a blue sphere at the furnace and the whole network cooled down.
"The heating's stopped!" Netto exclaimed.
Rock Man turned to see Blues holding his face with one hand.
"Mugra~h!"
"Blues!"
"Don't come near me, Saito!" Blues pointed his sword at him.
Enzan was desperately pressing the emergency "Plug Out" button but to no avail.
"You can't Plug Out, you say!" Netto exclaimed.
Blues fell on his knees.
"Blues! Blues!" Saito called out.
"Saito… Delete me… Before I cease being myself…!" He exclaimed.
Enzan was holding the PET and trying to come up with something.
"Enzan – sama…"
"What's up, Blues?" He asked.
"I am I prideful of… having been your Navi, sir…" Blues announced between gasps.
Enzan gasped and panicked.
"I can't do that! Blues! I just can't… delete you!"
"… Huh… Don't hesitate, Saito! Or else… I will be turned into… your enemy… Ya~rgh!" He roared in pain and partly stood up.
"Blues!"
Rock Man tried to reach out for him: both his and Blues' chest emblems started to glow.
"Soul Unison"? Will this be able to counter the effects? We can't know yet: will it stain Rock Man too or…?
A hand gripped Rock Man from behind.
"Be annihilated!" Shade Man roared.
He used a leg and kicked Blues to the ground while He squeezed Rock Man's head.
Devil! I'd forgotten about this savage!
Blues, lying on the ground, eyed the situation: he removed his sword from his right arm and hugged his chest emblem.
"Take it… my… power!" Blues exclaimed.
A red energy ball left Blues and hit Rock Man's chest emblem: various bursts of white light came out of him, and Shade Man let go of him, surprised.
"Huh!"
Rock Man gained a new "Soul Unison", the "Blues Soul".
His helmet had a valley-like shape when seen from above and its color of choice was white: a red dome with a fin running across its length from the front to the rear popped out from the middle of the valley: a pair of greenish transparent shades covered his eyes: his hair came out in a different style too.
The chest armor over his bodysuit was red in color save for a blue stripe running down from the base of the neck to the upper edge of the chest emblem: it continued past it and it incorporated white edges around the spot where the arms began past the shoulders.
His arms' "skin" turned black and he gained cylindrical pieces of armor around his forearms: a shield was built over each forearm and it was colored on that dry-blood-like color: the shield had a large white edge and a thinner red edge at the base of it: a metallic band with two round holes on it spanned over the width of the forearm because these shields spread from over the palm to close to the elbows.
The boots were colored red except at a segment over the feet fingers, had round edges and a triangle of a dry-blood-like color surrounded by white edge popping out from the round edge: the soils were black.
"Soul Unison!" Netto exclaimed, surprised.
"What?" Shade Man was baffled.
"Soul Unison: Blues Soul" Rock Man took out the default reddish Sword Battle Chip.
"Here we go! Shade Man!"
He charged up energy.
"Hra~h!"
Rock Man shot a shock wave which travelled across the ground and it hit Shade Man fully.
"UWO~H!" Shade Man roared.
The inertia from the attack shot him towards the ceiling: he became data and vanished: Rock Man gasped.
"UAH… GAH… GUA~H!"
Blues, who had turned purple, was engulfed by a purple flame, which fled away.
"Blues! BURUUSU~!" Rock Man yelled in despair.
Enzan looked on the verge of breaking down, his white hair hiding his eyes: Netto and Anetta looked on, horrified.
We've survived, but… At far too great cost. "Boss" will go mad: I'm sure he recognizes Blues as a worthy opponent and scowls at such cowardly tricks to try to remove him from the picture…!
The Net Police choppers arrived a few minutes later.
"… Search every nook and cranny of the ship's insides!" Superintendent Manabe ordered.
Some Net Police men ran inside of the ship.
"Are you alright?" Meijin asked Anetta.
"Yes, sir." Anetta replied.
Anetta sitting on a chopper's left seat and Meijin was standing next to her: Netto climbed into a chopper, but Enzan looked behind, sad and surely still regretting his decision.
"Enzan." Netto called out.
"Yeah…"
Enzan hid his gaze and headed for the chopper which flew away.
Enzan… You… For Saito – niisan's sake… you sacrificed Blues… What are we gonna do now…? I don't know… It's my fault…! Blues…! Please forgive me…! I'm sorry… Hell…
"I see… Blues…"
Commissioner Kifune looked defeated while sitting behind his desk.
"… Ugh… Huh… Huh… Huh? Oh!"
Shade Man made it back to the castle: he was climbing up the stairs and grumbling while holding his destroyed right arm: he looked up when he was about to climb the last set of stairs and he saw Twilight sitting on the throne, leaning left, looking at the ceiling and whistling a tune.
"Twilight!" He exclaimed.
Twilight lowered his glance, looked at Shade Man, and grinned.
"Oh. Shade Man – dono. It'd seem I forgot to tell you. This throne is now mine." Twilight announced.
"What?" Shade Man uttered.
"Heh, heh, heh… I shall be taking the seven "Synchro Chips" you stole from the Science Labs a while ago, Shade Man - dono. Please think of it as spoils of war…"
"You lowlife…! Huh?" Shade Man hissed.
He eyed Burner Man and Gravity Man showing up on the flanks of the room along Spark Man and another "Darkloid" which had not been seen before.
"Burner Man! Gravity Man! Drive out that guy!" He ordered.
They didn't flinch at all.
"What are you doing? Spark Man! Sword Man!" He ordered next.
Sword Man was close to a meter and ninety high.
His main body was colored white and had a hexagonal form: two brownish parallel metallic bands crossed the chest from left to right and formed two trapezoids aiming up and down in the middle, above and below the black center section.
His head was shaped like a sword's hilt placed on its sheath: the edges were red with two white spots at end of the upper edge: a vertical metallic white piece with a round grayish spot was set over the forehead and a brown handle emerged from atop the head: his face lacked a nose, had a thin mouth and his eyes were yellow irises sans pupils.
His emblem was a simple close-up of a sword's blade which aimed upwards and set against a brownish background.
His shoulders were white spheres with two white circle-shaped pieces covering the forearms and the part below the shoulder: he lacked elbows.
The wrists had square brown armor over them and the hands' skin was black: he also carried a short sword with a brown hilt on his right hand.
His body below the torso had a pyramidal piece pointing downwards and a central sword's blade emerged running down the back.
He and Spark Man didn't move either.
"My "coup d'état" has been successful: they now obey me."
"Why, you…! You lowlife…!" He hissed.
Shade Man tried to get to Twilight but someone got in the way: the tiles beneath him glowed white and broke: Shade Man fell into an abyss.
"Uoh! Wuo~h!"
Blues, colored purple and with the mouth guard on, was standing in front of Twilight.
"Heh, heh." He inwardly chuckled.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh. Hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, hah, ha~h!"