A/N: I... actually don't think I can say anything to any of that. You'll have to wait and figure out all the whys! Bwahaha! And, no, of course your reviews aren't annoying! (If anything, I wish there were more reviews!) I'm thankful to have them. And now, possibly my favorite battle of them all!


"This is it, huh?" Kaita asked, zipping up his bag. "Two Netbattles this morning, the final this afternoon, and then we get to go home," he recalled, flopping onto his unmade bed.

"That's good," Turboman said. "I can't wait to get back to the Internet! I feel like we've got so much to do."

"So much we've learned..." Kaita sighed. "I feel like we're wasting time here. I want to show Black I can keep my promise. And Poipu-san and Meiru-san and Enzan-san... They're waiting for us to get better, too. It might take some work, but we can do it, right?"

"You bet!" Turboman replied. "But we have to watch these Netbattles first... I see what you mean." Kaita stared up at the ceiling; just remembering what all had gone on in the past weeks. It all made him feel drained. He couldn't wait to be back in his room at home. "Still," Turboman said from near his Operator's head, "they won't be dull ones!"

"Definitely not," Kaita said. "How could they be, with Enzan and..." That one bizarre night flashed into his mind, the one that Kaita knew was real though it still felt imagined. "...and Black."

The two were silent for a moment. "Well, we know Enzan's not bad, so I'm rooting for him!" Turboman said. Kaita was sure some of that cheeriness was forced. "How about you?"

"Um... yeah, me too." He knew it wasn't right to think it-as Black had said, everything would return to normal when they got back to Densan City, and he was dishonest by necessity-but Kaita swore there was at least a little good in Black. If not good, then neutral. No matter what the case, he couldn't just think Enzan would handily defeat the other Netbattler. "I think the best Netbattler will win," he said carefully.

"You're thinking Black might win, too, aren't you?" Turboman said, taking Kaita by surprise. "Well, I think you put it best. The best driver reaches victory road."

"Mm."

"You didn't think I'd think that, did you?" Kaita blinked down at his PET. "Ah-ha! It doesn't work that way, Kaita-kun!" Turboman said triumphantly. "If you're going to go around thinking crazy thoughts, then so am I!"

Kaita laughed. "Um... thanks?" Looking at his PET brought to his attention the time displayed next to his Navi. "Aaaah! I won't get breakfast at this rate!" He was out the door and downstairs in the blink of an eye.

"Kaita-kun!" Mary was waving at him. "There you are!" she said, while Kaita took his seat.

"We were wondering where you were, especially after last night," Meiru said.

"I'm much better now," Kaita said. "And I mean it this time!" he said, noticing Kalama's skeptical look. He glanced around. Poipu, Roll, and Dingo were sitting with the other three, with Knightman standing imposingly over his Operator and Beat resting on the table in front of Roll. Kaita smiled nervously at the huge Navi, then realized something odd. "Doesn't Enzan-san usually sit with you guys?" he asked Meiru and Poipu, giving the group another look. Sure enough, he wasn't there-or anywhere at the table, for that matter. Black was there with the Nova crew, but not his opponent.

"I haven't seen him all morning," Meiru said. "I'm a little worried... Then again, maybe he's thinking up the perfect plan to smash Punk into the floor," she said, giving the Nova end of the table a nasty grin. Yumi smiled and waved at her, then turned back to the Nova conversation.

"Hey, aren't they usually laughing over there?" Kaita asked.

"Of course," Kalama said with a scowl. "I bet it's about us, too..." She looked over at them. "Huh. They sure aren't now."

Dingo summed it up perfectly. "Something's bugging them. Those looks on their faces say it all."

"Someone should see what they're talking about," Kalama said, leaning to the side already.

"No!" Mary said. "Who knows what they'd do? They certainly wouldn't tell us."

"We won't ask them! We'll spy on them!" Kalama clarified.

Meiru sighed, closing her eyes as she did, then opening them. "We shouldn't," she said with determination. "I really want to, but we shouldn't!"

If nobody else was going to, Kaita was all for it. "I'll go!" Before Meiru or Mary could protest, he slipped under the tablecloth and headed straight for the two pairs of boots and one pair of sneakers at the end of the table.

"...Enzan, that's all," Black said. It sounded like a confession more than anything. "It's not a big deal-"

"That's a damn huge deal," came Atsuki's voice tightly. "Black, I don't know if you know this, but Ijuuin's been on our watch list for about as long as he's been waving his silly little badge. His girlfriend's getting noticeable, too."

"Yes, I do know!" Black sounded a little flustered, like this whole conversation was a bad surprise. "Damn it, Atsuki, I'm not that stupid."

Yumi sighed loudly. "You know I hate it when you start going on about these 'watch lists' and 'special plans' you guys make up that you never share with me..."

A little more calmly, Black said, "It's just what it sounds like, Yumi. People from around here who might throw a wrench in the works."

"Of course, if they're on our list, it also means the two of us already know how to deal with them," Atsuki said smugly, almost condescendingly. "It's nothing to worry about, unless one of us does something incredibly stupid..." Kaita was sure that new edge in Atsuki's voice was directed at the other man there. How many people knew what had happened in that corridor, anyway? Kaita couldn't imagine Black just telling the other two, especially considering their reactions now.

"You mean you might've screwed up?" Yumi said icily.

"I'm telling you, don't sweat it," Black said. Sarcastically, he told her, "Contrary to popular belief, I can take care of myself."

"Black, come on, I didn't mean it like that." Yumi shifted in her seat, sitting up a little more. "I'm just worried about our security. If this keeps up, Nova's sunk-"

"And I'm telling you, that won't happen," Black said. "I'm only getting extra attention because I'm the lynchpin. That's been accounted for. Everything will go as it should." The tablecloth wrinkled, lifted, and Black's face was inches away from the younger Netbattler's. "Good morning, kiddo."

Kaita didn't stop screaming until he was back in his seat, bumping his head on the table twice trying to run back as fast as he could. "Watch list," he reported back, gasping for air, "Enzan's..." He nervously looked back at the far end of the room to see the three Nova members walking away, their conversation much quieter.

"Oh, that's no problem," Meiru said. "Enzan's been a Net Savior for a long time. Of course he's a threat to them." Kaita wanted to say why they'd been talking about him in the first place, but he wasn't sure what sort of reaction Meiru would have. She couldn't stand Black at all, and he didn't think she'd think highly of-or even believe-Enzan being familiar with the Nova member. "Come on, let's go get our seats!" While the others got up and left, Kaita realized that he'd spent the whole time poking his nose into Nova's business and not eating his breakfast. He looked from his friends leaving the room back to the table of food and made his decision. He scarfed down a few slices of toast and washed them down with orange juice, then got up and ran for the stands.

The competing Netbattlers were already on the battlefield when he took his seat. Each Operator was looking into the other's eyes, one's brown eye narrowed in the coldest glare Kaita had ever seen, the other regarding his enemy with what looked almost like indifference. Kaita jumped as the announcer yelled, "Let the match begin!"

"Let's get this over with," Enzan said grimly. A white face guard slid out of Blues's helmet to cover his nose and mouth.

As the Navi shot forward, Black called, "Area Steal!" Punk vanished as Blues brought his blade down where the other Navi's head would've been. Kaita was surprised-Enzan didn't intend to let Black get the first move like he'd let Tamako and Atsuki. But Black wasn't scared at all.

"You're rushing things, Enzan," he chided. "I thought you gave battles this important a little more thought." Blues halted Punk's shoulder plate-first tackle with his sword, turning just in time to block the attack. Unlike his fight with Cirrus, Blues was making Punk work hard to keep his enemy where he was. The two were in a stalemate for a few seconds, neither giving the other any leeway. Then, Punk detached his shoulder plate and vanished in an Area Steal. With the huge resistance from the other side gone, Blues nearly fell over. His attempts not to impale himself on the prominent spike on the discus below him weren't helped when Punk's huge, heavy boots slammed down onto him while he was regaining his balance; little more than a millimeter came between him and the spike as he was slammed into the rust-red dome. A Samurai Sword formed on his right arm, and Blues whipped around and slashed at Punk's legs. The orange-haired Navi grunted as the sword struck home, but his extendable arm quickly slithered around Blues' sword arm and hauled him upward. A second sword came to the silver-haired Navi's rescue, and he wasted no time in cutting the cable; instead of the crash Punk had been hoping for, Blues landed on his feet, knees bending to take some of the jolt. Punk looked down at the chopped-off end of his arm and narrowed his eyes before jumping up and over one of Blues' Sonic Booms.

On the sidelines, Kaita, Meiru, and Roll exchanged worried looks. "Why isn't he just tying Blues up now?" Kaita asked. "He must be sort of off balance..."

"He's faking it, just like he did with us," Meiru replied. "It's not like we can warn Enzan from here."

Kaita was about to say something else on that subject, but Black's cold, mocking taunt made him pay attention. "I know how you work, Enzan. And I know how you think I work. Unfortunately, I have no intention of trying to have an equally-matched fight to the death." He slotted in a pair of chips. "So sorry."

"Oh, it's fine." As Punk rocketed forward on a Dash Condor, then vanished, Enzan said, "Neither did I. Iai Form, slot-in!"

Black obviously hadn't seen that coming, and Punk's attempts to dodge on his own just got his Dash Condor hacked to bits by Blues' triad of cuts and himself tumbling helplessly along the ground. After the rust-red Navi was carried off by yet another Area Steal, Kaita couldn't help but wonder how many Black carried around. "He can't have enough to last the whole match," he muttered as Punk escaped near-doom once again.

"How long are you going to run away?" Enzan asked. "Magnum, slot-in!" A bulky, gray cannon appeared on Blues' arm.

"That's right. Hold still and aim your toy," Black taunted. "Needle Machine, slot-in." The bug-like Needle Machine shot in three directions, forcing Blues into the air. Kaita knew that there was no way Blues could fire the Magnum in time, but he was still surprised to see it disappearing even before Punk reappeared next to him in mid-air. Blues slashed downward with his default sword, but Black and Punk watched with stony faces. "Catch." Punk's cable arm deftly snaked around Blues's sword and arm in milliseconds, tugging him uncontrollably past until he hit the ground. Punk rode an Area Steal down to meet him.

"I've about had it with the both of you, causin' us so much misery," he growled, slamming his oversized boot into Blues' back to keep him stunned before kicking him into the air.

"Senshahou, slot-" Before Black could send the chip in, Blues disappeared in an Area Steal. "Crap." Punk had planted himself in preparation for taking the shot, but that made him an easy target for Blues' opening slice. Punk flipped himself to face Blues as he fell, data trickling from the cut across his back. "Oh, please," Black said mockingly as Punk blocked with a shield and sent his cable arm at Blues, who simply sliced it away. "Paladin Sword, slot-in!" Punk swiped at Blues' head and was blocked by his opponent's sword. But that left his other arm free to wrap around Blues; he pulled himself to his feet, throwing Blues off-balance.

"Stone Body, slot-in!" Blues turned into an unwieldy weight in Punk's arm, toppling backwards and bringing Punk down with him. Punk tugged, but his wrapping up his enemy had turned against him; the cable wouldn't budge. "Earthquake!" Kaita realized what the idea was. Either Punk got crushed and Blues didn't thanks to his Stone Body-raised defenses; or Punk did what he was doing now, using a shoulder plate to cut Blues free and escaping in an Area Steal. Blues reverted to his normal colors as soon as Punk was gone, getting out from under the falling white weight with an Area Steal of his own.

"Kouri Hougan, slot-in!" Blues reappeared from the Area Steal just in time for the light blue bomb to hit him, freezing him to the spot.

Enzan didn't seem impressed. "Flame Sword!" The heat of the Flame Sword easily melted most of the ice away; from there, it was a matter of cutting away the rest of it with one well-placed swipe.

"Senshahou!" A massive gray gun formed on Punk's arm. The Kouri Hougan had served its purpose; Blues had been slowed enough that the Senshahou's energy blast could nail him in the chest.

"Well, I think your struggles are hopeless. You should just give up," Black said.

Even as his Navi was sent skidding, leaving a trail of dirt behind him, Enzan said, "Really? I was thinking the same thing. Program Advance!" It was like the tables had turned. Blues was on his feet echoing Enzan's shout, Meiru was grinning next to Kaita for the first time during the Netbattle, and Black and Punk were sharing alarmed glances.

"The world hates us, Punk," Black said, sending over a Neo Variable.

"Sword!" Blues dodged the Sonic Booms with ease as a sword appeared on his arm.

Punk sent out his cable arm immediately after the Neo Variable disappeared from his arm, causing Blues to stumble. "Doesn't it always?"

The hacker gave his Navi a short nod before their opponents' next move: "Wide Sword!"

"Vulcan, slot-in!" Punk opened fire and kept his target in his sights, never giving Blues a moment to stop.

"If that hits him, won't it make him lose the swords?" Kaita asked. "Or mess up the Program Advance some other way?"

"Like the timing? Yeah, it might," Meiru said. "Or else-yes!" She punched the air in triumph. Punk had run out of bullets.

"Long Sword!" Blues lifted his arms over his head. Black slammed in Battlechips, too rushed to give any warning. While the blue light of the swords' resonation began to intensify, Punk looked down at his arms in confusion before sending out a Yo-Yo on his newly-recovered cable arm and tossing a Kusamura Seed with his hand. With some effort, Blues wrenched his foot back, turning himself sideways and letting the Yo-Yo pass him. He let the green, orb-like Kusamura Seed hit him, grunting in pain but standing his ground. Punk was still receiving chips from Black's earlier flurry of slotting in, some canceling others as they appeared on Punk's arms: a Magnum, a Corn Shot, something Kaita couldn't immediately see the effect of—

"Program Advance: Dream Sword!" A blinding flash lit up the battlefield as Blues swung the coil of energy downward. Kaita couldn't stand to look into it for more than a moment, but he saw enough. Punk was completely enveloped in the thick band of light; by the time it dissipated, he was completely gone. Black seemed stunned. He almost looked sad.

Kaita wasn't sure if Enzan pitied him or not; the Net Savior's expression was unreadable. "Game, set, and match."

0110110101100101011001010111 0100011010010110111001100111

"You're going to win after all! That's boring! I've seen that happen a thousand times!"

"Alex," Clara said sternly, but her brother wasn't listening.

"Well, I've got a challenge for you!" Scialto said petulantly. "Try and beat-"

"Alex, wait!"

"-this!" He flipped open a box on the bottom of the control panel and pressed the button inside.

0110110101100101011001010111 0100011010010110111001100111

"That's it?" Kaita asked, though he knew it had to be.

"That's it!" Dingo said, clambering over the seats to reach Kaita, Mary, and Meiru. "That sure showed him-"

Meiru's eyes snapped back to the battlefield. "Wait!" she said. "Something's wrong..." A millisecond later, Blues gasped as something tightened around his throat and limbs, raising him off the ground. Black's expression turned into a decidedly nasty grin.

At the same time, a tremor shook the ground. "That's weird," Roll noticed, "it seemed to be coming from the battlefield..."

Kaita had a feeling he knew the cause. To his surprise, Black seemed to, too. He looked at the ground with a wide eye, then quickly commanded, "Punk, stop!" He pushed a button on his PET. Even as Kaita watched Punk fade into view behind Blues, his cable arm relaxing its grip to let Blues drop to the ground, the boy remembered when Black had used the same trick in the WWW Area. Of course he wouldn't let the battle end like that.

Meiru wondered, "What's causing this?" A loud burst of feedback from the speakers mounted above them, along with the accompanying much larger tremor, cut her off. More peeved, she added, "And why does Black seem to know what it is?" Kaita couldn't hear what Black and Enzan were talking about any longer, but it looked a lot like an argument. The two Navis had backed off to their Operators' sides; something was pushing against the ground, causing it to swell up in the center of the battlefield.

"-makes no sense to fight it here, considering the spectators. We need to get them to safety," Enzan said as whatever was underneath punched through, revealing a huge red fist and jolting the speaker system back into place.

"But if we-" The fist retreated, and Black finally conceded, "Fine." As the Operators and their Navis left the arena, it burst open, leaving a deep hole-one that, Kaita knew, went all the way down to the basement. For emerging from it was a massive, stone-faced Navi with two spikes pointing out from either side of its red helmet. Its muscles were much blockier than a human's and covered by a white bodysuit. A huge red glove with green trim smashed the hole even wider. Kaita watched in fascination as it pulled itself out into the arena, reaching up for something to grab hold of-

"Kaita-kun, we've got to get out of here!" Roll pulled him back into the hallway as the massive Navi's fingers found the spectators' box.

"Th-Thanks, Roll," Kaita stammered. Everyone else was just ahead of them, hurrying down the stairs. As he started down, Kaita heard a loud cracking noise. Things were falling up there. Roll tightened her grip on Kaita's arm and quickened her pace, forcing the boy to follow suit. They emerged in the lavish hallway. "Now what?" he asked, looking behind him.

More crashes sounded from the battlefield. Kaita watched Yumi run past with a duffel bag and remembered his own luggage. "Anything you're attached to?" Roll asked.

"Some Battlechips..."

"Then hurry!"