Chapter 37: Sidier's birth
15:49 PM (Japan Time), Friday October the 15th…
"… Huh…? Where… the heck is this…?"
"Dunno…"
"CF" Ivan woke up and realized that he was lying face down on a ground made of brown square tiles somewhere.
"What the…? Weren't we heading back to the hideout?" "CF" Ivan wondered as he tried to lift up.
"Yeah. But a "hole" opened while on transit and sucked us up… I can't remember anything else." Sergei replied.
"CF" Ivan managed to sit down on the ground and panted from the effort done: he looked at his body.
"Huh? The Armored Form… It's been deactivated. Did you do it while on transit, big bro?"
"No. I didn't do that, lil bro."
"CF" Ivan blinked several times in quick succession: his sight was becoming more focused.
"Huh…?"
He tried to stand up and managed to do so leaning on some kind of rod: he tried to look towards it but it was emitting an intense light so he closed his eyes and tried to look elsewhere.
"Too bright…!"
He suddenly realized that he was standing inside of some kind of circular-shaped dome made of a bluish light.
"… Weird."
"Yeah. This doesn't feel like the real world to begin with." Sergei added with a hint of confusion.
"CF" Ivan looked beyond the "wall" of light: he could see a purplish fog which was scattered across the area: he then looked upwards and saw a purple sky with some clouds moving across it.
"… Where have I seen this before?" He wondered.
"It rings a bell…"
"CF" Ivan scanned the surroundings and realized that this dome was placed in inside of a big circular room.
"Huh?"
He could see a black shape placed on the middle of it. He tried to focus his sight again: it was some black onyx steps leading to a throne of the same color which was giving him the back.
"A throne… Purple colors… No way…! This place is…!" "CF" Ivan muttered before gasping.
"The Great Sky Temple…!" Sergei gasped.
"Correct, Nakayami Brothers." A voice rang out.
The throne slowly turned around and they spotted Yamikawa sitting on it: he looked calm and composed.
"Emperor S – sama!" Both gasped.
"While I would like to congratulate you two for defeating both Forte and Freeze Man… I'm afraid to inform you two that the show is over." He dully told them.
"The show…?"
"You mean Silver Arrow…? But…! We've just proven our power! We can't be defeated just like that!"
"However… The show has gone through its climax and is now trekking the road to the conclusion. Your deeds have been more than enough. Soon enough, a fresh cast will pick up where you left and continue this cycle started by Dr. Wily."
"T-then… Do we have to shut down Silver Arrow?" "CF" Ivan gasped.
"And by "fresh cast"… Shun and Hunter Man… They are supposed to be our successors?" Sergei gasped.
"Correct. Also… The reason I pulled you two over here is because… I found an interesting use to your body."
"Body… You mean to say that our personalities are unnecessary?"
"I have a bad feeling about this." Sergei grimly muttered.
"Hmpf. Correct. Your personalities are unnecessary." He made a smug smile.
"… This guy… He wants to kill us!" "CF" Ivan roared.
"We won't go down sans a fight!" Sergei hissed.
"Have you forgotten? I am in control."
He snapped his right hand's fingers and the diamond energizing the "safe zone" shattered into several fragments: both Ivan and Sergei gasped in horror.
"No…!"
The "safe zone" tilted and began to decrease in size before it totally vanished: the purple atmosphere began to drain "CF" Ivan's HP and he dropped into his knees while looking stunned.
"We're gonna…" "CF" Ivan began.
"… Die…?" Sergei gasped.
"NO~!" Both roared in agony.
The body suddenly collapsed face-down on the ground and didn't move anymore.
"Hmpf. Their personalities have entered hibernation mode. But this is where I come in. My plan can be executed. Gotta thank Solo for his little idea…" Yamikawa grinned.
He climbed down and walked next to the limp body: he crouched beside it and took out a black chip implant.
"Hmpf."
He used a Sword Battle Chip to make a cut on the forehead before he inserted the chip and the cut section regenerated: the Kanji and the cracks on the left side of the face vanished.
"This chip implant will "seal" their personalities and place a new one in place… It's impossible to destroy a personality, after all. But this new one will be the main one and those other two will be sleeping forever. I've turned this body into cybernetic data, so it'll become just like us three: he will look young and will have a young mind, but… He'll evolve and become a powerful warrior under my command." He muttered aloud with some evil on his voice.
"Interesting."
"Intriguing."
Kagehi and Kuroumi walked over there after they stepped inside of the room and Yamikawa looked up.
"Good timing. Let's assume positions: rooting and booting are already half-undergone."
He walked back towards the throne and sat down on it while the other two stood at his flanks.
"Any time now…"
The "Cross Fusion" body opened his eyes: they were firstly devoid of life but soon they gained a reddish / golden color: the other Kanji on his chest were gone, too.
"Welcome. Disciple."
"My Lord." The warrior kneeled and bowed: his voice was different too.
"Do you know why you are here?" He questioned in calm tone of voice and having a smile on his face.
"My Lord. I have been granted life to serve thou forever with this flesh and mind. Command me." The warrior announced in a Samurai – like speech register.
"Excellent. From today onwards, you shall be known as - Sidier."
"… My name is Sidier: I serve thou, my lord. Please bestow a command upon me."
"You will undergo the initiation training. You will visit 3 Temples across this Land and battle several opponents. You will know how to fight and gain experience. You will be granted one title once you manage to complete each Temple. Gather 3 and you will be allowed to come back here: you shall test your own power against us."
"… By thou command. Guide me, my lord."
"Go East: the Death Tribe is waiting for you."
"Roger. May I go, my lord?"
"Go. Make me proud."
Sidier bowed and then stood up: he saluted and clasped his heels in a military manner.
"Good."
Yamikawa merely signaled the door and Sidier headed over there without looking back and at a calm and collected pace.
"Yes, over there."
He stopped to let it open and he then disappeared inside of the corridor: the doors closed behind him.
"Heh, heh, heh. I know where ya got the name from."
"That was an intelligent move."
"Thank you, my friends. I've locked up his Armored Body form so that he learns to battle with the autonomous Battle Chip System I installed. It'll be a very, very harsh learning…"
"Oh?"
"Crafty."
"He won't look back and he shall look forward." Yamikawa added with a smile.
"And the others will believe both have decided to go meet Obihiro and hide along him while allowing him to jump into the stage on their spot until they can strike back by surprise and deliver a fatal blow… That's a good plan." Kagehi deduced.
"Meitantei Somari – chan strikes back." Kuroumi joked.
"Oh? Maybe you wanna sing "a – le – le" fifty times without a break, Kuroumi Solo?"
Both men gulped: Kuroumi looked at the ceiling and Yamikawa nervously looked elsewhere.
"Tee, heh, heh. You still despise the music class of elementary school, don't you? I was the only one who ever got good grades on it. Tee, heh, heh." She giggled.
"Man." Both muttered.
"See ya two around, handsome guys…" She teased as she headed towards the doors.
She stepped into the corridor and both men waited until the doors had locked behind her to sigh in relief.
"The nightmare of the music class… I can't shake it off even though that was over twenty-five years ago." Kuroumi grimly muttered.
"I can't, either. That teacher was a Demon: she loved pulling our ears and punishing us without break time to make us sing properly enough… And both of our parents agreed that teachers should be like that."
"… Huff! Yeah… I guess I'm off to working on a new battle pattern… After all… Sidier will take a while to clear the Temples… I'd say a month's time, more or less."
"That was in my calculations, too. But we'll have to sit back and contemplate."
Kuroumi chuckled under his breath and stepped out while Yamikawa brought up a holographic screen and looked at a map.
"Hmpf. Target: located. Obihiro: I've set my eyes on you. There's nowhere for you to run off to. Heh, heh, heh…" He muttered.
He then shut it down and also departed the throne room to step into his own bedroom: he shut the door behind him and picked a book labeled Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
"Good stuff, yeah…"
He sat down on the chair and flipped through the pages until he found the spot he'd stopped at.
"Heh, heh, heh. This book is a good source of inspiration, too. Who knows? Maybe I'll get an original idea of mine thanks to it, too… Slowly and carefully… Enjoy yourself, Obihiro… You'll soon know to fear my might and you will do whatever I command." He muttered with a hint of evil on his voice.
He leant the chair backwards to lean it against the wall and calmly resumed reading while looking amused.
I'm a genius! Heh, heh, heh!
"… What did you say? That the HQ's location has been discovered?"
"Yes, Shun – sama. Emperor S – sama leaked the location. But it'd seem it was a request from Sergei – sama. Maybe they have found a new one and that one wasn't useful anymore, sir..."
Obihiro was sitting in a sofa inside of a largely unlit living room somewhere: a nearby fireplace was on and provided some heat and illumination to the room.
He'd been working with a laptop when Hunter Man showed up using his Link PET's hologram.
"Guess they must want to go keep a low profile… It'd seem we'll have to jump into the front line in the meanwhile." Obihiro guessed.
"What should we do for the time being, though, Shun – sama?" Hunter Man requested.
"I dunno… Let's try looking at the data they granted us but we should stay far from Japan: maybe they'll forget about us." Obihiro decided as he leant backwards on the sofa and folded his arms.
"Roger."
"Check out security."
"By your orders, Shun – sama." Hunter Man confirmed.
Obihiro sighed and picked up a cup with some mineral water on it: he slowly drank it and then left it back on its place.
"So… I'm gonna have to create my own organization, sooner or later… If I were to follow the criteria Ivan used, I should begin the name with "Bronze"… We had a star and an arrow… Why not a sword? Yeah. "Bronze Sword": that'll be my organization's name. I'll keep it small: maybe I'll hire someone, but I won't go over two members." He muttered while bringing a hand to his chin.
"… This is the place. My initiation will begin here, then. I am ready for anything: let us enter."
Sidier was standing in front of the Death Temple's entrance: he stepped inside and into the main arena: Ox Fire DS was standing there and the "safe zones" had been removed ever since last time around.
"Welcome! You are Sidier, then." Ox Fire DS greeted.
"Yes, sir. Thou are Ox Fire DS, the Death Tribe Chief?" Sidier asked while saluting.
"Correct. I see calm and composure on you. That's good: it's the first thing a warrior must have. I shall admit that Emperor S once dwelled here with us before he became the mighty man he is today..."
"I see, sir."
"If you are to follow on his and his companions' footsteps, then you shall have to fight each of the warriors individually until you get to me." Ox Fire DS explained.
"Yes, sir. I am ready to begin anytime." Sidier saluted.
"Good! But I shall show you to your quarters first. You shall dwell on them while training here."
"Yes, sir. By your orders."
Sidier followed Ox Fire DS towards the right wall: a large segment of it split in two and opened, thus revealing a tall and wide corridor.
"Hrum. Over here."
Several doors were placed at its sides. Ox Fire DS opened one and revealed a very Spartan-like room: there was just a bed and a chair and the walls were bare and had no decoration whatsoever.
"These rooms are designed to help meditation and concentration: you will need to use them to fight amongst us. Rest for an hour and then come out: your opponent shall be waiting." Ox Fire DS told him.
Sidier merely saluted and sat down on the bed while examining his body and then the walls with an analytical and calm glance.
My initiation begins. I shall make Emperor S proud.
"… Buku! Chief! The new guy came? Buku?"
"Not the "new guy", you mean the "new warrior", Cancer Bubble DS. And don't use that silly speech style. It irritates me."
Cancer Bubble DS met with Ox Fire DS on the main room: the Chief sighed and leant both punches on his body while Cancer Bubble DS gulped and seemed to realize he was right.
"R-roger, sir! I won't interfere, sir! I'll wait for my turn to shine, sir!"
"Good… Things are going to get hot… Heh, heh, heh!"
"But not too hot either." Wolf Forest DS suddenly dropped down from a ledge higher in the wall.
"It's a way of speaking, Wolf Forest DS."
"I apologize, sir. I got paranoid."
"Don't mind it, warrior. You're weak to heat, anyway."
"And heat can make my water boil too. Buku." Cancer Bubble DS admitted with a sigh.
"Welcome to the club." Ophiucus Queen DS crawled out of another entrance and formed a smile.
"What club? Buku?"
"The Anti-Heat Club, you see, boy."
"Queen – sama's pulling my leg, buku." He protested.
"Tee, heh, heh, heh, heh."
"Ophiucus Queen DS… When will you stop teasing Cancer Bubble DS because he's the youngest? I thought you liked to do that with the Gemini Spark DS twins?" Ox Fire DS sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Well, Purple is terrorized of me and Black has fun doing favors to me so it's a curious mix, yes. But trying to tease this little boy is fun too."
"Huff. As long as you don't poison him or anything like that…" Ox Fire DS seemed to be fed up with the discussion by now.
"No, no! I have no use for poison but my little pets like to play around, you see… Tee, heh, heh, heh."
"Don't come up with "tentacle play" next. I find the mere idea repulsing."
"Ops. No, no. I won't, Chief. Be assured of it. I didn't mean that."
"Buku! I'm off before I get bitten by a thousand snakes! Buku!"
"Great. And stay away from Sidier or else Emperor S – sama will get annoyed at you. What a club we are, really. Huff!"