Disclaimer: Same as before. You already know.

Episode 14

Outside of the portal...

The Space Knights have gotten on the other side, minus Zero and Blade.

Natasha yelled, "Chief, we can't just leave them there."

Aki said nothing as she stared into the portal.

"Chief?"

"No. You heard Blade. He wanted us here." Underneath her armor, she tensed up and whispered, "Sometimes, he has to do things alone."

David looked along with her, "Isn't there anything we can do for them?"

Aki remained quiet for awhile, then she jumped off of Pegasus, "Pegasus, find Blade!"

"Command acknowledged."

The Teknobot flew back into the portal.

__________________

Inside the planetoid, the warlord and Blade started their battle. The warlord displayed vast power, but Blade was unaffected by the attacks.

Just as I thought. You aren't as strong as Omega. I guess only a human can use the true power of a Tekkaman.

Suddenly, Blade attacked back. The warlord was unprepared for this kind of fight. Fighting Blade as a Blastor was too much for him and he already showed signs of damage. The Warlord was losing badly. Blade continued his relentless assault as Zero watched in shock. How could he be so powerful? Even as a Blastor, I'm not that strong. So this is Blade's true power.

The Warlord was finally rammed into the wall. With an unearthly roar, the warlord shot back at Blade, lancer in hand. But in a split second, Blade dived down, letting the warlord pass overhead. Then with his own lance, he stabbed upward, straight into the warlord chest. With a sickening cry, the warlord fell down and didn't move. Blade then turned and looked around for Zero, but he was nowhere to be found. After looking around briefly, he saw Zero in front of the core, with his shoulder and arm cells open.

"Zero. What are you doing?"

Zero didn't turn. "Heh, just as I thought. You truly are the legendary Tekkaman, Blade. Defeated him without much effort. But now you must leave. I will finish this. There's no need for you to be stuck here too."

Blade moved toward him, "Is that what you really want?"

"It makes no difference. This is what I must do. This is my atonement. I don't know if you can understand that."

"I once had a family, Zero. We were a happy family, but I don't remember too much. But then the Radham came."

Zero made no move. "Why are you telling me this?"

Blade continued, "To let you know that there is atonement. But not like this. You can find another way... as I have."

"As you have? Why do you need atonement?"

Blade set his armored head down, "That family I mentioned. I killed them. All of them. My father, sister, brothers, even my own twin. I hated being a Tekkaman because of it. But I have taken that and turned it into something else. A way to defend Earth so that no one else would go through the things I have. You and me aren't all that different, Zero. What will you do?"

Zero didn't respond for a while then turned to Blade, "I....don't know. I feel....divided between something I should do and something I could do. But I don't know which is which."

Blade was about to say something when a slight noise came behind him. Turning, he saw the warlord right behind him and grabs him. Blade struggled in the hold, but was unable to escape. The warlord began laughing and his four eyes began flashing red. Blade saw what was going to happen. He's going to self-destruct.

The warlord continued laughing, but suddenly stopped and screamed. Blade moved away and saw a sword run through the warlord. Zero's blade. It was aimed so that it ran through the warlord's body without hitting Blade. Zero then lifted the warlord and flew to the core.

"Zero!"

"He's going to self-destruct so I'm going to make good use of him. The explosion will be enough to destroy the core."

"No! Zero!!!!!"

Zero flew into the core and disappeared. Just then, Pegasus flew in and landed next to Blade. Blade stood there for awhile.

"Blade, we must hurry."

__________________

Meanwhile, on the other side of the portal, the other waited in anticipation for their return. Suddenly, a bright flash blew out of the portal, blinding the Space Knights. The light lasted for a few minutes and it dimmed down enough for them to see a form coming toward them.

"Is that...it's Blade."

Indeed it was Blade, powered down on top of Pegasus. But Zero was nowhere to be seen. The others looked sadly as Blade can to them.

"He did it. He destroyed the core, the planetoid is annihilated and the Radham has been stopped."

"So he's...gone."

Blade looked down and remain quiet for awhile.

"No. He lives."

At first, a wave of relief came over them, but they suddenly realized something.

"You mean he's…stuck there?"

Blade shook his head and moved to the left. There, hanging onto the back of Pegasus, his armored hand clawed into one of Pegasus's aft boosters was Zero.