Ch10
Enzan let the tears fall down his face as he looked at his empty PET. Blues is deleted. Anger and sorrow welled up inside of him as his navi's final moments played in his head. His body shook, tears welled up in his eyes, he wanted to lash out at the world for the injustice done to him.
Despite their efforts the program advance didn't amount to anything and Blues was weakened, and taken down by Slur before Pharaohman arrived. If only I had hated them more. He slammed the table with his fist. If only I trained harder he wouldn't have been deleted.
He had tried to back up his navi but Blues' data was in such bad condition there wasn't much to salvage. It wouldn't be easy to reboot his navi from scratch but right now he didn't know where to begin.
His blood boiled as he thought of Hikari Netto and Slur. How could a simpleton like him and his navi defeat us? We were stronger, this should've been a cake walk for us. Instead all he got was his navi deleted and his tail between his legs.
A knock on the door caught his attention. He quickly cleaned his face as the door opened and his father walked in with a stone cold expression. "F-Father what is it?" he asked calmly as he got up and bowed.
His father gave him a cold gaze as always. "I heard of your defeat, your navi is gone."
The words stung like a dagger in his heart. "Y-Yes father," he said swallowing the lump in his throat. You were supposed to see us win. You were supposed to be proud of me. His father's cold gaze made the resentment toward Hikari Netto grow inside of him.
"You should've been more focused," his father said shaking his head. "If you had been more ruthless you would've won."
His father's words as always were like daggers to the gut. His body shook as his father's eyes bore into his soul. "There is no point on crying over it. You have a back up don't you?" His father asked.
"I-I do but he was badly wounded there isn't much to back up," he said softly. "It would take a long time to recover him."
"No son of my gives up," his father said folding his arms. "You made the family weak by crying in front of everyone, you got your behind handed to you by a mere child. Official net battler? Your navi got taken out with ease."
Tears fell down his face as his father turned around. "Don't forget nothing short of perfection is expected, you must be ruthless for what you want."
He collapsed into his chair as soon as his father slammed the door behind him. Ruthless. Clenching his fist he through a bunch of papers on the floor. I should've won, I should've deleted that sorry excuse of a net navi.
His body trembled and he let out a sob as he fell to his knees. "Blues please come back," he sobbed as he looked at his PET. Letting out a cry he hugged it tightly, Blues the only friend he had was gone.
"Blues I'll do anything to get you back," he muttered as he looked at the PET. "Anything please come back so we can right the wrongs." Setting it down he rested in his head in his hands and let the tears flow freely from his face.
Little did Ijuin Enzan know outside Earth on his comet Duo was looking at him bemused. "Poor child who lost his friend," Duo muttered.
His gleaned as he watched the boy. He had occasionally watched him in his sorrow and knew he would make the perfect test subject.
"My dear Slur you shall face your first trial," Duo said as he began to activate a program. "Soon your bond with your operator shall be tested like no other."
The program inside of him ran as he took all the data and information he could find on the navi Blues. "May this asteroid navi prove a worthy opponent."
Asteroid navis were net navis made by him to test people. Usually Slur would give them out but this one would be a special case. Lets see how well you can do against this one?
A form appeared in front of him. As it took shape Asteroid Blues appeared in front of him. "My Lord I am at your command," the navi said with a bow.
He smiled at himself as he looked at the navi. "Asteroid Blues I will deploy you to Earth. Work under the cover of your operator and do his bidding."
Asteroid navis also had the habit of influencing their operators. Usually by playing on their emotions, a boy in such a fragile state would make a perfect subject.
"Understood sir," Asteroid Blues said with a bow.
"And I have another task for you," he said his eyes glowing as he looked at the navi. "A special secret task that you must complete at all costs."
"What do you require?" Asteroid Blues asked.
"Due battle with Slur and if you can delete her and kill her operator," Duo said. "Test her resolve to protect him."
Asteroid Blues smirked at him and bowed. "As you command my lord."
"Good. Now go my servant and show this world my judgement," he said.
Asteroid Blues bowed before he disappeared and headed down towards Earth. We shall test your bond here Slur. I shall see how much you have learned here on this planet. I'll force it out of you one way or another.
Enzan was still kneeling on the ground when a bright light emerged from his PET. He recoiled and dropped it as he watched the light dissipate. "What the hell?"
Carefully getting up he picked up his PET and his eyes widened at the navi inside. "Hello Enzan-sama," Blues said.
"B-B-Blues," he said softly. "But how? I saw you get deleted?"
Am I dreaming? He shook his head and looked at the navi in his PET. It was indeed Blues. But how?
"I had a double prepared," Blues said his words soothing and calming his mind. "The details aren't important I am here to serve you. What do you command?"
A strange sensation entered his body. His anger and sorrow quickly changed to a desire for justice. There were so many problems in the world that needed to be fixed and he would fix them. He would fight any enemy harder and stronger than before.
Justice. The word seemed to fog his mind up. I want justice in this world. Justice. It was all that mattered to him, he would hurt those that commit crimes and bring them to justice.
A smile spread across his face as he looked down at his navi. "Blues we have to enact justice upon this world. We cannot allow criminals to go about their lives freely." His words were limp, his mind only focused on his navi.
I will seek justice for this insult. Hikari Netto you will pay for humiliating me.
"Understood sir," Blues said. "I shall exact your wishes."
He then noticed the strange chip that came out of his PET. "What is this?" he asked as he took it out and examined it.
"That is a special chip to be used under special circumstances," Blues said calmly. "Keep it safe and use it only when I tell you to."
He nodded and put it away thinking nothing else of it. "Fine. Anyway come on we have to stop Pharaohman. Then we'll get our revenge. This world has too much criminals in it, the sooner we kill them all the better."
"I will do as you command," Blues said with a bow.
Sitting down in his chair he looked down at his PET. "Next time we will stop Hikari Netto and Slur. They'll know the consequences of standing before us."
Blues smiled at him, for a moment it looked twisted. Yet his navi only bowed, ready to receive his orders. "Plug in Blues!"
His navi left the PET and quickly entered the PC. No criminals shall escape justice. No criminals will get away from us. A strange euphoric sensation washed over him, he wanted to laugh at the coincidence of everything. The thought of exacting vengeance on Hikari Netto and Slur along with enacting justice was all that occupied his mind.
I'll show you are strength Hikari Netto. Our bond is stronger than anything you can comprehend.
Slur sat in her PET looking up at her operator. So far so good. It felt strange confiding in a mere human her deepest secrets. Yet here she was, Netto knew she was working for Duo and even helped her get in touch with him to get her healed.
The only problem is the test. She clenched her fists as she wracked her brain trying to figure out what was going to happen. Duo was known not to hold his punches to those he tested.
I can't fail. I won't fail. Yet deep down she feared what exactly she would have to face.
"Hey Slur are you ready?" Netto asked. "My friends should be on their way, we'll take out Pharaohman and get the backup for this navi my dad wants to give me."
"Sounds good," she said. "Netto-kun we have to be careful, I fear we may be tested soon."
Netto looked at her and nodded. "Don't worry I may not be good at school tests but if it involves net battling then I can do it. We'll pass it I'm sure of it."
She smiled at him and nodded. I do admire your confidence. Yet she knew that whatever Duo had in store for her and Netto it was not going to be something easy. "You're right. We'll have to do this together."
I can't do it alone that's for sure. That scared her, she had never relied on anyone before. We have to do this together if we both want to live.
Her operator's friends quickly came along with their net navis. "Alright guys Commander Beef and his allies are going to meet us there," Netto said. "Lets go and support them and defeat Pharaohman."
She nodded. "The enemy wont get away, we'll take care of him." I'll show this navi the consequences of injuring me. She clenched her fists as she thought about what she would do to him. The humiliation you gave me won't be unanswered Pharaohman.
"Alright lets move out!" Netto said.
She along with Roll, Glide, Gutsman, and Iceman nodded. "Come on follow me," she said carefully scanning the area.
The other navis nodded and followed her lead as they headed deep into the internet. The sooner we take Pharaohman out the better. She doubted he was the test but something inside of her was telling her to be more cautious than usual.
Making their way the Scilab webpage it was surprisingly quiet. Yet when they arrived at their destination they were greeted by the side of sand and a large pyramid in the distance.
"Looks like Pharaohman did some remodeling," Netto said.
"Lets go," she said as they approached the pyramid.
The ground shook and that was when she saw them. In the distance Sharkman, Woodman, and Skullman were doing battle against a hoard of viruses.
"Come on lets help them," Roll said.
Summoning her swords in her hand she charged to assist the navis. "Foolish navis," said a familiar voice that reverberated throughout the area.
Looking up she saw Pharaohman rise up from his pyramid and look down at them. "Know the consequences of defying the pharaoh.
"We won't let you get away with this," Roll said.
Pharaohman laughed as a large sphinx emerged from the sand. "Die for your insolence!"
She was prepared to kill the virus when a flash of red light caught her attention. The sphinx moaned as it was slit in half, in front of where it stood was a familiar red net navi.
Her eyes widened as she realized who it was. But he was deleted could his operator have fixed him up that quickly?
"Blues what is he doing here?" Roll asked.
It was then she felt a familiar presence from that navi, a presence she recognized immediately as coming from her lord. Great an asteroid navi. The navi looked at her and gave her a small knowing smile. So this is our test.
Asteroid navis. The very being she gave to other people to test their will and resolve. The very beings that helped judge the world.
"Slur is that really Blues?" Netto asked carefully. "He was deleted though, did he come back already?"
She turned to her confused operator. "Our test is here."