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Chapter 20: A Life so Short...
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'' Longblade!'' Pyroman shouted as his hand morphed into a long, pink blade.

'' Ugg, Machine Sword, slot in.'' Terry grumbled. Pyroman wasn't stunned, so the sword would be useless offensively, but it could still be used defensively.

Zero raised his saber in front of his body, but it was clear that he was weakening.

Pyroman dashed towards the two navis to attack. Dash raised his blade to defend, but it was chopped in two with a single blow. Next, Pyroman turned his attention to Zero. He kicked the saber away, then knocked him to the ground.

'' I'll let you live for a little bit longer now.'' Pyroman told the fallen navi. This time, there was no malicious smile on his lips, only cold fury. '' Right now I have a little score to settle with your blue friend over there.'' Without turning around, he held his hand out in Saito's direction. '' Combustion Ball.''

'' You can't!'' Slate shouted, a look of horror on his face. '' Zero! Stop him! NOW!''

Zero slowly rose from the roof's surface, but Pyroman again knocked him away. He released the fireball.

'' SAITO-KUN!'' Rockman screamed. He did the only thing he could to protect his operator. He dived in front of him and raised his arms and spread out his legs, so that he was spread eagle.

BOOM

The fireball exploded on impact. When it faded, Rockman was standing in his protective pose, burns all over his body, and a look of agony on his face. Saito had fallen over on his backside, and was looking up at his navi, a look of terror on his face.

Rockman took several steps backward, then went down on one knee, so that he was right in front of Saito. Pyroman walked up to him. '' And now, you will die.'' he told the fallen navi.

He thrust the longblade forward so that it pierced Rockman's chest. He let out a cry of pain, but Pyroman drove the blade in up to the hilt before he withdrew it.

Rockman's hands fell limply to his sides. He gave a weak glance down at his boots, and saw that they were growing fuzzy. He didn't have much time left.

'' S-Sai... to... kun...'' he whispered. He didn't have enough strength to turn around.

'' I... was glad that... I was able to... meet you... after all these... years.''
His boots began to dissolve, and it was spreading.

'' I'm sure that... N...Netto-kun... would've been proud... of you...'' The fading had reached his torso. This was the end.

'' Goodbye... Saito... kun...''

And he was gone.

The three rebels, Karla, Slate, and Terry stood there stunned, appalled at what they had just witnessed. '' No... you deleted him...'' Dash whispered.

'' He had it coming.'' Pyroman said, no trace of remorse in his voice. '' I told him that he would pay.'' He raised his sword in front of him. '' And you're next- What the!'' The sword was smeared red with blood. But navis don't have blood...

Terry felt horrified. There was only one place where that blood could've come from...

Saito was still sitting on the ground, but his look of terror had changed to one of shock. Red, warm blood was steadily leaving his body through the twin cuts the sword had inflicted. One through his chest, the other through his back.

'' You, you BASTARD!'' Terry shouted at Pyroman. '' How could you? HOW COULD YOU?''

'' It isn't my fault that he was directly behind Rockman.'' Pyroman shrugged in dismissal.

'' Dash! Delete him!'' Terry ordered, filled with rage. '' Right!'' Dash said, equally angry. '' You too Zero! Terminate him!'' Slate ordered. '' Gladly Akira-sama!''

Pyroman sighed. '' You know that won't work. With the Extra Code I'm Ahhhhhgggggg!''

He screamed, and his body began to flicker, like a malfunctioning hologram, and electricity danced over his body.

Dash and Zero ground to a halt. '' What in the world...''

'' Argh, the... Extra Code... drain... energy... forgot!'' Pyroman groaned, his voice distorted. Sometimes ultra deep, other times ultra high.

'' Now's your chance Dash! Paladin Sword! Slot in!''

'' Zero! Saberwave!''

Dash leveled his sword at the target, while Zero raised his blade.

'' Saberwave!'' he cried, bringing his sword down.

'' Yahhh!'' Dash shouted as his sword turned into a wave of energy. The two waves hit the immobilized Pyroman, who let out a final scream as he went up in a mushroom cloud.

Ace sat in the driver's seat of his pickup dumbfounded. The word delete appeared on his PET screen, and the Dimensional Chip popped out of the slot in gate.

How could his plan have failed? How? The Extra Code should've given Pyroman more than enough power to destroy the rebels, yet he had been destroyed instead!

'' Hmm, you were so close, but instead you have ruined everything.'' a female voice said.

Ace looked down at his PET to see a helmetless female navi staring back at him. '' Who the hell are you?''

'' I am Lunare.exe.'' the navi said. '' Sigh, Mattel will be so sad when we tell him what you've done. It looks like we'll have to cut off funding after all.''

'' How did you get here, and what the #$& do you want!''

'' It is vital that you do not cause anymore trouble. I hope you understand that we must terminate you.''

A panic seized Ace. He reached for the door lock, but it wouldn't budge. '' Let me outta here now!''

'' I'm afraid I can't do that.'' Lunare replied. '' Goodbye.''

A few minutes later, all that was left of the truck was a flaming wreck.

'' Saito! Saito! Oh God, this is horrible!''

With there navis plugged out, the three rebels ran over to Saito. There was a lot of blood, but at least he was still conscious. '' Saito! Are you all right?'' Stupid question really, but it didn't matter anymore.

'' It... hurts...'' Saito whispered weakly. '' Am... am I gonna die? I don't want to die!''

'' Don't talk like that, just, try to stay calm.'' Karla told him softly, her eyes bright with tears.

'' Hey! What's going- Oh shit!'' someone shouted. Butch and Vick appeared on the other side of the roof, and when they saw what was going on, they hurried over.

'' You're not gonna die Saito, you're not gonna, you're too young...'' Terry told him, even though he had the terrible feeling that the boy was going to bleed to death long before anything could be done.

Saito closed his eyes. '' I am going to die, aren't I...'' he muttered, guessing the truth. '' I'll see Mama and Daddy again... and maybe even Rockman...'' he whispered. Comforted by this thought, he smiled weakly, '' Bye... friends...''

'' Don't say that... Please!'' Karla begged.

She received no answer, for Saito Hikari was already at peace.

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…

There is one chapter left, and that one explains how Saito got into the story to begin with.