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Chapter 25: Zero Virus

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Underground Research Ruins

"I'm not done yet!" The Dark Elf came out and begins to heal Omega.

"You plan to reactivate him?" Zero got out his Z-Saber and charged, but was knocked back by a strong barrier set by the Dark Elf.

"Zero!" Ciel and the others helped him get up as Omega got up as well. "Now, Zero, let's continue that fight, shall we?"

Omega moves forward but feels something hit him hard from behind. "What!?"

"Zero, what are you doing? Hurry and stand up." Harpuia came and slashed Omega three times before retreating.

Fefnir teleports down as well and fires a volley of blasts at Omega. "Hey! I'm here to get a little payback, Omega!"

Lastly, Leviathan teleports in and drives her harpoon through Omega a few times before retreating. "Time to straighten the record!"

"You guys!" Zero manages to stand up and grabs onto his Z-Saber.

"Now, Zero, finish him off." Zero stood up and was about to do just that when Omega started to laugh.

"You fools, you really think I've been defeated?" The Dark Elf fused with Omega once again. "I still have one more form left. Now, Zero, pay attention, because this form was once a part of you."

"You're kidding me. You still have another form!?" Omega laughed and a purple light engulfed him. When it cleared, it showed Omega in a different form.

"What!? That looks just like the Nightmare Virus." X fired at Omega but all the shots passed through. Then, Weil's face appears on the screen in the area.

"Hehehehe, when I was examining Zero's body, I found out about this virus. I've upgraded it so now it has the ability to completely take over any reploid. Now, Omega, do it."

Omega changes into a bright light and it surrounds Forte. When the light finally clears, Forte goes into a new form.

"Forte! Are you alright!?" X tried to go close but Forte's hands changed into sabers and slashed at X.

"Forte isn't here anymore." It wasn't Forte's voice that answered, but Omega's. Omega turned to reveal Forte's eyes. They were now a deep shade of purple instead of the usual red color.

"Now, Zero, are you going to follow through with what you said and destroy any enemy that gets in the way?" Omega transformed his armor into a dark purple color and wings came out.

Zero tries to slash at Omega, but Omega easily blocked it with his bare hands. "Looks like you don't have what it takes to fight me when I'm in this body. I should have done this a long time ago. I feel stronger than ever!"

"Hehehe, well what are all of you going to do now?" Weil's voice laughed. "Forte has fallen completely under Omega's control. It's either you kill him or he kills you."

Can I really do it? Killing my own ally? Zero rushed at Omega again with his Z-Saber, but Omega transformed his arm into a saber as the two of them clashed.

"What's the matter, Zero? Having trouble fighting your brother?" Zero was caught by surprise and was pushed back.

He's too powerful! I can't beat him.

"When I took over Forte's body, I got some of his memories. Now, time to finish you off."

"I won't let you win, Omega!" X fires a huge charged blast at Omega, making contact and knocking him out. X points his buster at Omega.

"Can you really kill me, Rockman?" The voice changed back into Forte's again and X stopped.

"Forte!?" X was met with a blast from Forte's buster and was pushed down.

It's useless; he really has been completely taken over. This body won't hold out for long, my time is almost up. X dashes at Omega and tries to attack, but was easily pushed away.

"Looks like my time in this body is up, I'll leave him to you guys." X reverted back to Cyber-Elf form and disappeared, leaving the body motionless.

"I won't let you get out of this place alive, Omega." Harpuia charges with sabers in hand and manages to land a few hits in. Omega fires a charged shot at Omega from his buster, knocking him out.

He's way too different from before! We don't have enough power to beat him. Fefnir got out his twin buster and starts shooting at Omega.

"I'll blast you apart!" Omega was hit, but barely damaged. Fefnir continued to fire but one shot went through Forte's body.

"What the!?"

"Watch out, Fefnir, it's an illusion!" Just as the words left Harpuia's mouth, Omega reappeared behind Fefnir and stabbed him in the shoulder.

"I'll make you pay for that!!" Fefnir was clutching his shoulders as the electricity was coming out. "I'll tear you apart!"

Fefnir's right hand starts to glow into a blue color and he charges at Omega. Omega just grabs his hand and rips it off.

He's too powerful! I guess I've been outmatched once again. "I've had enough of these interruptions, I'll just kill you one at a time."

Omega's hand changed into a saber and as he was about to drive it through, he felt a staff being driven through his chest.

"This ends here, Omega!" Leviathan took her staff out and the others all looked at the hole it created through Forte's stomach. "Sorry, Forte, but I won't let you hurt anyone."

A grin appeared on Forte's face as his injury was surrounded by a dark energy. After a few seconds, he was completely restored.

"Nice try, but it'll take a lot more than that to defeat me now!"

He can heal himself!? How can we defeat him. Leviathan fired an icy blast in Omega's direction, but he disappeared. What!? Where is he!?

"Hey, I'm right here!" Leviathan felt a saber being stabbed through her chest from behind. "You'll pay for what you tried to pull back there."

I can't move! I need to get away fast! Omega grabs Leviathan's left arm and rips it off. He then grabs her neck while charging up a blast from his buster. Leviathan screams in pain from Omega's attack.

"STOP IT!" Harpuia charged at Omega, knocking him away from Leviathan as eh got out his twin sabers. "I won't forgive you for what you've done!"

A green aura surrounded Harpuia as he said those words. "Well, well. It looks like I'll actually have a challenge in this new body."

Omega got out his twin sabers and met Harpuia's pushing him back as the two of them exchanged blows.

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"Zero, please wake up!" Ciel tried to get a response from the reploid in her arms and starts to cry as he continues lying there. "Please, Zero, you can't die now."

Alouette looks at the two beaten Guardians and at Harpuia fighting Forte. "Please, Forte, come back."

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"It's over!" Omega slashes at Harpuia causing electricity to come rushing out. "None of you stood a chance from the very beginning, can't you all understand that!"

"That maybe true, but I can't just stand by and watch as people are hurt." Harpuia spins around, creating a small hurricane that pushed Omega upwards.

I have to win this, to protect Leviathan and everyone else! Harpuia grabs onto Omega and slams him down back into the ground. He flies upward and launches a lot of sonic waves.

Harpuia starts to breathe heavily as he stares at the crater in the ground. I won't let anything like that to happen ever again. Harpuia remembers the screams from Leviathan and Fefnir when they fought Omega.

"I'll make you pay for that!" What!? Harpuia felt someone behind him and turned to barely block an attack from Omega.

"You're putting up a much better fight than the other two Guardians, but you still don't have what it take to defeat me." Omega strikes again but was blocked. The force of the attack still pushed Harpuia a bit, and Omega launches a charged shot.

I can't be beaten! I won't be beaten! Harpuia stands back up and launches a series of sonic waves in Omega's direction, but all of them were easily blocked as Omega continued to move forward.

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Is it really over? I guess I finally lost. Zero tried to open his eyes but he was surrounded by darkness. I'm sorry, Ciel, Dark Elf, I wasn't able to keep my promise to you.

Zero felt his life slowly slipping away as he continued to think. Omega just can't be beaten, no matter how many times we knock him down, he just gets back up.

"Zero, please don't go!" Ciel tried to do everything she can but was not able to. "After all you've done for us, you can't leave!" A tear drops from Ciel's eyes and hits Zero's face.

What's that feeling? Ciel is in trouble, I have to help her. I have to get up! Zero struggles to try and open his eyes and finally manages to do it.

"Zero, you're okay!" Ciel hugs Zero as he wakes up.

"I've been better. How're the others?" Ciel lets go and Zero looks for himself. He sees Leviathan and Fefnir's motionless body and sees Harpuia and Forte fighting.

I have to help him! I have no other choice but to kill Forte, I won't allow him to continue hurting people. Zero tries to get up but was unable to move.

"Zero, you're in no condition to fight! Don't try to put too much strain on your body." Ciel holds onto Zero, and then the two Baby Elves appeared.

"We can help you get back up. Do you want to fight?" Zero nods his head in approval and the two Baby-Elves fused with him, giving him the power to fight again.

"Zero, please be careful." Ciel watched as the black armored Zero went out again. "I can't bear to see you like that again."

Zero puts his hand on Ciel's cheek and wipes her tears away. "I promise, Ciel, I will end this battle."

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Omega tosses Harpuia aside and fires a blast in his direction. "After I finish you off, there'll be no one left to oppose me."

I won't let it end like this. I need to get up. Harpuia struggles but wasn't able to move. Is this what it felt like for Phantom when he died?

"It's over." Omega raises his buster and fires at Harpuia, but it was stopped by a green energy saber.

"I won't let you continue hurting people, even if you are in Forte's body. This battle ends now, Omega. I'm finishing you off for good!" Zero takes a stance and prepares for battle.

"Well, looks like you can still fight. I've had about enough of you. This time, I'll make you stay down for sure."

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