Chapter 5: Mental clash

17:07 PM (Japan Time), Friday December the 9th…

"… Good afternoon, Netto – kun and Saito – kun."

"Good afternoon, Yamada – san."

Both sat on their seats, slightly troubled.

"Father was with us from 5:45 to 6:15! When the clock hit 5:58, we lost consciousness! Two minutes later, we began to convulse and behave like we were in the midst of the nightmare! We woke up at 6:15 after Father tried all he knew to wake us up but without success. It isn't real yet it happens in this timed manner and we have sequels." Netto reported.

"I've figred out one component of the enigma! Your nanomachines!"

"Nanomachines? True! I'd forgotten about them! Since they're flowing inside of my bloodstream! They could use their chemicals to trigger sweat on us… But… How would they fake the pain and such…? "Pain" is something which the brain warns us about…"

"Could there be some device on your brain, Netto – kun?"

"Device? The chip implant! But the program on it should've been deleted already! Someone must've reinstalled it and must be remotely accessing it to input the sensations on me! Saito – niisan has a program linked to it! They created a "closed feed" system in which we feed our experiences to each other…!" Netto exposed.

"So that's why we both lose consciousness at the same time! Our "nightmare" is a pre-recorded video the sound of image and which are superimposed over our consciousness! The chip implant and the nanomachines take care of the rest and you transmit those to me as well!"

"Incredible…"

"The only question is… Who is messing with our brains? I guess Oriol and Legato being gone is true. We're left with Ivan and Sergei. They must be trying to provoke us into recklessly charging at them!"

"That seems to be a very possible scenario."

"Let's go to the Science Labs! They could scan my brain and try to access the chip to stop its functioning and block any further remote accessing it once and for all… Thank you very much, Yamada – san. You gave us the hint to solve this." Netto suggested before addressing him.

"I'm glad I was able to help." Yamade smiled.

"Good afternoon."

Not so fast, Hikari Netto! A voice rang out inside of his brain.

Saito gasped as well.

Ivan! Netto cursed.

Wrong. The voice replied.

Obihiro…! You lowlife…! Netto hissed.

Hmpf. That's a genius' name. Obihiro replied.

(Netto – kun! I'm trying to detect the bandwidth by using the echo signal on me… Stall!) Saito called out.

Are you about to collapse from the fear?

You lowlife…! Show up: I'll fucking beat ya!

Can't risk it! I'm busy taking care of my Bronze Sword organization, Hikari.

Golden Star, Silver Arrow, Bronze Sword! What's this? The Olympic Trio…?

Olyimpic Trio? I hadn't noticed! Funny!

(I've decoded 90% of it! Win me another few seconds! I'm almost there!)

Where are you!? Netto demanded.

Three Hills.

There are hundreds of "Three Hills" around the planet!

Who knows? Maybe I'm in Poland?

Poland! We're gonna search every stone and pebble there until we find you lowlife's foxhole!

Saito dematerialized and returned inside of the Link PET.

Guess Rock Man is shivering by now, too!

You're the one who's gonna jump overboard and make company to the Red Sea Sharks! Netto menaced.

(Use the Wi-Fi! It's a low-power network labeled "OSS_000"!)

Netto automatically inputted the commands and Saito departed the Link PET to "travel" via the Wi – Fi towards a gateway.

He entered it and landed inside of a small Cyber World.

The area contained a power core and a control panel connected to it.

Data flewt in and out at a constant rate.

(Netto – kun! Program Advance!)

(But if you destroy the power core, then…!) Netto argued.

(I'll have enough time to come out of it!) Saito told him.

(Roger!)

Are you paying attention, Hikari? Obihiro called out.

Game Over! Netto smugly announced.

What the hell!

"Program Advance!" He announced aloud.

"Program Advance!"

"Hi Cannon, Triple Slot In!"

"Giga Cannon!"

Saito charged it up and aimed it at the power core.

He narrowed his eyes and released the blast.

The power core lew up and the Cyber World began to lose power.

Saito reappeared inside of his Link PET.

"You did it, Saito – niisan! That jerk is gone!" Netto exclaimed.

"What was going on?" Yamada asked.

"The culprit was trying to scare me using the chip to communicate with me directly! But niisan entered it and blew it from the inside. No – one will be tormenting me with it anymore." Netto announced.

"Good news! It turns out the videos were uploaded into the chip from Obihiro's computer, so… There are no copies left." Saito added.

"Take that, Obihiro! You lose 10 to 0!"

Netto closed the right fist and made a victorious gesture.

"Well then… Call me anytime you need help with something, Netto – kun and Saito – kun." Yamada invited.

"Thank you very much." Both replied.

Both stood up and bowed their heads to thank before they walked out of the building and into the street.

"Finally!" Netto sighed.

"No more nightmares!" Saito sighed, too.

"Did you solve the issue?"

"Yuriko! We did. The culprit was Obihiro, using that chip implant that Golden Star inserted into my head!"

Yuriko walked over to them from a nearby alley.

"Obihiro! Sheesh! The coward didn't have enough!? Shah, shah!"

"But at least you're free of that guy's plotting!"

"You're right! Now we can focus on finding them!"

"If they dare to show up, we'll catch them!"

09:19 AM (Barcelona Time)…

"… Shit! I knew it! Their "link" couldn't be detected by the chip implant! They could plot with it without me noticing! That Rock Man…! He got inside of the chip using the Wi – Fi!"

"Damned. It'd seem we'll have to go with the backup plan."

Obihiro and Hunter Man were growling over their defeat.

"Did you two say "Rock Man"?"

An echoing voice rang out from behind Hunter Man.

"We did it, Mr. Guest."

Hunter Man looked over his right shoulder.

"Do you feel better? Your memory files are just 77% restored… I thought you'd need the whole of them to remember what happened to you…"

"The name "Rock Man" showed up on a file which you two have just restored to me! I cannot remember anything else. I just seem to think he had some relevance in what happened to me…"

"But we're convinced the guy doesn't know you! He's obliged to report whom he battles and whom he defeats. We'd found your report if he'd battled you." Hunter Man argued.

"… Wait. What day is it today?" The guest suddenly asked.

"What? Friday December the 9th, 2006…" Hunter Man replied.

"December…? 2006…? B-but… Then…?"

"Calm down. You'd been deleted! It's obvious that you've been for some time if you're so nervous to find out how many months you've been floating around while being "dead"..." Hunter Man told him.

"The date… Something about it… Is bothering me…! I do not know what it is… I feel like it is troubling me for some reason or another…!"

"You'd be better off sitting back there and wait!"

"I am sorry for making a fool of myself… I… will sit there…"

"Take it easy. It must be a shocking experience to die and revive, but… We're data living beings! We can always be restored as long as you know how and you have enough data." Hunter Man tried to comfort him.

"… Of course… Data living being… I had forgotten…"

"You didn't "forget"! You're missing memory files! You're not made of flesh and bone! You're cybernetic data! You live inside of the machines and not in the physical world!" Hunter Man scolded.

"Hunter Man! Be considerate. He's confused. There's no need to act like he was a child." Obihiro told him.

"I apologize, sir!"

"Hello there."

Sidier appeared at Hunter Man's right.

"Our guest is still confused but he seems to think Rock Man had something to do with him! He freaked out when we told him which day today was! I guess he's been "dead" for a good bunch of months. He has trouble remembering he's a "Darkloid" to begin with. He seems to believe he was a being of the real world." Hunter Man summed up.

"Interesting… When you expect his files to finish restoring?" Sidier asked.

"We hope to reach 93% by midnight… We can leave the process in auto-run during the night and he should be at 100% by the morning... We'll be out during a good deal of tomorrow, so… Could you please come here and keep him company?" Obihiro told him.

"That'll be no problem. Emperor S – sama granted me this same order before I came here. He tells you that your plan isn't a 100% reliable, though… He clocks it at 75% because there are many variables which could get out of control." Sidier announced.

"Then I'd better have an escape method ready… Thanks for the warning, though… I'll have it on mind." Obihiro gulped.

"Tomorrow… Tomorrow I will remember everything…"

"Calm down and try to enter hibernation mode or shut down your consciousness! Else, the rush of memories will be too much for your system to handle. They need time to assemble themselves and assume their correct spots in your autonomous virtual memory."

"… True… I shall… rest…" The voice slowly replied.

"We Net Navis also can switch off and "rest" when we want to, so…"

There was a slight sound and Hunter Man sighed in relief before he faced forward again.

"I'm off. I'll be back by the evening to stay here! I'll bring something to read and kill the wait."

"Roger."

"75%. Not bad… But no "variable" will save you from being buried two meters under the ground, Hikari… Go make company to the deceased Hikari Saito's cinders!" Obihiro icily muttered with a hint of murder.

"Rock Man… You will soon be dead." Hunter Man muttered.

"Beware! It's the ultra sneaky and super hush-hush combination!"

"Kagehi – sama? Is that advice, ma'am?"

Kagehi's hushed voice echoed inside of the Cyber World, startling them.

"Not really! Just a new fashionable motto!"

"Is that so…? Thank you very much!"

"By the way! I'm sure our guest is a Darth Vader wannabe!"

"Somehow, I don't think so…" Obihiro muttered.

"You never know! I'm sure Ools knows more!"

"Achoo! Stop making parodies of my name, Somari – chan!"

"Too bad, Loos, I'm inspired!"

17:48 PM (Japan Time)…

"… The PET's ringing… Hello?"

"Shaky duo! Raoul – sama's back with a comeback!"

"Raoul – san…"

"And don't worry! I won't bring up any more taboos!"

Netto and Saito were talking at home when the PET rang and Raoul appeared onscreen with his outfit.

"I know you didn't intend to. It was a slip."

"Rattle a rattling rattle!"

"And how do you do that?" Saito skeptically asked.

"With a Zeus Hammer Battle Chip!"

"I doubt that. A lot."

"Oh come on! Be brighter than that Bright Man punk! The guy didn't see it coming! Thunder Man spun the Scope Gun's shot around with his Elec Wheel and it hit the guy fully~! And the other three realized the thing was turning awry so they ran for their sanity~!"

He extended his right hand while opening it fully.

"You mean for their hide…" Thunder Man grumbled.

"Who cares, Masked Thunder?"

"Not that again! I know it was a good idea to prove to them that their new-model PET didn't make them invincible but I think we overdid that somewhat…" Thunder Man groaned.

"But it was a good lesson anyway." Netto admitted.

"It helped us cool it down."

"By the way: cold ramen is on its way there."

"Cold ramen?"

"And then boiling sushi will fill the city!"

"Boiling sushi… Oh come on." Thunder Man groaned.

"Little brother! I'm back!"

"Raoul! Don't suddenly ring me like that!"

Enzan protested as his face appeared on the right side of the screen.

"Thunder Man… Can't you really stop the guy?" Blue sighed.

"A raid!"

"WHAT! Run for it, my chap!"

Raoul seemingly ran off and dropped the PET on a desk, making its camera stare at the bleak ceiling.

They heard a door slamming shut and hurried footsteps fading away.

"It worked. He'll run until he tires and then realizes he got tricked by me… He won't care it because he knows I'm the one snapping him outta his "disco" mood…" Thunder Man sighed.

"The Undead Struggle~!" Raoul yelled from the street.

"What the heck is that?" Enzan asked.

"A new horror film, which is the rage…" Thunder Man admitted.

"I didn't think Raoul liked horror films." Netto was surprised.

"Netto! So he called you firstly and then made me join the chatter?"

"In a nutshell." Netto summed up.

"Alright. I'm off to working… Did you solve that trouble?"

"We did. It was a very dire thing, though."

"Sorry I wasn't of help…"

"Don't mind it, Enzan. Now I wanna rest: this week's been a Hell."

Obihiro… We'll catch you this time around! Get ready!