Chapter 27: Fierce battle
10:37 AM (Japan Time), Wednesday December the 28th…
"… Sheesh. How annoying…"
Netto was sitting on a bench next the playground, sighing.
"What's up, Netto – kun?"
"… You know what's up." Netto merely replied.
"You're worried about the fact that those two robots showed up in Cream Land and Choina to battle Pride and Jasmine?"
"Damn. It's always the same thing. I'm always putting my friends into danger! And I can't stop it from happening!" Netto cursed.
"Otouto! Please be rational! You're getting obsessed with the idea. Look there! They're doing this in purpose to provoke you and fool you into recklessly charging at them only to get killed!"
"True! So that's why they did it…!"
"Cool it down, otouto! We need to act rationally. If we all join forces, we can be like a hundred persons fighting at the same time! Remember our motto? We can achieve infinite power!"
"You're right, niisan. Together, we can achieve infinite power and defeat any adversary who gets in the way."
Netto managed to smile and he looked up.
"See? That's your classical self. If you don't let them depress them then you can fight at your true potential."
"Charmed." A cold voice rang out with obvious sarcasm.
Netto felt a shiver go down his spin and he stood up to see Togakawa walk into the area.
He'd taken off his sunglasses revealing those murderous-like red eyes.
"Togakawa!" He cursed.
"Hikari. Hmpf." He made a smug smile.
"Stealth Man…!"
"Hmpf. Don't underestimate us!"
"Today I can battle in the same terrain as you." Togakawa announced.
"Crap." Netto muttered.
"Dark Synchro Chip: Version 2!"
Togakawa announced as he drew it from his jeans' right pocket.
"Version 2! Ivan and Sergei came up with it! This version no longer corrupts the Navi, the Operator or forces the Navi into "Cross Fusion"! What does is to artificially increase the "Synchronism" ratio!"
"Craving your own grave, Rock Man? The Organization has a use for you so our orders are to capture you and your Operator alive. You should be grateful of it." Stealth Man gloated.
"Sgt. Sneaky ordered you to do this. The jerk…! I wanna beat the guy a thousand times by now." Netto guessed.
"Dimensional Converter: Activate!"
Four "Dimensional Converters" popped out around the playground's perimeter and formed a "Dimensional Area" around them.
"Dark Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"
"Synchro Chip, Slot In! CROSS FUSION!"
Both performed "Cross Fusion" and assumed combat positions, standing five meters from each other.
"CF" Togakawa's design was similar to Stealth Man's normal design.
He'd added navy blue patterns across the neck, elbows and knees.
His helmet's forehead had the purple kanji for "koroshiya" or "assassin".
Crimson red lines spread across his forearms and legs below the knees.
"Invisible Mode!" "CF" Togakawa announced.
"What!" "CF" Netto gasped.
The opponent turned invisible and "CF" Netto began to step back until he found the edge of the "Dimensional Area" behind him.
He began to scan using his "Cross Fusion" capabilities.
"I can't detect their signature, otouto! But they must close by! I guess he's aiming to end the fight quickly!"
"In that case… Battle Chip, Salamander!" "CF" Netto muttered.
The flames that formed around him hit something as evidenced by a yell of pain and some frizzling.
"CF" Togakawa's invisible shape appeared one meter in front of him.
"CF" Netto shot skyward and dived down to bathe the area in flames, so the opponent had to stand back and recoil.
"Battle Chip, Thunder Ball!"
The Thunder Ball hit the target and electrocuted it.
The camouflage slowly shattered like glass and revealed "CF" Togakawa.
"Battle Chip, Fumikomi Cross!"
"CF" Netto warped and aimed for his chest emblem, but "CF" Togakawa arched his body backwards and the sword plunged through empty air.
"What!?"
The foe gripped it with both hands and pulled forward in an inclined angle.
He pushed "CF" Netto forward and he hit the edge of the "Dimensional Area" in front.
He slid down it and into his knees while rubbing his body.
"Crap. Battle Chip, Dream Aura!"
"Battle Chip, Golden Fist!"
"CF" Togakawa's Golden Fist broke through the Dream Aura but "CF" Netto then delivered a kick to the stomach area.
"Eat this!"
The blow shortly left "CF" Togakawa sans breath and he was disconcerted for a second.
"CF" Netto tackled him with his right shoulder and pushed him into the ground.
"Battle Chip, Aqua Blade!"
"CF" Netto was about to plunge the Aqua Blade into the chest emblem when "CF" Togakawa recovered and planted both feet on "CF" Netto.
"What?" "CF" Netto gasped.
He used the legs to propel him forward and into the noth edge of the "Dimensional Area".
"CF" Netto hit it and fell into the ground again while "CF" Togakawa jumped towards him as if he was a wild animal.
"Battle Chip, Tank Cannon!"
The close-quarters blast sent "CF" Togakawa flying but he could recover in mid-air and flip to land on a crouched position while stopping his skid move across the ground.
He looked up and quickly drew a Yo-yo Battle Chip.
"Battle Chip, Yo-yo!"
"Battle Chip, Hell's Burner!"
The Hell's Burner burnt the Yo-yo and its string, but "CF" Togakawa was already on his feet and running towards "CF" Netto.
"Damn. Battle Chip, Ice Cannon Ball, Air Shoes! Double Slot In!"
"CF" Netto threw the Ice Cannon Ball at the ground before he used the Air Shoes to hover.
The ground froze up and "CF" Togakawa slid across it until he met the east end of the "Dimensional Area" edge.
"Damn!"
He collided with it and fell into the ground, but he immediately stood up and got his bearings.
"Jet Vernier!"
He ignited his boots' jets and flew towards "CF" Netto.
"Battle Chip, Long Sword! Double Slot In!"
"Battle Chip, Curse Shield!"
The Long Sword hit the Curse Shield, which opened its arms and pushed "CF" Togakawa back before he recovered control.
He looked around and didn't spot his target.
"I know what you're planning. Take this!"
He turned around and hit "CF" Netto, but a chibi doll showed up.
"What?" He gasped.
He felt how three shuriken embedded on his back and he fell into the ground from their weight.
He took them out and looked around to find "CF" Netto three meters away from him, unhurt.
"Battle Chip, Super Vulcan!"
"Battle Chip, Shotgun!"
"CF" Togakawa let the Super Vulcan rounds hit him as he aimed the Shotgun's three lock marks and shot three blasts at "CF" Netto.
They met the mark and they pushed "CF" Netto back.
"CF" Togakawa used that chance to crouch and jump across the air while heading for "CF" Netto.
"Battle Chip, Mega Cannon!"
The blast from the Mega Cannon hit "CF" Togakawa's upper torso but he was unaffected as he landed in front of "CF" Netto.
He closed his right hand around his neck and drew a Long Blade.
"C-Charge Shot!"
The blast shot at close-quarters forced "CF" Togakawa to recoil but he looked like he wasn't feeling any pain at all.
"Weird. Rock Man! Can someone disable the pain receptors while in "Cross Fusion"?" "CF" Netto asked him.
"No. You can't. I guess he's been trained to bear with pain."
"CF" Togakawa roared as he charged towards "CF" Netto.
"Shit. Battle Chip, Bug Bomb!"
The Bug Bomb met its target and "CF" Togakawa's body frizzled and seemed not to respond to his commands.
He fell into his knees as he struggled to regain control.
"Battle Chip, Wide Sword!" "CF" Netto announced.
He rushed towards "CF" Togakawa, but he recovered and gripped "CF" Netto's chest emblem with his right hand.
He tried to pull it out and parts of the Cross Fusion began to break up.
"D-damn! Let go, you…!" "CF" Netto cursed.
He kicked the forehead of "CF" Togakawa's helmet, causing that persistent echoing sound and "CF" Togakawa let go.
He kicked him on the face and the force pushed him into the ground.
"R-Recovery 100!"
He recovered energy and aimed his Rock Buster towards "CF" Togakawa's chest emblem.
"Charge…!"
"Slow!"
"CF" Togakawa jumped into the air and appeared behind him, gripping his shoulders by sliding his arms behind.
"Ever heard of the living hell, Hikari? That's where you're headed to!"
"Shit. You're sadists who abuse of others!?"
"Not exactly. It's a source of money. The Organization is more than that!"
"And you think I'll sit idle and let you lowlifes do whatever it suits you most, don't you?" A voice rang out with a hint of annoyance.
"Who the…?" "CF" Togakawa cursed.
"Pride! Knight Man!"
"CF" Pride appeared on the scene, swinging her wrecking ball.
"Royal Wrecking Ball!"
"CF" Tokugawa gasped but was too slow to react as the blast hit him fully at top speed, damaging his chest emblem and pushing him back.
The blow forced him to let go of "CF" Netto as she jumped across the air and landed between them.
"Long Sword!"
She drew a Long Sword and swiftly plunged it into the foe's chest emblem, forcing his fusion to cancel.
The reformed Link PET ejected the broken "Dark Synchro Chip" and Togakawa collapsed into his knees.
The sound of police car sirens filled the air and Togakawa cursed as he grabbed the PET and stood up.
"Meijin helped me hack the Dimensional Converters! You can't escape!"
"What the…"
The "Converters" detonated in a sequence, abruptly ceasing the "Dimensional Area".
"CF" Netto reverted out of "Cross Fusion" and caught his Link PET.
"Shit." Togakawa hissed.
Two police cars parked on the playground's entrance and four policemen rushed there.
"Charge!" One of the policemen commanded.
Togakawa drew a gun but another policeman had already his drawn and shot it out of his hand.
Another officer stood in the way to ensure that he couldn't pick it up.
The other policemen reached him and handcuffed him while placing his arms behind his body.
"Togakawa Emil! You're under arrest with the charges of attempted abduction, attempted "Net Savior" deletion, break – in with a gun and 11 murders! Take him away!" The lead policeman commanded.
The policemen forced Togakawa into a patrol car.
"We caught the guy." Netto sighed in relief.
"It was close." Saito sighed in relief as well.
"It was a good idea to rush back to Japan, indeed! I was fed up with the enemy hindering us, too!" Pride sighed.
"Indeed! Now the chagrin has been returned!"
"We need to heavily interrogate the guy. He's part of something bigger than we thought. This "Organization" thing seems to be part of a complot involving sadists who torture children…"
"By all the… What cowards!" Pride cursed.
"Damn! I'm sure this is also part of stuff Twilight stirred up!"
"No use discussing here. Let's go back!"
Netto and Pride walked away from the park and into another patrol car that was waiting on the outside of it.
"Let's go to the Net Police HQ!"
They failed to detect Sidier, hidden behind some bushes, and spying.
"Sexual torture? I read about it and watched some videos. It looks intense but it can shatter someone's mind if taken to extreme ends… They must want to turn them into mere merchandise… But that wouldn't do fine for Emperor S – sama's climax for this show. Whatever. I'm sure that they'll crush them soon enough!"
He felt hot and began to sweat.
He shook his hands to try to make air and cool the head.
"Weird! We're in December and I feel hot despite that I'm outdoors! And today they said temperatures would lower, too… I didn't bring anything to produce heat with me, did I?" He muttered.
He turned around and gasped because the Eye of Mordor was hovering behind him and starting at him.
It projected a message written in English into the air.
"…"What will you do?"…Dousuru? I don't know, whoever you're supposed to be… Don't you know it? Obihiro told me you believe your own hide to be Sauron, after all." Sidier grumbled.
The Eye looked around and focused its gaze on Sidier again while expanding.
Sidier grumbled and looked dizzy.
"If it really was this hot, then… the bush would be burning by now…!"
The Eye spun around and looked at all the eight directions.
"I'm gonna…! My processor is slowing down…! We Navis aren't designed to work with a lot of heat… unless we're flame-type…!"
He dropped into the ground face-up and fainted…
11:11 AM (Japan Time)…
"… Sidier! Answer me!"
Sidier slowly opened his eyes and tried to calibrate them as he spotted someone's face looming over him.
"Sidier! Wake up! It's an order!"
Sidier gasped and sat up, saluting, because Dark Ryuusei was sitting next to him and looking at him.
"Dark Ryuusei – sama!" He gasped.
"What happened? I sent you to scout and you didn't report back! Obviously, I became worried and looked up your last coordinates. I come to the playground and find you unconscious." Dark Ryuusei questioned.
"The Eye of Mordor…! It began to heat up the atmosphere and my processor couldn't bear with it! It entered emergency shutdown mode and I don't remember anything else…" He reported.
"The Eye of Mordor did? Did it give out any messages similar to the ones Obihiro and company were given out yesterday morning?"
"No, sir… It only asked me "what will you do?" and it then began to heat up the atmosphere. Maybe it was testing to see how much heat I could endure even if I am an advanced Net Navi…"
"So it'd seem. Catch my hand. We're heading back."
Dark Ryuusei sighed in relief before extending his right hand.
"Yes, sir. By your orders." Sidier confirmed.
"I wanted a chance to try the program to materialize in the real world, but who'd said it'd be right now…"
"I shall offer no excuses, sir…"
"It's not your fault. Sheesh. Who the hell is that "wannabe gentleman"?"
"We'd all like to know! Sir!"
11:22 AM (Japan Time)…
"Our little experiment was a success. Heat can knock out these Navis, too. I'm a genius! Or so I say myself…"
The Eye floated inside of the old WWW base while talking aloud.
"Whatever… I won't let the "Net Saviors" see me yet! That'd be spoiling the big surprise! They'll hear about me. But they won't find me. Who'd want to come and search here, anyway? They must be thinking by the cliché! That the villain always has a secret base filled with cool advanced tech, which he uses to beat the good guys up!"
The Eye looked at the remains of the entrance.
The lake outside had frozen up and the main entrance shaped like a skull was no more than a gigantic hole in the mountain.
"Who'd said that Pharaoh Man's explosion could do so much damage? The guy was the arrogant and prideful guy! He somehow managed to set the computer to restart if someone tried to shut the system down from the Cyber World! But he lacked imagination! The satellite wouldn't have made it past the atmosphere! Its components are very sensible to heat and can easily break under stress… Couldn't ya look it up somewhere?"
He brought up imagery displaying the "original" Pharaoh Man standing inside of his pyramid.
"You damned fools! As the Absolute King that I am… As the Ruler of the Universe… You damned humans who rebel against the King… Redeem for your sins with your bodies…" He proclaimed.
"You sure were fond of old-fashioned speech but it's no wonder seeing how you thought you were a Pharaoh's incarnation… Off you go, old rotten sarcophagus... Mot…"
The imagery switched to a recording of the earlier battle.
"Hmmm… I should keep an eye out on these guys. They could get desperate to "retrieve" their agent… And I don't really like their "hobbies" to begin with…"
