17:35 PM (Japan Time), Tuesday February the 21st…
"… Well, Raika?"
"I found 8 of them. Only one of them was real, Enzan…"
"Similar on my end. Found 12 of them, only one was real…"
"What's the point of that, anyway?"
"It's probably a mockery of the gacha toys…"
Enzan and Raika met up in a corner of a Game Center.
They carried sports bags hanging from their shoulders.
"Those capsule toys?"
"Correct. You insert the coin, turn the lever, and receive it…"
"And you can't know what you'll get until you open it…"
"In most cases, you'll probably get one that you already had…"
"I see. It's using dummies to camouflage the real deal…"
"Making use think that chasing these is a waste of time…"
"But the ill part about these things is that they're like a virus…"
"Yes. At first, there's no odd symptoms. But after a set amount of time…"
"It hijacks the Navi from the inside and turns it into a violent rioter…"
"Fortunately, the new Vaccine Chips can fully remove the program…"
"But the program's true goal is stealing data about the Operator…"
"And sell it on the black market for millions of Z…"
"Obviously, this is but a smokescreen. Rufus doesn't need money…"
"Unless it's to pay mercs to do "wet works" for him…"
"That could be it…"
"We did post warnings, but there's always fools who ignore them…"
"I know…"
"Good job, both of you…"
"Officer Misaki. How was it like?"
"Out of 38, only 4 were real…"
Misaki joined them, also carrying such a bag.
"We did keep tabs on those two youths, but nothing happened there…"
"Clark disliked pulling the same stunt twice. Rufus probably also does…"
"Let's hope that!" Misaki sighed.
"As for that cat, he hasn't shown up since last day…" Prism Man added.
"No surprise. But those "silver" foes have attacked us…" Blues fumed.
"And while they can be beaten, they are hard to fully defeat…"
"They've gained high regeneration abilities…"
"At least we know that they hate magma and water…"
"Why! It's Enzan and Raika! Been a while!"
"Dekao. What's up?"
Dekao, wearing his school uniform, walked up to them.
"Not much. Came to have a look before going to work…"
"Did Dingo recover?" Raika asked.
"He forced himself and tripped trying to cut through the park…"
"And ended up catching another cold?"
"Sure. Because he fell straight into a pond…"
"As reckless as always!" Raika sighed.
"All because he didn't want to use the map!" Dekao sighed.
"He's still at it?" Enzan sighed, too.
"Sure. Tomahawk Man insisted to stick to the road, but…"
"He was claiming that his "wilderness instinct" was above maps…"
Raika rolled his eyes.
"He did go off on his own during our Beyondard adventure…"
"And ended up finding Blackbeard's "castle"…"
"Speaking of which. Those two did surrender to the police…"
"Did they know anything important?"
"No. They were but actors for that farce…"
"Good. Better keep them under witness protection for a while…"
"We're doing that, of course…"
"I did warn the Maha crew about these "Dark Chips"…"
"Alright. Be careful about it…"
"But, say. Where do they come from?"
"Nakayami is spreading them, leaving them in plain sight…"
"But why would others use or take them without questioning?"
"Because he places a banner. "Free Battle Chip Samples"…"
"And when people see the "free" word, they're lured in…"
"And, since most of the times, they act as normal Battle Chips…"
"Nobody finds it odd…"
"So be careful not to accept "free" things from unknown sources…"
"I know! Right, Guts Man?"
"Guts! I'll smash any scammers!"
"Go ahead…"
"Make way for the Boss! This shabby place is now our hangout!"
"The Boss is the best!"
"Smash these meek morons, Boss!"
"Revolutionize the world, Boss!"
"Baby, baby, baby!"
"Not that moron again!"
Keith and some thugs appeared in the entrance.
As always, he carried the mike and danced as he made his way inside.
One of the thugs gestured as if he was a DJ messing with the discs.
"Finally found ya! Zanen! Kaira! Kamisa! Kadeo!" He laughed.
"Who's Zanen!?"
"Who's Kaira!?"
"Who's Kamisa!?"
"Who's Kadeo!?"
The four of them were baffled at this lame "nicknames".
"Don't move! Sachio is in my hands!" He proclaimed.
"Lay your dirty hands off my brother!" Dekao hissed.
"Your bluffs are worse than that of that famed attorney, Bandit…"
A voice rang out behind him, and he gasped.
Someone kicked him on the back, and he fell forward.
He landed atop a desk and scattered the things atop it.
"Yoshitstune!"
The masked samurai was there, crossing his arms.
The thugs roared and ran for him.
He quickly ducked and gripped the neck of one thug's shirt.
He flung him towards another thug, defeating two at once.
He used his left elbow to hit the stomach of another one.
He slid across the floor and kicked the knees of a fourth thug.
He quickly stood up and drew his blade to aim at Keith's throat.
"So much for "Boss"…" He taunted.
"Damn it all! My glorious comeback is in shambles!"
"Because it's but a smokescreen to hide Rufus and his plans…"
"Damn it! This cheeky cosplaying brat!"
"Charmed…"
He quickly sidestepped as a thug tried to hit him with a chair.
The thug only managed to hit Keith and stunt him.
"B-boss!"
"Net Police!"
Misaki, Raika and Enzan flashed their "NS" emblems.
"NO WAY!"
They tried to run away, but several officers came in.
"Drop your weapons!"
The thugs quickly surrendered as Keith growled.
He de-materialized to escape.
"Be careful of that thug, too…" Enzan told Dekao.
"Noted!" He grumbled.
"Guts! No bandits can defeat friendship!"
17:51 PM (Japan Time)…
"… Did you find anything, Knight Man?"
"A heap of fake reports about a new-generation bomber, Princess…"
"That data that Rufus had on him during that battle, last year…"
"Exactly. But all the business and humans involved are lies…"
"Naturally…"
Pride, wearing her civilian outfit, talked with Knight Man.
She was inside of her office, sitting behind the desk.
She was processing reports and government-related files.
There was an open laptop set atop it, too.
"For example… This file about "Colonel Smith of the SAS"…"
"Doesn't exist…"
"And neither does this 52 billion Z budget allocation, either…"
"Classical…"
"Because no Colonel has authority to approve such a project…"
"Naturally. It must be part of the government budget…"
"And this "Lord Jackson" of the House of Lords doesn't exist…"
"No surprise…"
"And Prime Minister McGregor doesn't exist, either…"
"Good work navigating that endless sea of lies…"
"Yes, Princess. If this helps protect you and Cream Land, I shall…!"
"Don't force yourself, though! Count on the others…"
"I am aware. I did tell Sir Blues and Sir Search Man about it, too…"
"Good. The more, the better…"
"The Security Team has designed new countermeasures…"
"To deal with those "silver" foes… Good…"
"Sir Needle Man is also investigating the underground…"
"He's the specialist. Leave it up to him…"
"By your orders!"
"Did you update the facial recognition software of the cameras?"
"Yes. They will ring alarms if they detect Keith…"
"Or another thug of the Triumvirate…"
"The name is probably taken from the late Roman Republic…"
"I know. Julius Caesar, Pompeius and Crassus..."
"Although scholars argue that it's not the actual term of that era…"
"It's possible. It's a parody, anyway. No need to bother with it…"
"By your will…"
"Did you check with the King Land Residence about our "guest"?"
"Yes. He is working with the Security Team to improve defenses…"
"Excellent…"
An alarm rang out as camera footage was displayed onscreen.
"I've come to claim my new castle!"
Keith and a biker gang were lined up before the outer gate.
"What does he think this is, the 80s?" Pride sighed.
"If you don't hurry, effeminate masked rascal, I'm taking your wife!"
"Wife…? Sure, sure…"
"Maybe they mean that masked samurai, Yoshitsune?"
"Wouldn't surprise me…"
"My, my! You sure are rude folk!"
"What's with this kitty? Go play cat 'n mouse with the mice!"
"Speaking of elusive folk… Caith Sith…"
Caith Sith appeared atop the door, dancing.
"There's a spy from the FBI amongst you!"
"What!?"
Keith hissed and began to glance at the other bikers.
"Which is it!?"
"Someone!"
"Fine! I'll expose each of you!"
"B-boss! What's the issue!?"
"Shaddup! Penniless spies!"
He jumped off his bike and grabbed one of the thugs, shaking him.
"Confess! It's Pegasus, isn't it!? Where's that fucking damned fool!?"
"D-don't know what you're talking about, Boss!"
Police sirens rang out and Keith scowled.
"Damn! That kitty! I'll turn you into canned meat for the dogs!"
"Dear me! How violent! How about you go play GTA?"
"What? Grand Theft Auto? Why not!"
He dropped the thug and climbed into his bike, running away.
"W-wait for us, Boss!"
The others followed suit, chased by the patrol cars and police bikes.
"They forgot that this is an embassy!" Pride sighed.
"Such vile folk!"
"Don't become hot-blooded. Focus on your duties…"
"As you desire…"
"I state that I was chasing the "scent" of Keith. I take my leave!"
Caith Sith bowed to the camera and jumped down to the ground.
He ran away and Pride shrugged, unimpressed.
She sipped some tea from her teacup.
"By the way. The enemy had some odd project going on, right?"
"Well. We're not sure if it exists or not to begin with…"
"Anything might be lead. What was the name?"
"G-ODIN… And "G" is short for "GOD"… "GOD-ODIN"…"
"How intimidating. But I feel like it's trying to hide something…"
"What would that be, Princess?"
"It's hard to define it. Maybe it's desperation to find a lead…"
"Understood…"
"The Security Team will talk with the police as for what happened…"
"Yes, Princess…"
"Were you able to scan Keith's signature at the least?"
"Yes. It's emitting a beacon… It says "THE GREED IS HERE"…"
"Typical of Rufus and Clark…"
"They are running towards the wharf…"
"Maybe they mean to barricade inside of a warehouse…"
"I shall ask Sir Prism Man about it…"
"Go ahead…"
"Yes, Princess…"
A flip phone atop the desk vibrated and she checked it out.
"It's Yuriko, through the direct line… Hello?"
"Hi. Pride. I'll be brief. Beware of odd Chips…"
"I've heard about it. "Dark Chips", right?"
"A new form of ransomware and info-stealing…"
"Noted. Did you warn Netto's acquaintance, Mr. Higure?"
"I did warn him myself. The Net Police also did…"
"Good. But it's not like they were ever fooled by those…"
"But Mr. Higure has some bad habits. Better keep tabs on him…"
"Bad habits?"
"Stole a Chip revered in a shrine of an island…"
"Dear!"
"Anyway. I'll take care of that, too… Some glares are enough…"
"Understood. But don't overdo it, either…"
"And to be safe, I checked that he was the real one…"
"Good point. They could try to disguise as someone…"
"If you see that Keith jerk again, bathe him in pink paint…"
"Delighted. It's but a pawn, a clown… Nobody will complain…"
"His fate is to be tossed away when Rufus grows bored of him…"
"Truly!"
"That's all for now. We'll be in contact with each other…"
"Be careful. The enemy isn't kidding…"
"Fair enough. Bye…"
"Goodbye. Let's get back to work, too!"
18:22 PM (Japan Time)…
"… Found you! You must be the scammer!"
"Scammer? Me, Miss? I'm but a middle school student…"
"You won't fool me, Ivan of Sharo!"
"I'm not from Sharo, I'm Japanese, and…"
"A flying hammer will smash the running cactus…"
"What's that, a meme?"
Jasmine (wearing a school uniform and a mask for cold) talked to someone.
It was a student around her age, also wearing uniform and mask.
He had reading glasses and loose black hair.
He carried a school case on his right hand.
The location was the park, next to the central fountain.
"Say, Miss… Have we met before?" He asked.
"How daring! Hitting on girls in the middle of the street!" She giggled.
"What? How is that related to the other?"
"Your weakness must be White Day!"
"Why?"
"Because there's so much snow, you can't get out of your hut!"
"Hut? I don't live in a mountain hut. And White Day isn't about snow!"
"Really?"
"I don't really understand the fuss over Valentine and that, anyway…"
"Guess that your boss isn't a romanticist, either!"
"Excuse me?"
"Furus Rashin, right?"
"What's that? It's Rufus Shinra, and…"
The teen stopped and gasped, realizing his mistake.
"Going somewhere? Nakayami…"
"Miyabi!"
Miyabi appeared behind him, crossing his arms.
Nakayami hissed and looked over his shoulder.
"Now I remember! You're Jasmine, the "CF" user!" He hissed.
"Sometimes, analog tricks are the best!" She giggled.
"… Heck! You set a tracker in the stock of "free Chips"!"
"Blame Rufus for his lame ideas…"
"As if I would! Sergei!"
"Coming, Lil Bro!"
Sergei materialized there and drew his blades.
"I'll turn you into canned ninja meat!"
"Charmed. Start with Deep Kabase…"
"As if he would bother with a cripple!"
A dog's barking rang out and the purple "dog" rushed for Miyabi.
"Come, rabid watchdog. I'll put an end to your misery…"
He drew a kunai and took up a battling stance.
Nakayami used the chance to run into the woods.
He tripped with something and fell into the ground.
His case jumped off his hand, too.
A fishing net closed around him and rose into mid-air.
"I borrowed knowledge of a hunter…" Miyabi let out.
"That Dingo guy who hates maps more than exams!" He grumbled.
"Patent it…"
"Change of plans!"
Sergei ran over there but the net was tugged and pulled skywards.
"What!?"
He looked up to see a Net Police chopper flying over the park.
"As if that would…!"
A "Dimensional Area" formed over the park.
Jasmine flung away the mask and drew her "Synchro Chip".
"Synchro Chip, Slot In!"
"What!"
"CROSS FUSION!"
She performed "Cross Fusion" and readied for battle.
"Chemical Flash!"
"As if that would hit me!"
Sergei ran for her and held out his blades to cut the capsules.
However, white powder jumped out from them and latched on him.
He gasped and then winced, hissing.
"Paralyzing effect!? Why, you…!"
"Don't underestimate me, Mr. Demon Chieftain!"
"Whatever! My antibodies will soon adapt to them!"
His body glowed and he resumed his attack.
"CF" Meddy had jumped away and flung capsules at him.
He dodged them and drew closer.
He stepped over a banana's peeled skin and slipped.
He fell inside of the fountain and growled.
"Custom Volt!"
"What!? You're crazy!"
"CF" Meddy shot the weapon at the fountain, zapping Sergei.
He roared and jumped out of it, annoyed.
"Sergei. Don't overdo it. That little girl is in the VIP list…"
Rufus called out to him over the radio.
"Yes, sir…! Come! Spark Man!"
"Make Shadow!"
"Heck! Not that again!"
He grumbled as he signaled skywards with his left index finger.
Spark Man landed there and used his infamous move.
A "shadow" of "CF" Meddy formed and assaulted her.
"Have fun battling your twin sis!" He sneered.
"Very funny!" She fumed.
He looked upwards but the chopper was gone.
"They used the bubble trick!" He growled.
"Don't worry. I foresaw a similar happening…" Rufus chuckled.
"What? That was a fake, then?"
"Yes. Same trick as Hojo. Was stupid, but contributed…"
"I see. Then I can return to the base!"
"Go ahead…"
"Not so fast!"
"Devil! Not you next! Stalker!"
"More like a hunter chasing the scent of the prey…"
Yoshitsune jumped into the scene from atop a tree.
Sergei hastily drew his blades and crossed them to block him.
They struggled in the deadlock and Sergei hissed.
Yoshitsune ducked as a shot flew over Sergei's right shoulder.
Rufus stood behind Sergei, aiming the shotgun.
"Mr. President!? Please warn me next time! What if you hit my head!?"
"No need to worry. It's protected by an EM field to repel shots…"
"Say that from the start!"
"It's better to save up the trump cards until the end…"
"This isn't poker, sir!" He grumbled.
"Fine. I'll use another strategy…"
Rufus warped away and Yoshitsune jumped away.
He stabbed the ground with his blade and formed a bubble around himself.
It bounced off another discharge by Rufus, who appeared behind him.
Rufus dodged the bounced shot and shrugged.
"Well? Which will it be?" He challenged.
"The source of all evil… You!"
He dashed for Rufus, who smirked and formed a wall with spikes.
Yoshitsune ignited the jets on his soils to fly over it.
A shadow loomed over him as Spark Man dived for him.
He didn't lose his cool and gripped his blade.
He waited a couple of seconds and then unsheathed it.
He made a single cut that cut the arms of the foe, and he roared in pain.
He quickly pierced through the chest emblem, deleting him.
He landed behind Rufus, who didn't bother to turn.
"Is that all?" He challenged.
"Hardly…"
"Then tell Clark to come out and face me…"
"Don't get conceited, brat. He has more important things to do…"
"Running away from his "brother" by using a stunt?"
Rufus gasped and grimaced as he finally bothered to turn.
"How the hell do you know that!?"
"The mighty Dark Comet told me…"
"Dark Comet…? The gloomy fools!"
"If you must…"
"Did you forget that they used one of our machines to go "there"?"
Sergei sighed over the radio.
"Hell. I was so engrossed with other things, I overlooked that…!"
"Maybe they went there again to provoke Lord Clark, even…"
"Hell. The last thing that I needed!" He growled.
"You speak with so might, but cannot defy your maker…"
Rufus scowled and hissed.
He was about to shoot when the Meddy Capsules rained on him.
They detonated and he was inflicted with several status ailments.
"Paralysis, poison, sleep, confusion, freezing! Full course!"
"CF" Meddy landed there, recovered.
"The shadow vanished when Spark Man was deleted!"
"Useless tool!" Rufus growled.
He formed a "Dark Chip" on his right hand and activated it.
The "face" formed behind him, and he laughed.
He recovered and quickly dashed for Yoshitsune.
"DIE!"
The latter wasn't impressed and simply pierced through the chest.
Rufus laughed and discharged the shotgun.
It bounced off an invisible barrier and scarred his face.
He covered with his left hand, hissing.
"Impossible! The power of darkness is endless!"
"All fools always say the same thing. To deny reality…"
"Don't speak as if you were a mighty sage!"
"It's called "common sense"…"
"I don't need it! I'll tear you to pieces, you damned brat!"
Rufus loaded energy on his left hand and tried to reach for the mask.
He only managed to shatter the invisible barrier and fell short of the goal.
"CF" Meddy moved behind him and gripped his waist.
She performed a martial art and flung him backwards.
He landed head-on inside of the fountain.
He hissed and stood up, aiming the shotgun.
"Fine! I'll turn this into a Hell!"
He closed his left fist and brandished it skywards.
Whistles rang out as missiles dived towards them.
"It's in vain…"
"What!?"
"Did you forget that we're inside of the dome?"
"Hell!"
The missiles hit the "Dimensional Area" and detonated, spreading napalm.
It ignited, but the dome's outer face frizzled and erased it.
"It's data, anyway. Hence why you easily summon the missiles…"
"What are you, Missile Man?"
"If you must…"
"Bring out that comet of misfortune!"
"He will appear if he deems it necessary… If you make it past me…"
"And me!" "CF" Meddy added.
"Little girls go talk about love and stay out of this!"
"And if I don't want to? What will you do, then?"
"I'll send a female assassin to bring me your head!"
"Classical. Always relying on proxies…"
"Feel the FEAR!"
"And if I don't want to?"
Rufus roared and jumped atop the fountain.
He formed a sphere of dark energy around his body.
He dived for them, forming "wings" at the flanks and a drill at the front.
"I'll tear you to pieces!"
"Objection. Eat ninja tool!"
"What the…!?"
Miyabi had deal with the "dog" and flung a kunai at the foe.
It detonated and destroyed the front.
Yoshitsune jumped for the foe and pierced through the chest.
The blade glowed and rainbow light emerged from the chest.
"DAMN YOU!"
It became pure light as it expanded into a sphere.
Yoshitsune jumped away as Rufus was swallowed by the plasma sphere.
Nothing remained of him, and they all sighed in relief.
"As much as they try to fool themselves, nothing changes…"
Yoshitsune sheathed his blade and sighed.
"Agreed. Fools will be fools…" Miyabi scoffed.
The "Dimensional Area" vanished.
"Cross Out!"
Jasmine reverted out of "Cross Fusion" and caught the PET.
They heard running footsteps headed there.
Miyabi dropped a flash bomb and vanished.
"Are you alright, Jasmine – chan!?"
"Yes, Ms. Manabe!"
"Thank goodness! That was so risky!"
"I am aware. But it was necessary…"
Manabe and several officers made it there.
She walked over to Jasmine and placed her hands on her shoulders.
"Beware. Rufus is still fond of the missile sweep…" Yoshitsune warned.
"Devil!" She cursed.
"I shall resume hunting. We shall meet again…"
He warped out of the area as Meddy frowned under her shades.
"What's wrong, Meddy?"
"I felt an odd energy reaction for a second…"
"Maybe it's some warp device?"
"Could be…"
"That can wait. We must counter the threat of these tools…"
"Understood…"
"Jasmine. A call from Dingo…"
"What does he want? Wasn't he bedridden… Hello?"
"Shanka! I promise that I'll protect the village together!" Dingo blurted.
"Wrong number, Dingo… It's me, Jasmine…"
"No way!"
"I told you to leave it up to me and you wouldn't listen…"
"Tommy! Tell me the recipe of the elixir! Today is Valentine!"
"Elixirs are a fable, Dingo. Follow the medic's instructions and rest!"
"SHANKA!"
The call was abruptly cut, and she rolled her eyes, unimpressed.
"Heal the cold before blurting confessions… And it's not Valentine's…"
"I envy him, even!" Manabe sighed.
She shook her head and then cleared her throat.
"Document all damages! She and I will return to the HQ for debriefing!"
The officers saluted and deployed across the park.
"We must gear for their next attack…"