Chapter 12: Sharp edge
15:54 PM (Japan Time), Saturday June the 14th…
"… Go! Go!"
"No. 3 overcame No. 7!"
"Keep it up! No. 8!"
"Don't lose, No. 6!"
"Show them your guts, No. 2!"
Toriyama was among the spectators of a horse race.
He had a mask over his face, pretending that he had a cold.
He glanced for a moment at the score board.
"The horse in question is 3rd… Good, good…"
He tapped a wireless mike on the inner side of his coat neck.
"Ready?" He whispered.
"We can do it anytime! Sir…"
"Good. Follow the instructions…"
"I am aware, sir…"
Toriyama chuckled under his breath.
Horse No. 9 suddenly became nervous and lost control of itself.
It rammed into Horse No. 2, and both collapsed outside of the course.
"What's this!? No. 9 lost control!" The commentator gasped.
"What are you doing!?"
"Did someone flash it!?"
"But it has those things to focus its sight forward, no?"
"Then what happened to it!?"
"Good. Wait for the next chance…"
"Roger…"
"Despite the accident, the other horses finished the 2nd loop!"
"No. 5! You're not pouring enough guts! Liar!"
"Sure! Prove how mighty you are!"
"Guts! Guts solve everything!"
Toriyama began to agitate the other spectators.
No. 5 suddenly gained speed and overtook several horses.
However, it was steadily veering off the course.
It hit No. 4 and both collapsed together.
"You don't know how to control the guts! Amateur!" He taunted.
"Agreed!"
"Never betting on such morons ever again!"
"The level sure has decreased!"
"Go back to the school to train from scratch!"
"T-this is strange… This has never happened before!"
The commentator was becoming increasingly nervous, too.
Four horses became nervous at once and rammed into each other.
"Both No. 16 to No. 12 have been knocked out!"
"This is ridiculous! Half of the horses are knocked out!"
"What's going on!?"
"Maybe it's a very unlucky day!?"
"G-guess that…"
"Or someone is using foul play?"
"But it doesn't look like anyone is doing anything odd!"
Toriyama grinned beneath the mask.
"Halfway through the 3rd loop!"
"Patience…"
Toriyama glanced around.
The spectators were still agitated or annoyed.
"Now…" He whispered.
"Aren't they slacking and this why happens!?"
"True! They must be slacking!"
"Maybe it's pressure or bribes from politicians!"
"I see! They want their favorites horses to win!"
"Those morons!"
"They need a lesson!"
"The final loop has begun!"
"Another little bit…"
"You're watching over the TV, right!? Stick out your greedy necks!"
"Same! We'll blow you sky-high!"
"Pay taxes, too!"
"Don't steal money from us to use in bribes!"
"You must be in league with the Yakuza, too!"
"T-the audience is heating up! Please calm down!"
"Now…"
Another four horses lost control and hit each other.
"Only 4 horses are left!"
"Half-way through the final loop!"
"That'll be enough. All that's left is the final setup…"
He chuckled under his breath.
"Go…"
He whispered into the mike.
"I remember! The Governor wanted to turn this into land for buildings!"
"What!?"
"It must be a deal with some big business to gain a lot of money!"
"Those morons!"
"Those cowards!"
"Stealing our joy!"
"They should fire them and send them to broom the streets!"
"Better! Cleanse the shit of the horses!"
"That'd be fitting!"
"Let's flood SNS with our anger!"
"Sure!"
"Excellent, excellent…!"
Toriyama became amused.
"Get ready for the final touches…"
"I am always ready, sir…"
"Wonderful…"
"No. 8 and No. 5 are very close in speed!"
"No. 1 and No. 3 are catching up, too!"
"Go! Go!"
"The cut the goal!"
"Who won!?"
"No. 5 comes first! Followed by No. 1! No. 8 is third! No. 3 is fourth!"
"Shit! I was sure that No. 3 would win!"
"Did anyone bet for No. 5, anyway?"
"What a crazy race! All because of that stupid Governor!"
"True, true!"
"Forget about the results! Let's go tell them one or two things!"
Several spectators ran out, still heated up.
Toriyama calmly made his way out along with many others.
He headed for a nearby parking lot and retrieved his bike.
"Well, Ronin Man?"
"It's done, sir. The follow-up is already executed…"
"Good. Let's scram…"
He turned on the bike and drove away.
"That moron was useful, but it's time to cut them loose…"
"Already did so, sir…"
"Beautiful. This is how your use the brains…"
He laughed under his breath.
"Patience. We'll soon have our rematch…"
"Looking forward to it, sir…"
"Those morons will never realize the beauty of this!"
"Truly, sir!"
17:16 PM (Japan Time)…
"… You came, Net Savior…"
"I did. I take it that you're "Present"…"
"Indeed…"
"Fine. Let's go, Lander…"
"I'm ready!"
Martin stepped into a warehouse area.
Present was waiting behind one of them.
His bike was parked behind him.
He was crossing his arms.
The Duel Stage was set on the ground before him.
"Plug In! Lander, Transmission!"
Lander entered the system and formed two machineguns.
Axe Man was waiting for him, yielding his huge axe.
"Don't assume that you're at an advantage, Net Savior…"
"I don't take anything for granted, Mr. Desperado…"
"Go…"
"Roger!"
Lander aimed for the face.
Axe Man used his left hand to block it.
Lander jumped atop his right shoulder.
He focused his fire on the axe's handle, but bullets bounced off it.
Axe Man shifted it for a halberd and thrust it.
Lander dropped from there to avoid the thrust.
Axe Man drew a long lance and a shield and ran for Lander.
Lander crouched and fired, but the bullets didn't hit him.
"Has a magnetic field to divert bullets!"
"We'll need another plan…" Martin muttered.
"I know! Hell's Burner!"
Lander aimed at both the front and the back.
He bathed Axe Man in flames.
Axe Man jumped and tried to hit Lander with his lance.
Lander grabbed it and stopped it.
"Stop Blade!"
"Warrior's Punches!"
Axe Man tried to use his bare armored fists to hit Lander.
Lander was replaced by Straw Doll.
He countered with an attack of his own.
Axe Man turned around and tried hitting the real one.
A small doll replaced him, and four shuriken embedded on his back.
He madly swung his fists.
Lander was two steps ahead of him and dodged them.
Lander calmly waited for him, crossing his arms.
An explosion happened beneath the foe's feet.
It made him fall into the ground in face-up position.
"This can't be!"
"Taking away my guns didn't make me powerless…"
"I see. I might have underestimated your flexibility…"
Axe Man roared as light surrounded him.
"A healing program? No surprise…"
Axe Man stepped forward, forming the axes flying around him.
They flung towards Lander, who dodged each.
However, the axes formed a ring of electricity across the ground.
Lander hit the outer wall when backstepping.
He hissed as the electricity attacked him.
Axe Man used a jetpack to fly into the air.
He headed for Lander, thrusting his spear.
Lander formed a suction mine and flung it at the foe.
The mine attached to the shield and detonated.
However, Axe Man was replaced a scarecrow.
Lander quickly stepped away as a spear emerged from the ground.
Axe Man emerged from a "portal" in the ground.
He summoned the axes again and they formed a smaller circle.
"Means to make the ring smaller and impede from dodging!"
"I have a plan… Woody Tower!"
The Woody Towers emerged and drew away the electricity.
The field vanished and Axe Man clicked his tongue.
"Even Balrog and Destruction Man can do better!" Lander mocked.
"Nonsense! I was upgraded by His Grace!"
"Then prove it…"
"Delighted!"
Present sighed and shook his head.
"Should've improved his patience and rationality…"
He drew the "Annihilator Chip".
"Come to these, you need a collar and a chain!"
He inserted it into the PET.
Axe Man stopped as he switched to remote control mode.
"Agreed. Now let's tear you to pieces, Net Savior!"
"Come! Maverick!"
Eight swords materialized around Axe Man and shot forward.
Lander jumped forward as they landed around the spot where he'd been.
He ran towards the enemy.
"Shooting Star Shower!"
Lander drew the rod.
Countless incandescent shooting stars bombarded the ground.
Axe Man was forced into defensive mode.
Lander formed a Hell's Burner and jumped into Axe Man.
He pressed the muzzle against the armor.
The intense heat began to melt some of it away.
"As if I didn't foresee that!"
Axe Man became a hologram and Lander dropped to the ground.
The real one appeared behind him and thrust his halberd into his back.
Lander hissed but formed a shotgun and aimed it backwards.
The recoiled pushed him away from the halberd.
He healed the wound and fumed.
"Air Hockey!"
"Take that!"
The Air Hockey bounced against the walls of the battlefield.
It hit Axe Man six times.
Axe Man formed energy around the halberd and stabbed the ground.
A stream of energy travelled across it, headed for Lander.
"Stone Cubes!"
He dropped several blocks in a row to slow its advance.
A flying axe hit the right side of his torso and became stuck there.
He hissed and gripped it to pull it out.
Electricity travelled across the right arm, damaging it.
"Shit! Means to take out my arms with this!"
"Bug Fix Program!"
Martin input a command and activated a program.
Lander's arm healed and he sighed in relief.
He jumped or ducked to avoid the rest of the flying axes.
Axe Man formed the jetpack and flew over the battlefield.
Spears formed around him and thrust into the ground.
They glowed and turned the field into pools of magma.
"I see. That's your newest trick!"
Lander also flew into the air and formed an RPG-7.
"Eat this!"
He shot it at Axe Man, who thrust his halberd forward.
It hit the grenade, and it detonated, causing a cloud of smoke.
"Artificial smoke!?" Annihilator Man hissed.
"You want axes and spears? Have them!"
The smoke partly dispersed.
Lander was hovering behind Axe Man.
He carried a legion of hovering axes and spears.
They flew for Axe Man's back.
Axe Man cancelled his jets and dropped.
He ignited them again when he was at a lower height.
He counterattacked by doing the same.
The axes and spears clashed in mid-air, mutually deleting each other.
Axe Man formed a mass of stone beneath his feet.
He landed on the ground while standing atop it.
Lander did the same.
"Come, Billy!"
His horse came into the fray, and he climbed on its saddle.
"So be it!"
A mechanical horse ran in, and Axe Man climbed atop it, too.
Lander formed the RPG-7 and ran for Axe Man.
Axe Man extended his halberd and ran for Lander, too.
Both attacks hit each other as they crossed paths.
Each ended on the opposite platforms.
Both had inflicted damage on each other.
They turned around to face each other again.
Lander formed machineguns and opened fire.
However, they shot plastic bullets instead of metallic ones.
They hit Axe Man across his body, embedding on the armor.
Lander closed distances by jumping across the gap.
He formed a Magnum gun and cocked it.
"Suck on this!"
He shot it at close-quarters and the attack pierced through the foe.
The foe recoiled and was about to lose balance.
He recovered by stabbing the ground with the halberd.
"The stun value of that thing is over the top!"
"It's the Magnum, Mr. Maverick! It's not a mere toy!"
"Whatever! I'll bury you under the Texas deserts!"
Axe Man pulled out the halberd and spun it between his hands.
A gust formed and pushed Lander away.
"Stone Body!"
He was covered in a layer of stone to make his body heavier.
Axe Man stabbed his upper chest and shattered it.
However, the shell was empty.
Lander appeared behind him and flung his hat at the foe.
It formed metallic edges around its outer frame.
It spun as if it was a buzzsaw.
It hit the back of the foe and cut through the armor.
"Salamander!"
The foe was surrounded by flames and flew skywards.
"Below Ground!"
Lander formed a hole and dropped inside of it, covering it.
"Burn!"
Axe Man dived there and an explosion ensued.
The surrounding area was covered in raging flames.
He stabbed the lid with the halberd, piercing through it.
An explosion happened inside of the hole.
He let go of the halberd and formed two shields.
Lander dived for the foe, shooting from his Colts.
The plastic bullets pierced through both shields.
They stabbed across the arms, detonating.
Lander landed atop the foe's chest and formed the Magnum.
He aimed for the forehead and shot.
The bullet pierced through the armor and emerged behind it.
However, Axe Man didn't react.
"What?"
Annihilator Man laughed.
"Fool! As if I wouldn't think of changing the crest's location!"
"Shit!"
Lander barely dodged the thrust of the halberd.
He landed on the ground and shot his Colts.
However, an invisible barrier erased them before they hit the foe.
"Martin! We need a new plan!"
"I'm trying to think of one!"
"Too bad, Net Savior! This is the end of the road!"
"Unfortunately for you, I'm pretty stubborn!"
"Can't be helped. I'll use these that I borrowed from Charles…"
He rummaged in the left pocket of his jeans.
He drew a Battle Chip case.
He drew a golden Mega Cannon.
"Battle Chip, Justice Cannon! Slot In!"
Lander formed the Justice Cannon and shot a blast.
It pierced through the barrier and hit the foe's stomach area.
It broke the armor over it and damaged the flesh beneath.
"Heck. It wasn't there, either!"
"As if I would make it easy! Fool!"
"Battle Chip, Justice Blade! Slot In!"
Davis drew the Justice Blade and rushed for the foe.
He dodged the thrust of the halberd and hit the exposed skin.
"Did you forget? Units under my control don't feel pain!"
"You never know…"
"What?"
Axe Man suddenly jolted and lost balance.
He collapsed face-up on the floor, making it shake from his weight.
"That blade had a program to turn on the pain receptors!?"
"And the accumulated pain has triggered the safety systems!"
"Crafty little mice!"
"We feel praised, Mr. Maverick…"
Axe Man returned to the PET.
"The emergency repairs system has activated…" Present announced.
"Can't be helped! Will have to improve that aspect of the system…!"
Annihilator Man scoffed.
"RTB (Return To Base)!"
"Roger…"
Present climbed into his bike and sped away.
"Plug Out!"
Martin sighed in relief and retrieved Lander.
"That was a close call…"
"I know, bud! We'll have to redesign our tactics…"
"Must thank Charles for lending these to me, too…"
"I know…"
Martin made it out of the area.
He found a banner with the Mexico flag and words on it.
"NUBETE FOR POTUS".
"Cloud Man. Never grows!"
"Needs Vandham's 100 million push-ups course!"
"Agreed…"
He made it to a parking lot and retrieved a scooter.
He put on a simple helmet and turned it on.
He drove towards another location.
"Let's go report to the HQ…"
"I'll submit the data to the MOS as well…"
"The issue is… When will Regal make a move?"
"That's the hassle!"