Rockman.EXE:The College Years-3-82:Great Battle of Light(sp)

[Anime Master ZERO]

CHAPTER 3-64
The Fifth Match Begins

After Lan’s battle against Mamoru, everyone stopped for lunch before resuming with the four remaining primary elimination matches.

“Eat up, everyone,” the chef announced, “You’ll need your strength for the upcoming matches.” Lan had already started shoving food into mouth before everyone else had even taken their first bite.

“Lan, slow down. You’re going to choke,” Maylu warned.

“Not if I’m careful,” Lan replied with his mouth full. On his left side, Noah sweatdropped and sighed before he stuck a forkful of spaghetti in his mouth.

“Pretty elaborate considering it’s just lunch,” commented Sean, “Not even Yai’s servants can serve up something like this.”

“Hey,” Yai interrupted, “You know that’s not…”

“Oh, come on,” Sean said cutting her off.

“Okay, you win. I’ll have to talk to my house staff about this.”

“So, so far Sean will be facing Greg and Lan will be battling Zero in the secondary elimination round,” Chaud thought out loud as he ate another piece of veal.

After lunch, everyone returned to the lobby and sat down to await the announcement of the next match.

“Welcome back, everyone,” greeted Ribbita, “I hope you had a good lunch. Now it’s time for the fifth match, which will be between Miss Yuri and Colonel Baryl. Let’s see where they’ll be battling.” She spun the wheel and it stopped on a picture of a pile of rocks. Baryl and Miss Yuri got up from their seats and proceeded through the doors.

“The next match will take place on the Rocky Slope battlefield,” Higsby announced, “Like the name suggests, the entire field is on a slope and covered with large rocks everywhere. Another point to note is that throughout the duration of the battle, rocks will constantly be falling from the sky or rolling down the slope. Competitors should be careful of these as the damage they deal is very great.”

“Now let’s check in with our NetBattlers and see how they’re doing as the reach the side of the island’s mountain,” Ribbita finished.

“And we’re clear,” the producer announced.

* * *

Baryl and Miss Yuri arrived on the side of the mountain and looked out at the island.

“This will certainly be interesting,” the colonel commented.

“Yes, indeed,” replied Miss Yuri. She turned to her opponent and the two of them took out their PETs.

“Jack in!! Colonel, power up!”

“Jack in!! NeedleMan, power up!”

Both NetNavis almost lost their balance when they appeared on the field. Just as Higsby had said, the entire area was on a steep slope and rocks littered the battlefield.

“Battle routine, set!”

“Execute!”

BATTLE START

The first thing Colonel did upon the commencement of the battle was morph his right hand into his sword. He ran towards NeedleMan and swung his blade at him.

“Grand Needle!” NeedleMan quickly transformed his hand into a large needle and he blocked the attack. He pushed the caped NetNavi away and started jabbing at him rapidly. Colonel skillfully parried each blow with his sword and slowly backed away.

“Needle Attack!” As soon as he had enough distance to protect himself, NeedleMan transformed his other hand and extended all of his spikes at his opponent. Colonel took the full force of the attack and was pushed back. He tossed his cape back and swung his sword.

“Screen Divide!” A column of energy shot out from his blade and tore across the ground towards NeedleMan, who ducked behind a rock to avoid getting hit. However, the attack broke through the stone and blew him back.

“Militant Missile!” Colonel’s sword transformed into a rocket launcher and he fired several missiles into the air, which came back down towards his opponent. The spiky Navi ran down the slope and the projectiles hit the ground following him. As soon as he was clear, he jumped onto a rock and back to the center of the slope before running up.

“Needle Cannon!” His hand transformed into his main weapon and NeedleMan started firing spikes at his opponent. Colonel ducked behind a rock and the projectiles struck its side. He switched back to his sword and jumped out. He came down from above and swung his weapon downward. NeedleMan blocked with his Grand Needle and used his other arm to stab at him, but the military Navi quickly pushed himself away and avoided receiving any damage. He landed down the slope and prepared for the next move.

“Needle Cannon!” Colonel pulled his came over in front of him and used it as a shield against the attack. As soon as the barrage was over, he tossed it aside and revealed his cannon.

“Colonel Cannon!” The recoil nearly pushed him off his feet and down the side of the slope, but he managed to keep himself steady and the blast flew towards NeedleMan. The Wood-element Navi moved to the side just as a boulder came rolling down and Colonel’s attack smashed it to pieces.

“TreeBomb3 Battlechip in, download!” A seed appeared in NeedleMan’s hand and he threw it towards his opponent. It landed just in front of his feet and sprouted into a series of Wood Towers that surrounded Colonel.

“That should hold him, shi shi shi!” laughed NeedleMan. His laughter died down when the caped Navi chopped down the Wood Towers and stepped out.

“Screen Divide!” He fired another energy column from his sword and it zigzagged towards his opponent. NeedleMan leapt to the right in a forty-five degree angle and jumped off a rock towards Colonel with his Grand Needle ready. He stabbed at him with both and missed as the other Navi ran out of the way and up the slope. He pulled his needles out of the rock and chased after him. Another boulder came rolling down and headed straight towards Colonel.

“Colonel, make use of that boulder,” commanded Baryl.

“Colonel Cannon!” The caped Navi pointed his cannon at the side of the slope and fired. He hit his targeted spot just before the boulder reached it and blew the enormous rock into the air. He watched it fly over his head and fall towards NeedleMan.

“DrillArm2 Battlechip in, download!” NeedleMan’s right needle transformed into a drill and he smashed the giant stone sphere to pieces. He looked up at his opponent and ran towards him. Colonel saw his opponent approaching and switched back to his sword. He spun around, cut two rocks, and sent the pieces tumbling down. NeedleMan flipped over them and fired his Needle Cannon.

“Colonel Army!” Two gun-toting soldiers materialized in front of Colonel and fired their weapons that intercepted the incoming needles before turning their guns towards NeedleMan and firing on him.

“Needle Attack!” The Wood-element Navi extended all his needles and charged forward. He ploughed through the soldiers and rammed himself into Colonel, trapping him against a rock.

“Shi shi shi shi! Now you’re trapped,” he cackled.

“Yes, but so are you,” Colonel answered. It took a few seconds for NeedleMan to realize that what his opponent said was true. Even though he had him pinned, he was using his own body to immobilize him and in doing so rendered himself immovable, as well.

* * *

“That can’t be good,” Laika commented.

“One of them will figure a away out of this stalemate,” replied Sean.

“Noah, you’re the smart one. Can you see any way out of this?” asked Lan as he turned to the boy genius. Noah propped his chin against his plushie’s head and thought for a moment.

“All I can say right now,” he answered, “is if they don’t get out of there soon, they’re going to get hit by a boulder.”

* * *

As if cued by Noah’s words, a boulder did indeed appear at the top of the slope and started rolling towards the two NetNavis.

“How do we get out of this one?” asked NeedleMan.

“I’m not sure,” replied Miss Yuri, “But I can stall the boulder for you.” She slotted in a Lance and several bamboo spears shot up and formed a wall that blocked the rock.

“Now back to the matter of how we’re going to get out of this mess,” NeedleMan muttered.

“Baryl and I already have that covered,” answered Colonel. NeedleMan tried to look up at him, but his head was stuck trying to hold his opponent in place.

“What?”

“Burner Battlechip in, download!” Baryl slotted in his chip and flames surrounded Colonel’s body. NeedleMan screamed as he was burned and pulled himself away. Once he was free, Colonel kicked him away and then slashed him with his sword. Miss Yuri quickly extinguished her Navi and NeedleMan growled at his opponent.

“So that’s how you wanna play, huh? Grand Needle!” He changed his hands into needles and held them ready, “Fine, then we’ll do it your way. Shi shi shi shi shi!” He and Colonel leapt at each other and slashed. Sword collided with spike and they pushed away with NeedleMan higher up the slope and Colonel farther down.

“Needle Cannon!” He fired a long and steady barrage of needles at his opponent as the caped Navi ran up the side of the mountain swinging his sword to deflect the sharp projectiles.

“Screen Divide!” Another energy column shot out from his weapon and blasted the needles to pieces. He jumped up and landed in front of his opponent. NeedleMan took a stab at him, but he ducked and countered. His sword slashed him across the chest. The spiky NetNavi lashed out with a Needle Attack that Colonel dodged and jumped back over an incoming boulder. The military Navi sliced downward and cut the massive rock in two.

“Cross Divide!” Colonel swung his sword and sent out two energy waves in the form of an X that sliced through the rocks as it shot up the slope and cleaved right through NeedleMan.

“Quick, NeedleMan! Use that new technique we’ve been working on!” commanded Miss Yuri.

“Okay. Needle Rain!” NeedleMan’s spikes glowed brightly for a moment and he shot a thousand needles into the air. They zeroed in on Colonel and sped towards him.

“Colonel!” Baryl gasped as all the projectiles pierced his NetNavi’s body from every angle.

“Shi shi shi shi! That’s the end of this battle!” NeedleMan shouted victoriously, “Shi shi shi shi!”

“It’s not over yet.”

“Huh?”

Colonel slowly limped out from the smoke and glared up at his opponent.

“Now I’ll show you how it really ends. He grabbed his cape, pulled it off his back, and threw it into the air. NeedleMan watched as it fluttered in the air for a moment and fired his Needle Cannon at it. He blasted some holes into the piece of blue cloth, but he couldn’t destroy it or knock it away. The cape fell over him and Colonel nodded.

“Climax Swipe!” He rushed over to NeedleMan and held up his sword. It gleamed in the sunlight and he began performing a series of rapid slashes and stabs. When it was all over, he grabbed his cape and pulled it off as he stepped back. NeedleMan collapsed and his body was logged out. Colonel nodded and threw his cape back onto his shoulders, where it magically mended itself.

“And the winners of the fifth match are Baryl and Colonel!” Ribbita announced.

“Congratulations on your win,” Miss Yuri said as she walked towards Baryl, “I expected nothing less from such a famous officer from the Netopia military.”

“I’m retired, actually,” Baryl replied, “However, I still do jobs for them from time to time.” The two NetBattlers shook hands and left the mountainside.

* * *

“Awesome! Baryl won!” Lan exclaimed.

“Which means he’ll face Chaud in the second elimination,” added Sean, “Assuming that Chaud can win his match.” Chaud said nothing as he looked towards Waya. If things were going to go the way he guessed they would, the fight ahead would not be an easy one.

“You ready for your match, Waya?” Saiba asked his comrade.

“Oh yeah. I’ve been looking forward to this fight since the tournament began.” The ashen knight’s eyes met with Chaud’s and the two of them glared daggers at one another.

----------------------------
End of chapter 3-64.

CHAPTER PREVIEW
Lan: Chaud’s up against Waya in the next match.
MegaMan: Their Navis are both skilled swordsmen. They’ve wanted to challenge each other since they met.
Lan: And so comes the great climactic duel.
MegaMan: Will it be ProtoMan or Harpuia that will win?
Lan & MegaMan: Next time on Rockman.EXE: The College Years, “The Decisive Duel”.
Lan: Now we’ll see who’s the better swordsman.
MegaMan: As long as Harpuia fights fair.
_________________

[SonicNigma212]

Well, you've got to put up two new chapters in one day. I'm going to try to give you the reviews about what I think about it. Here they are:

First New One:

This is something that I didn't get to read. Both Serenade and MegaMan battling out again. Not to mention the face that you had MegaMan use his Final Gun chip in order to wipe out Serenade's own defense built into him. The battle wasn't bad, it's just the stage that I'm confused about. I mean, what gave you the idea to put an Angel's Sanctuary with a bunch of Holy Panels in them? But I suppose that if it isn't there, then there would be no point of finishing the finals.

Next Chapter:

Well, this is one interesting battle between both NeedleMan and Colonel. I mean, not only that you've managed to put in the new moves for NeedleMan in this chapter, but you've also managed to put in the new techniques that I've seen from within the new BattleNetwork Game. Well, that's about it.

In any case, good job with the chapters and I hope that the next one that you put up would be exciting. Later!

Maurice A. Nigma

[Anime Master ZERO]

CHAPTER 3-65
The Decisive Duel

The tension between Chaud and Waya was incredibly thick. As soon as their eyes met, everyone quickly scooted as far away from them as possible.

“Well then,” Ribbita said, breaking the silence, “Let’s see where they’ll fight.” She spun the wheel and it landed on a picture of three trees.

“And it looks like the next match will take place in the Dense Forest,” Higsby announced.

“Actually, I believe it’s the Deep Jungle,” Ribbita corrected.

“No, I’m pretty sure it’s the forest.”

“No, the forest is the coniferous tree.”

“Is it?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.” Higsby took a look at the wheel and there was, indeed, a picture of a coniferous tree on another part of the wheel, “Huh.”

“Okay then. NetBattlers, proceed to the battlefield.” Chaud and Waya left the others and stepped through the doors to the battle area.

“Higsby, what can you tell us about the battlefield?” asked Ribbita.

“Well Ribbita, the Deep Jungle battlefield is a very big area. Large trees that date back even farther in time than the oldest tree in the Redwood Forest cover the entire landscape. There are branches and vines that the competitors will be able to use in combat. Aside from the lush and incredibly dense foliage, the temperature and weather are also reminiscent of a typical jungle. It’s very humid and very hot. Plus one can even expect a monsoon on this battlefield.”

“A monsoon?”

“It was programmed into the field.” Higsby turned back to the camera and resumed, “But it’s not all just trees, vines, and sweaty atmosphere. There are also a few clearings where some ancient temple ruins stand to add to the list of things the competitors will be able use.”

“Thank you, Higsby. Now let’s see how the NetBattlers are doing.”

* * *

Chaud and Waya stood across from each other in the bowels of the island’s jungle.

“The heat getting to you already?” Waya taunted.

“You’re one to talk,” Chaud growled, “You took off your shirt and jacket the moment we stepped into this place. Besides, it’s not the heat that gets me; it’s the humidity.”

“Well, let’s get this started. Jack in!! Harpuia, power up!”

“Jack in!! ProtoMan, power up!”

ProtoMan and Harpuia landed among the trees and looked at each other.

“This time you’re going down,” the silver-haired Navi vowed as he morphed his right hand into his sword.

“Come at me with everything you’ve got.” Harpuia stepped onto a rock and drew his lightsabers, “Your fall will be my greatest victory.” He activated the blades and held his weapons ready. ProtoMan brought his sword in front of him and took up his battle stance.

“Battle routine, set!”

“Execute!”

BATTLE START

As soon as the buzzer sounded, Harpuia jumped off the rock and flew towards ProtoMan. He swung his right arm and his opponent blocked. His left arm moved in and his lightsaber was deflected.

“Do you really think you can defeat me in a sword duel?” the winged Navi smirked, “I clearly have the upper hand.”

“How so?” challenged ProtoMan.

“Because I have two weapons and you only have one measly sword.”

“I only need one sword to defeat the likes of you.” ProtoMan pushed Harpuia’s lightsabers away and slashed.

* * *

“And they’re off!” Ribbita exclaimed into her microphone, “From the conversation that our audio receptors have managed to pick up, it looks like this will be a duel strictly with swords.”

Come on, Chaud, Lan urged mentally, You can beat him.

* * *

Harpuia swung his lightsabers and ProtoMan blocked. The visored Navi backed away and tried to make his way around his opponent. He made his way towards his left, but Harpuia crossed his left arm over his right and swung at him. He ducked under the purple energy blade and thrust his sword forward. Harpuia quickly turned the lightsaber in his right hand around and deflected the blow. He cartwheeled to the side when ProtoMan pulled back and slashed horizontally at his waist.

“Sonic Boom!” The scarlet swordsman swung his sword and sent a wave of energy at his opponent. Harpuia crossed his lightsaber blades in front of him and blocked the attack and dispersed it when he slid his weapons apart. A shadow passed over him and he looked up to see ProtoMan coming down on him with his sword. He flew back and his opponent smashed into the moist ground. The silver-haired warrior pulled his weapon out and dashed after the other swordsman. He came up beside him and Harpuia barrel-rolled around and slashed. ProtoMan quickly blocked and attacked. They landed on the grass and made another rush at one another. Their blades clashed and they pushed hard against each other. Above them, dark clouds gathered as the sound of thunder rumbled.

* * *

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so intense,” Sean gaped as he stared slack jawed at the screen, “I wonder if I can get a copy of the tape.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure Tory and Dex are taping the finals as we speak,” Lan assured him.

* * *

Harpuia held out his hand and sent a powerful gust of wind that blew ProtoMan into a tree. The red-armored flipped around in midair and landed on his feet on the trunk. He propelled himself forward and slashed at his opponent. Harpuia blocked his swings and backed away. ProtoMan landed on the ground and ran up to him swinging his sword every which way. The green warrior blocked every blow with his lightsabers, but each one seemed more powerful than the last. When his opponent attacked with a horizontal slash from the right, Harpuia deflected it to the side and ProtoMan twisted his arm and knocked the lightsaber from his opponent’s hand. He quickly spun around and dealt a second powerful blow that disarmed Harpuia of his other lightsaber. With his opponent’s weapons gone, he immediately went in for the kill but the green Navi pushed him back with a gust of air and jumped into the trees.

“MagBolt1 Battlechip in, download!” Waya slotted in a chip and ProtoMan watched as the lightsabers flew up from the ground and into the leaves. He quickly started jumping between trunks and followed them into the thicket. When he finally burst through the leaves, he landed on a branch and looked around. There was no sign of Harpuia anywhere.

Where are you? he questioned mentally. From behind the trunk of another tree, Harpuia watched. A smirk crept upon his face as he tightened his grip on his weapons. He quickly activated one of his lightsabers and threw it at the branch ProtoMan was standing on, severing it from the tree. As the ace Official plummeted towards the ground, his hand managed to catch a vine and he swung to the safety of a nearby branch until Harpuia flashed past and cut the vine. ProtoMan quickly twisted himself in midair and landed on another tree limb. His opponent landed on another branch and the two of them stared at each other. Then, in a simultaneous movement, they ran along the trees and jumped across the gap towards one another, swinging their swords as they passed. They landed on opposite sides and propelled themselves back at each other. With Harpuia possessing the ability to fly, ProtoMan had some trouble trying to stay level with him. When the opportunity presented itself, he grabbed hold of a vine and used it to keep himself from going any further down. Harpuia flew back towards him and the scarlet swordsman pushed off his tree and swung on the naturally-made rope in his hand. They met in the center and deflected each other’s blows. After a few more passes, ProtoMan released his grip on the vine and landed a few branches down. Harpuia followed and they leapt across the trees slashing at each other.

The two combatants landed on a particularly large limb and Harpuia lashed out with his left lightsaber. ProtoMan blocked his attack so he then spun around and tries to hit him with his other saber. His opponent blocked that as well and sliced upward. Harpuia rolled away and backflipped, twisted around in midair, and brought both lightsabers down. He missed when ProtoMan backed away and he quickly got to his feet and tried to stab him with his weapons. The red warrior sidestepped and cut upward, knocking his opponent’s arms up and kicked him in the stomach. Harpuia felt the wind get knocked out of him and he collapsed. ProtoMan backflipped away from him and ran back towards his opponent and chopping down with his blade aimed for his neck. Unable to block in his condition, Harpuia dropped and rolled away and the other’s sword cut into the branch. He quickly recovered and reactivated his lightsabers just as ProtoMan freed his sword and they leapt back into the foliage. The winged fighter held out his hand and a gust of wind blew ProtoMan clear out of the trees and into a clearing. The scarlet swordsman glanced around his surroundings and saw that he was in the presence of some temple ruins. Harpuia flew out from the trees and landed on a stone platform. He stood up, turned around, and looked down at his opponent while ProtoMan glared back up in return. More thunder rumbled in the background and slowly rain began to fall. At first it began as a light drizzle but then escalated into a full-fledged monsoon. Harpuia’s lightsabers smoked and sizzled as water droplets pelted the blades and evaporated instantaneously.

* * *

“Looks like a monsoon as decided to enter the battle,” Higsby commentated.

“You certainly weren’t kidding,” Ribbita acknowledged.

* * *

After a minute of staring, ProtoMan jumped and spun in the air. He came up to the platform and Harpuia quickly stepped back, causing his opponent’s sword to strike the stone. He got up and attacked the green NetNavi. Their weapons clashed as their fight continued in the heavy rain. Harpuia attempted a cross slash with his two weapons, but ProtoMan rolled out of the way and swept his foot out from behind his opponent’s legs. He successfully threw him off balance, but the lightsaber-wielding Navi threw himself back, landed on his hands, and flipped onto his feet. He spun around and slashed at ProtoMan, but missed completely and was tackled hard by his red-armored opponent. The two of them fell off the platform and tumbled down the sloping pile of rubble to the ground. Harpuia pushed himself away and ran inside the nearest temple. ProtoMan got to his feet and looked in the direction that his opponent had fled.

What are you up to, Harpuia? he wondered as he held his sword in front of his chest and slowly followed. The interior of the temple was pitch dark and he could barely see anything.

Harpuia’s hidden himself in the shadows, thought Chaud, If we can just find him before he finds ProtoMan.

As ProtoMan ventured deeper into the temple, he stepped into a puddle and slashed water on his boot. He thought he heard a noise and turned towards the direction that he believed it came from, but there was nothing there.

If I can’t see him, I’ll just have to listen for him. Closing his eyes, ProtoMan listened carefully to the noises in the surrounding area. A sudden whoosh alerted him and he spun around and came face-to-face and saber-to-saber. He backed away as Harpuia slashed at him with the only source of light inside the temple. He flipped over his opponent and tried to cut him in the back, but ProtoMan spun around and blocked him before proceeding to attack. Harpuia parried his opponent’s blows as he backed up some stairs. He quickly passed a lightsaber through a nearby pillar and it tumbled towards ProtoMan. The scarlet swordsman jumped over it and landed safely back on the steps but he was completely unprepared for a second column and struck him hard. He pushed the stone object off his body just as Harpuia detached another one from the temple’s structure and blew it towards him with his wind power.

“AirSword Battlechip in, download!” A whirlwind wrapped itself around his sword and ProtoMan swung it and sent a gust of wind that sent the pillar back and hit Harpuia dead on. The winged Navi rolled it off and ProtoMan tackled him and they both crashed through a wall onto a terrace on the outside of the temple. The rain had stopped and the two of them got back to their feet and fought along the outside edge of the temple. After rounding a corner, Harpuia jumped off and landed on a set of stairs. ProtoMan leapt and their exchange of sword blows and blocks resumed. Not wanting to give his opponent any opening to exploit, the silver-haired Navi came on with a ruthless onslaught. Harpuia backed up the stairs swinging his lightsabers to deflect the blows. Even though he was armed with more weapons, he still found it difficult to fight against the fury of his opponent’s assault. He quickly jumped the rest of the stairs and landed on top of the temple. ProtoMan appeared over the edge and landed in front of him before charging.

Now that they were back on a level area, the two combatants engaged each other with all their strength and skills. The deciding moment of the duel had come. With neither fighter willing to lose, they pushed beyond their limits as they prepared for a final attack.

“Delta Ray Edge!” ProtoMan dashed around his opponent in a triangular path and slashed him with each pass. Harpuia took heavy damage, but he managed to stay in the game. Their swords clashed again as they fought to gain dominance over each other. The winged Navi cut up pieces of stone from beneath their feet and flung them at his opponent with his wind power. ProtoMan took many hits, but continued to press forward. They locked blades and their faces came within an inch from each other before pushing away. Harpuia ran towards ProtoMan and slashed away with both lightsabers. The silver-haired Navi blocked his swings and raised his sword high over his head and sliced downward. Harpuia crossed his lightsabers over him and counterattacked with a cross-slash. His blades cut into the hilt of ProtoMan’s sword and severed it off. The scarlet swordsman looked at his hand as it changed back and then towards his opponent. Harpuia was laughing and he gave him a dark look.

“This is the end for you.” He ran towards ProtoMan and brought his lightsaber down on him. Without warning, his opponent’s hand shot up and grabbed onto his wrist.

“What?” Harpuia raised his other and slashed down, but ProtoMan caught that wrist, as well. He struggled to pull his blades down and take out his opponent, but the scarlet swordsman wouldn’t allow it.

“I may be without a weapon, but I am never defenseless.” And with that, ProtoMan smashed his head against Harpuia’s, causing his grip to loosen. He quickly grabbed one of his opponent’s lightsabers and wretched it free from his grasp before kicking him away.

“Well done, ProtoMan,” Chaud commended. ProtoMan swung the lightsaber around to get the feel of the weapon before he turned toward his opponent.

“It doesn’t matter. I can still beat you with just one lightsaber,” Harpuia growled.

“Then prove it.” And with that, ProtoMan rushed towards him and swung the lightsaber. Harpuia raised his to block, but the force of the attack pushed him back and stumbled toward the edge. ProtoMan continued his ferocious assault, dealing one forceful blow after another leaving his opponent only to block. The impact of the clashing energy blades shook the temple’s structure violently.

Gathering up everything he had into one final attack, ProtoMan swung the lightsaber down and the force finally caused the temple’s structure to fail. He quickly stabbed the energy blade into Harpuia’s chest and watched as the edge crumbled and sent the green Navi plummeting into the abyss below.

* * *

“And the winners of the sixth match,” Ribbita announced excitedly, “are Chaud and ProtoMan!”

“They won!” exclaimed Lan, “I knew they could do it!”

“Did you really?” MegaMan asked skeptically.

“Okay, no I didn’t. But the way it was fought, the battle could have gone either way.”

“That’s true.”

“It was for honor that ProtoMan battled Harpuia,” said Dark, “and he triumphed.”

“Too bad Waya and Harpuia don’t share the same feelings,” muttered Sean. Back on the screen, everyone watched as Chaud left the jungle and the broadcast cut to commercials.

-------------------------------------------
End of chapter 3-65.

CHAPTER RPREVIEW
Lan: The island can provide some pretty dangerous battlefields.
MegaMan: And nothing gets more dangerous than the deepest depths of the mountain.
Lan: Why would they choose the most dangerous environments for NetBattles?
MegaMan: I guess to challenge the operators as well as the Navis.
Lan & MegaMan: Next time on Rockman.EXE: The College Years, “Subterranean Inferno”.
Lan: I hope Noah will be alright. He’s just a kid, after all.
MegaMan: He’s strong-willed. I have faith in him.
_________________

[Dark Liger]

Hey there AMZ! Sorry I haven't reviewed for a while. But I have to say, all of the chapters were very exciting; and each one displayed a different means of battling: Skill (Levi vs. Zero), Power (Mega vs. Serenade), Strategy (Needle vs Colonel), and Determination (Proto vs. Harp). I'm looking fowards to the next battle!

Rating for 'Second Match': 9 out of 10 :D
Rating for 'Rematch: MegaMan vs Serenade': 8 out of 10 :]
Rating for 'The Fifth Match Begins': 9 out of 10 :D
Rating for 'The Decisive Duel': 10 out of 10! ^_^

Keep it up!

[Anime Master ZERO]

CHAPTER 3-66
Subterranean Inferno

“Noah, are you feeling okay?” asked Lan.

“A bit nauseous,” replied Noah, “although that could just be from the nineteen cocktail weenies I ate from the snack table.”

“Do you always overeat when you’re nervous?”

“Only when I’m REALLY nervous.”

“Look, Noah. We may not know that much about him, but Nicol’s a nice kid, not like his teammates.”

“I’m not worried about Nicol, Lan,” Noah corrected as he ate his twentieth cocktail weenie, “I’m worried about his Navi, Fefnir. And also where I might have to fight him.”

“Okay, I’m just going to take that away from you before you bloat yourself.” Lan quickly took the platter away from Noah’s hands, “It’s not healthy.”

“I wouldn’t talk if I was the one who always pigged out at meals.”

“Well you’re still growing.”

“Shouldn’t matter.”

“Everyone, we’re back on the air in fifteen seconds!” the DNN producer called out. Everyone quickly rushed back to their seats from whatever they were doing and waited for the countdown.

“Three, two, one, and we’re on.”

“Welcome back, everyone,” Ribbita greeted into the camera, “We’re down to the last two matches of the primary elimination round of the Battle Network finals.”

“For those of you who are just joining us, here’s a quick recap of the events thus far.” Higsby finished his line and the TV screen showed scenes from the past six matches. When it was over, the camera focused back on the Battlechip expert.

“What an exciting day it’s been so far, hasn’t it, Ribbita?”

“It sure has, Higsby,” Ribbita answered.

“You know, in some way I’m glad I lost the tournament early,” continued Higsby, “Not only do I get to commentate on the finals, but I also managed to save myself from losing too many rare chips.”

“Just stick to reading what’s on the teleprompter,” Ribbita interrupted, “Anyway, let’s get this next match started. Noah Kaiyou will be facing off against Nicol Nebula. Now let’s decide where these two will NetBattle.” The news anchor spun the wheel and everyone watched it in anticipation. Since six battlefields had already been used, the remaining segments had been spread out to cover the blank space. When the wheel finally came to a stop, the pointer was on top of a picture of a flame.

“And it looks like the next match will be fought in the Underground Inferno,” Ribbita announced. Noah gulped nervously.

“Don’t be scared, Noah.” Lan placed his arm around the boy’s shoulders.

“I’m not scared,” responded Noah. He got up and walked through one of the doors and Nicol entered through the other.

“Higsby, tell us more about this field that our two youngest finalists will be fighting on,” Ribbita requested.

“Certainly.” Higsby looked straight at the camera and began his explanation, “This battlefield is set in a large underground cave. Obstacles are what you would expect in such an environment such as stalactites and stalagmites. As for hazards, numerous rivers of lava flow through the cave and a flame or a jet of steam will occasionally burst out of an opening in the rocks. There’s also a big lava pit in the center with rocks floating around in the searing hot liquid rock. These rocks can be destroyed by the lava if a Navi stands on it for too long. This battle zone will also test the endurance of the NetBattlers as it’s located within the heart of the island’s mountain, which is really a dormant volcano.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier just to call it Hell?” Greg asked from off-screen.

* * *

The giant doors slowly swung open and met Noah with a blast of hot air.

“Ow!” He quickly retreated back into the cooler portion of the cave and tripped over the stone steps. He landed hard on his rear and winced. As he rubbed his sore spot, he chanced a look through the doorway. Beyond it was a massive network of magma flows intertwining through rocks and stalagmites.

“Noah, you’re going to have to brave the temperature if you want to get through this,” Lumine said to his operator.

“Sorry, Lumine. I was just caught by surprise for a moment.” Noah got to his feet and pulled off his hoodie. He left it on the steps and straightened his tank top before proceeding into the blazing hot arena.

“Ow, it’s hot. It’s very, very hot.” On the far side of the cave, Nicol walked in. He had left his uniform jacket behind and the top three buttons on his shirt had been undone. The two NetBattlers stared across the inferno at each other and held out their PETs.

“Jack in!! Lumine, power up!”

“Jack in!! Fefnir, power up!”

Lumine and Fefnir appeared on the battlefield stared at each other.

“This’ll be over quickly,” Fefnir laughed, “This is my kinda turf! It’s just like the Burning Plains back home.”

“A field advantage is meaningless,” Lumine replied.

“We’ll see when I win!”

Noah tied his plushie to his belt and looked at his PET display.

“Please try to make this quick, Lumine,” he pleaded, “I want to get out of here as soon as possible.”

“I’ll try, but it won’t be easy,” the lavender-haired Navi replied.

“Battle routine, set!”

“Execute!”

BATTLE START

“You’re mine!” Fefnir ran across the field and came towards Lumine at full speed. The white-armored Navi materialized three feathers in each hand and took up his battle stance. Just before his opponent reached him, he jumped away and Fefnir’s Torch Claw smashed into the ground.

“Feather Kunai!” Lumine drew back his arms and flung his feathers at the fire Navi. Fefnir pulled his weapon of the rock and blocked the white projectiles. He then took aim and a stream of flames shot out from the barrel. Lumine pushed off the ceiling and landed back on the ground before running towards his opponent and throwing another set of Feather Kunai at him. Fefnir backflipped away and they struck the ground. As he landed, a blast of steam burst out from a crack in the wall and hit him with full force. It took him by surprise, but the damage it did was minimal.

“WideShot3 Battlechip in, download!” Noah slotted in a chip and Lumine’s hand transformed into a wide blaster, which surprised him.

“Aren’t you using your Boktai folder, Noah?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t be able to use its full power without sunlight,” Noah explained, “So I developed this folder just in case we were ever cut off.”

“You’re not as stubborn as I thought.” Lumine pointed his wide blaster at Fefnir and fired a wave of water at him.

“Crap.” Fefnir thrust his Torch Claw in front of him and blocked the attack, but being of the Fire element, he still took damage.

“RedWave Battlechip in, download!” Nicol slotted in one of his own chips and watched as Fefnir dropped out of his defensive stance. He grinned like a madman and held his hand out towards a nearby stream of magma. It began to bubble and swirl and when he thrust his hand towards Lumine, a wave of red-hot lava shot out from the stream and flowed towards its target.

“IceBall, GoldFist Battlechips in, download!” A blue cannonball appeared in Lumine’s hand and he threw it at the RedWave. It disappeared into the searing hot lava.

“Is that it?” Fefnir laughed. When he looked at his wave again, he gasped. The lava was cooling down and solidifying into a wall of igneous rock. At once, Lumine charged forward with his GoldFist and punched the solid lava with all his might. He shattered it and sent pieces of stone flying at Fefnir.

“Damn it!”

Noah pulled up the bottom of his tank top and used it to wipe the sweat off his forehead before returning his attention to his PET display. On the other side, Nicol was showing signs that he was also starting to feel the effects of the heat.

“Eat fireballs!” Fefnir held out his Torch Claw and a bombardment of fireballs erupted from the barrel. Lumine jumped back numerous times to avoid getting hit. When he reached a wall, he leapt up and spun around until he landed on his feet. He then pushed himself off and tackled Fefnir. The two of them skidded along the searing hot ground and came to a stop just before a lava stream.

“Take a dip!” Fefnir suddenly grabbed onto Lumine’s arms and flipped him over his head into the lava. Noah quickly slotted in an AreaGrab and saved his Navi from a fiery grave. He reappeared safely on top of a large rounded stalagmite.

“Are you okay, Lumine?” asked Noah.

“I’m fine. The question is how are you doing?” Lumine answered.

“I’m holding out as best as I can, but it’s getting harder. Hurry, Lumine. Cannonball Battlechip in, download!” A cannonball appeared in Lumine’s hand and he threw it forward. It landed in the stream next to Fefnir and splashed up lava onto him. It burned his skin and he quickly got up and leapt towards his opponent. He lashed out with his Torch Claw and Lumine leapt away.

“Meteor Rain!” Fefnir landed on the stalagmite his opponent had been standing on a moment ago and unleashed a fireball into the air, which exploded and started to rain flames down on the entire battlefield.

“Heaven’s Judgment!” Lumine spread out his wings and launched every feather from his wingtips. Every single projectile intercepted each fireball and the two attacks cancelled each other out. He retracted his wings and landed back on the ground. Flames burst out from a crack in front of his feet and he jumped back. As Fefnir prepared to leap towards him, a jet of steam shot out from a hole behind his back and pushed him off the stalagmite. He tumbled down and landed on the ground, but quickly pushed himself back up and charged.

“AquaSword Battlechip in, download!” Lumine’s hand morphed into a water tank and a blue blade extended from the top.

“FireSword Battlechip in, download!” A glowing orange blade extended out from Fefnir’s Torch Claw and he accelerated toward his opponent. Lumine readied himself and the two Navis’ swords met. Their blades hissed and steam rose from the spots where the edges touched. Fefnir planted his foot firmly against the rock floor and swung again. His attack hit Lumine’s AquaSword with such force that it pushed him back.

“CrackOut3 Battlechip in, download!” As the white-armored Navi recovered from the blow, he struck the ground and it broke away, forming another branch in the vast network of magma streams. Noah then sent him a BigBomb, which he dropped into the molten rock before jumping away. The explosive detonated and blew a massive volume of lava onto Fefnir. The red NetNavi retracted his FireSword, broke off a stalagmite, and threw it with his Torch Claw to disperse the searing liquid before leaping after his opponent. His weapon collided with Lumine’s AquaSword and the two of them flew across the field to the very center. Lava spewed out from an opening that resembled the head of a dragon into a massive pool that covered a good deal of the arena. The two combatants pushed each other away and they landed on opposite rocks in the lava pit.

“IceWave3 Battlechip in, download!” The chip nearly slipped out of Noah’s sweaty hands as he slotted it in. His clothes were soaked and they clung to his body, making the heat even more unbearable.

“Fefnir, maybe we should surrender this one,” Nicol suggested, “We can’t continue on like this.” Even though he had already removed his jacket, the pants and boots of his uniform were still thick and he was having a hard time trying to stay focused.

“We can’t surrender!” yelled Fefnir, “We’ve almost got ‘em! Just a little longer and victory will be ours!” He turned back to Lumine and fired his Torch Claw into the lava, sending up a jet that hit the cave ceiling and rained back down. Lumine yelled in pain as the lava droplets burned him. Fefnir smirked and leapt across the rocks towards his opponent. He jumped off the last one and cocked back his arm, ready to slam it into the side of the angelic Navi’s face.

“AntiDamage Battlechip in, download!” Fefnir’s weapon connected and his target disappeared in a puff of smoke. When he looked down, he saw that he had just punched a dummy and tore off its head. Lumine appeared overhead and threw down three shuriken. Two of them struck Fefnir’s shoulders and the third landed in his back. He cried out and pulled out the weapons. Lumine landed on a rock behind him, threw a pair of Feather Kunai at him, and struck him in the lower back. Fefnir growled as he turned around and launched another Meteor Rain.

“ElementTrap Battlechip in, download!” The chip activated upon the launch of the fire-based attack and it hit Fefnir with a powerful flaming counterattack. The crimson-armored Navi quickly jumped to another rock as the one he stood on was quickly sinking and he shot more fireballs. Lumine was able to dodge most of them, but one managed to hit him in the chest as he was leaping to another rock.

“Come on,…Lumine.” Noah was starting to swagger from heat exhaustion and he fell backward. He was breathed heavily as he continued to endure the heat, but he pulled himself up into a sitting position and slotted in a Fountain chip. Lumine pressed his hand against his rock and a massive rush of water shot out and hit Fefnir with maximum force and knocked him off his rock. He flipped around in the air and landed on another floating stone.

“Salamander Battlechip in, download!” Nicol slotted in one of his chips and flames surrounded Fefnir and took on the shape of a giant dragon. It roared before flying at Lumine and engulfing him in itself. Fefnir shot through the Salamander and slammed his Torch Claw into his opponent, forcing him out of the blaze and onto a rock. The chip soon died down and he landed safely.

“Noah, I know you can’t take anymore, but I need your help,” Lumine whispered.

“Too hot,” Noah whined, “Can’t think clearly.”

“I don’t need you to think clearly,” Lumine replied, “I need you to think Boktai.” This piqued Noah’s interest and he leaned forward into a cross-legged sitting position.

“I’m listening.”

“Battle against Muspell.”

“Lumine, I love you!” Noah took out a Wind chip and slotted it in. a WindBox appeared and generated a strong wind that Fefnir had to brace himself against. Lumine leapt up and threw eight Feather Kunai at him with such force that they knocked him back when they hit and he fell into the lava. The lavender-haired NetNavi landed on another rock and waited. A few seconds later, Fefnir shot out from the lava completely red hot and he landed on a stationary rock in the center of the pit.

“FreezeBomb Battlechip in, download!” In a last-ditch attempt, Lumine flung the ball at Fefnir and it exploded against him. The mix of his red-hot body and his weakness to Aqua-element attacks was just the combination the angelic Navi needed to make his opponent log out immediately.

“The battle is over, Noah,” Lumine announced.

“Thank you.” Noah struggled to his feet and dragged himself out of the battle zone into the cooler portion of the cavern. He welcomed the lower temperature with gratitude and fell against the stone stairs. He laid their for a few minutes before picking himself back up, grabbing his hoodie, and heading back up.

* * *

“Noah, are you okay?” asked Lan. He ran over to the boy as he stepped in through the door and caught him as he fell.

“He just needs to rest now, Lan,” Baryl assured him.

“I’m fine now, guys. Really.” Noah got back onto his feet and untied his plushie from his belt.

“Noah.” The boy turned at the mention of his name and his eyes met with Nicol’s.

“I’m glad to see you’re okay,” said Nicol, “You really pulled through down there. I was worried you would pass out.” He took out his rarest chip, a Phoenix, and placed it in the boy genius’ hand.

“That’s your winning. And take this, as well, as a token from me.” Nicol then placed his Candle3 in Noah’s hand.

“Thank you.” Noah gratefully accepted the chips and put them away. He then slung his hoodie over his shoulder and started out the door.

“Hey Noah,” Lan called after him, “Don’t you want to watch the next match?” Noah stopped at the door and turned around.

“After my match, I’d rather sit this one out. I’m going for a swim to cool down.” And with that, he turned and left to change into his swimming trunks.

“Well, that concludes the seventh battle,” Ribbita announced, “Coming up next: the final battle of the primary elimination round.”

------------------------------------------------
End of chapter 3-66.

CHAPTER PREVIEW
Lan: It’s finally Saiba’s turn to battle.
MegaMan: He can’t hide it anymore. Now we’ll all see who his Navi is.
Lan: The secret is finally out.
MegaMan: Saiba’s NetNavi is finally revealed.
Lan & MegaMan: Next time on Rockman.EXE: The College Years, “Shining Angel of Despair”.
Lan: It’s time.
MegaMan: The revelation is now.
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[Anime Master ZERO]

Accidental double-post.
_________________

[Midnight]

...you're certainly pouring out these chapters quite quickly...and it's beginning to show a bit.

For all of the three chapters that have been published over the past twenty four hours, the combats featured were rather intense, and markedly better than that of most of the combats in the season featured thus far. However, I'm noting a general downward trend in the quality of the last three chapters...since although you have used some clever techniques in the previous three, the chapters have been getting a increasingly tedious to read.

I suggest slowing it down a bit. This is a rather dramatic arc, and is doing much to redeem the previous chapters that have been less than conducive to reading, but keep this pace up and that recovery will be no more.
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Today, these three players are after Big Bucks! But they'll have to avoid the Whammy, as they play the most exciting game of their lives! From Television City in Hollywood! It's time to 'Press Your Luck!'--Rod Roddy

The Kingdom of Loathing: An Adventurer is You! // I ♣ Seals

Avatar by Spork. I very much appreciate it! <3

[Dark Liger]

I agree with Midnight on this one, AMZ... If you have a chapter already finished, take a little time to refine it to make it better. Don't let the recovery streak die down. Slow down!!

[YaminoMiko]

A new one already!?!?!?!

Your imagination is running a little too wild AMZ.
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I wanna sleep, but I don't wanna sleep at the same time. @_@.
Repetition(RnREXE)

[ForteZero.EXE]

I agree with Midnight and DL... The last chapters are indeed better. When you finish, take time to proofread and stuff. Finally we'll see Saiba's Navi...
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ForteZero ~ The White Shadow

[SonicNigma212]

I mean, I know that you're doing your chapters faster than you usually do them, but this is getting crazy. In any case, here are my reviews.

First new one:

Well, from what I can tell, I could see that you've put up a lot of thought into this battle between both Chaud and Waya. I mean the way that you were able to describe both ProtoMan and Harpiua's battle was too intense. I couldn't even find the right word to describe it perfectly. Honestly I've been expecting Harpuia to win this one. Well, that's it for this chapter.

Now for the next one:

Okay, this is sort of a hot topic. Well, the battle between both Lumine and Fefnir is good. But it was intense for when Noah had to endure all of that heat in order to stick with his Navi. The same goes for Nicol. But I'm surprised that he didn't get his head bitten off by his own fiery Navi. Well, at least not yet. I mean, the guy is bound to crack sooner or later. Well, that's about it.

Hope that you're next chapter is as good as these two. Later and keep up the good work.

Maurice A. Nigma ^_^ :grr:

[Abiisan]

I have to agree with everyone else, not so much because I think it's seriously affecting your writing, but mainly because I'm just not able to keep up with reviews anymore. Try to give a little time between chapters and use that time to proofread what you plan for the next one and incorporate comments from the reviews.
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Formerly known as LunarSun

Banner and icon by Xhunter17

[Anime Master ZERO]

This chapter features and RPG cameo. Kain and GrenadeMan are property of Comic Master Alpha.

---------------------------------------
CHAPTER 3-67
Shining Angel of Despair

“We’re down to the final match of the primary elimination round,” Ribbita announced, “So far, Greg Gospel, Sean Obihiro, Zero, Lan Hikari, Colonel Baryl, Eugene Chaud, and Noah Kaiyou will be advancing to the secondary eliminations. Now we shall see who will be the eighth finalist to move on. Will it be Kain or will it be Saiba Yami? We don’t know, so let’s just find out the only way we know how. Higsby, would you like to have the honor?”

“I’d be delighted, Ribbita.” Higsby grabbed hold of the wheel and spun it. Even though everyone was watching it turn, none of them were anticipating the battlefield choice as much as they did with the past seven matches. Something else was on their minds.

“Finally, we’ll get to see who Saiba’s Navi is,” MegaMan whispered. The wheel finally came to a stop and the pointer landed on a segment labeled “Wild Card”.

“Whoa! What an unexpected turn of events!” Ribbita exclaimed, “The wheel has landed on the Wild Card zone, which means that one of our next two competitors will be able to decide which of the remaining battlefields they will fight on. Now comes the decision of which NetBattler will make that choice.”

“And here to determine that is my NetNavi NumberMan,” Higsby declared. The camera switched to one inside the system and showed NumberMan. The mathematician NetNavi held up his hand and a dice appeared in it.

“If it lands on an odd number, Kain shall decide. If it lands on an even number, it will be Saiba. Now here it goes.” NumberMan threw the dice into the air and it hit the floor. It rolled a bit before landing on a four.

“It’s a four – an even number. Therefore, Saiba Yami shall make the choice.”

Saiba got up from his seat and walked over to the wheel. After a brief look at it, he pointed to a segment that displayed an underwater temple.

“I choose this one,” he declared. Ribbita took a look at it and then turned towards the camera.

“And Saiba has chosen Atlantis. Very interesting choice. Now then, NetBattlers, proceed to the battle zone.” Kain got up from his seat and walked through one of the doors while Saiba stepped through the other.

“The Atlantis battlefield is set in a recreation of the legendary sunken continent itself,” Higsby explained, “Legend has it that the Atlanteans had technology beyond our wildest imaginations way back when the rest of society still wore animal skins. It was said that they were even able to create a machine that could turn them into gods. However, as the story tells it, the gods became angry at the Atlanteans and so they unleashed their wrath on the city and sank it to the bottom of the sea. Based on the books regarding the sunken city, Atlantis was composed of three concentric circles. Our battlefield recreation of the ancient capital has been designed just like it was described way back when it was still on the surface of the Earth. Obstacles on this battlefield are really just all the buildings located everywhere. However, this battlefield has been designed to take place on that fateful day when Atlantis sank. If no one has won after fifteen minutes have passed, the city will begin to sink, thus both NetNavis and their operators will have to watch the time carefully. Now let’s check in with our two competitors.” The TV screen blanked out and it showed Saiba and Kain standing across from each other on a large rock away from the island. Between them was a miniature model of Atlantis.

“Hope you’re ready ‘cause I’m going to dominate this battle!” Kain taunted.

“Well prove it,” Saiba replied.

* * *

“This is it,” Lan thought out loud, “We’re finally going to see Saiba’s Navi!”

* * *

“Jack in!! GrenadeMan, power up!” A dark green version of BombMan appeared on the field. Instead of bombs, he had a pair of grenades for his shoulder guards and his head was also shaped like a grenade with a large pin sticking out. His icon was embedded into the center of his chest, which was a grey grenade against a black background inside a grey circle.

“Now it’s my turn.” Saiba took out his PET, clicked it onto his wristband, and pointed it forward, “Jack in!! Omega X, power up!” When everyone saw Saiba’s NetNavi, they gasped. He looked almost identical to MegaMan. His bodysuit was a darker shade of blue, his eyes were red, and instead of yellow he bore red markings and shoulder guards. The icon on his chest was just like the one on Saiba’s headband – a blue circle surrounded by a purple ring with two white triangles connected through the center by a white diagonal line; essentially Lan’s and MegaMan’s icon only with its colors inverted.

“This is going to be over before it even starts!” GrenadeMan said cockily.

“Don’t be so quick to judge an opponent,” replied Omega X.

“Battle routine, set!”

“Execute!”

BATTLE START

“Flash Bomb!” GrenadeMan’s hand morphed into a buster-style weapon and he started firing grenades at his opponent.

“X Buster!” Omega X transformed his hand into a buster and shot back with purple plasma bolts. His blasts intercepted the Flash Bombs and destroyed them in midair.

“I think it’s time to bring in a friend I’m sure many people out there are familiar with by now.” Saiba reached into his pocket and took out the Crest of Arcadia.

“You think that’ll make a difference?” Kain smirked, “It might just give GrenadeMan and me a more challenging fight. We’ll still beat you.”

“You think you can match the Crest’s power?” Saiba asked, “Then prove it. Crest of Arcadia Battlechip in, download!” A white column of light surrounded Omega X and his icon faded black and the outline of the Crest of Arcadia drew itself in its place as his eyes became tinted red. However, something else also happened. White armor suddenly appeared and covered the upper half of Omega X’s torso. His shoulder guards turned to white and fused with the armor while also giving him maximum mobility. His gloves slimmed down into a more aerodynamic form as they changed to white and a pair of golden bracelets appeared around his wrists. His boots turned white and a pair of small white wing-like extensions appeared on the outsides. A pair of golden winged anklets appeared over his ankles and his legs turned white halfway up his thighs and were cut off by gold bands. A red gem appeared in the center of his chest as a pair of gold and white wings sprouted from his back. Another four wings grew out from his helmet.

* * *

“What just happened?” asked Sean.

“I have absolutely no clue,” replied Chaud.

“You guys don’t get it, do you?” laughed Greg, “Saiba’s Navi is different from the rest of ours. He’s the original Crest of Arcadia Navi.”

“While the rest of us get a power boost, he gains something extra,” Diana continued, “You could say that Saiba’s Navi was built especially for the Crest of Arcadia.”

* * *

Now encased in his new armor, Omega X held out his hand and transformed it into his buster, which had also changed form. A golden shield now covered the top with a red diamond-shaped gem embedded in it just over the barrel of the weapon and two golden wings jutted out from the sides. He pointed his enhanced buster at GrenadeMan and fired a golden energy burst. The shot flew through the air so quickly that GrenadeMan had no time to evade and it hit him in the chest with enough force to push him into the wall of a building.

“I admit, your Navi’s stronger now,” Kain commented, “But you still think you can beat GrenadeMan, you’ve got a lot to learn.”

“You mess with the best and you die like the rest!” GrenadeMan pulled himself out from the building and started firing Flash Bombs. Omega X fired his X Buster and destroyed every single grenade without having his own shots cancelled out. He pointed his weapon back at GrenadeMan and fired again. This time the military Navi was ready and he jumped back to avoid the shots, which hit the ground instead and blew several holes in the stone. Omega X ceased fire and walked towards his opponent.

“SuperVulcan Battlechip in, download!” GrenadeMan’s hand transformed into a golden gatling gun and he fired on the other NetNavi. Omega X raised his buster and used the shield to block the bullets as he neared.

“Cannon Battlechip in, download! Hi-Cannon Battlechip in, download! Mega Cannon Battlechip in, download!” GrenadeMan ceased fire and his hands transformed into the first two cannons before he raised them over his head and merged them with the third. When he brought his arms back down, they had been fused into a blue and red box with five barrels on one face.

“Zeta Cannon!” Powerful energy bursts erupted from his weapon in rapid fire and bombarded Omega X. When the barrage was over, GrenadeMan’s hands changed back.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Saiba asked with a smug look on his face. As the smoke cleared, everyone could see that Omega X was completely unharmed and surrounded by a golden light.

“What the hell is that?” demanded Kain.

“It’s my Arcadian Barrier chip,” Saiba replied as he held up another white chip.

“What the hell is an Arcadian Barrier?”

“How can I put this into words that even you can understand? My folder contains chips that can only be used when the Crest of Arcadia has been activated!”

* * *

“WHAT?!” everyone gasped. Except for Nicol, Greg, Diana, and Waya, everyone was clearly in shock at the declaration.

“And since the Crest of Arcadia is only four megabytes, I can preset it as my default chip,” Saiba continued in his explanation.

“NO WAY!” shouted Lan.

* * *

“Unlike my henchmen, I can exploit all the powers of the Crest of Arcadia down to the tiniest power-up provided.” Saiba took out another white chip and slotted it into his PET, “Like this, for instance. Arcadian Magic Battlechip in, download!” Omega X changed his buster back into his hand and formed a white ball of energy in his palms. He then brought it up in one hand and held it forward before firing a shimmering beam of energy at his opponent.

“Special Grenade: Smoke Grenade!” GrenadeMan fired a grenade at the ground and it exploded into a large smokescreen. He quickly jumped away from the beam from behind his cover and prepared another Special Grenade.

“Confusion Gas Grenade!” A yellow grenade shot out from his buster, through the smoke, and landed at Omega X’s feet. It exploded and covered him in yellow gas.

“You still have much to learn about the Crest of Arcadia,” laughed Saiba. Omega X stepped out from the gas completely unaffected. He fired his X Buster and blew away the smoke.

“We can still take him out,” Kain replied, “MarkCannon3 Battlechip in, download!” GrenadMan’s hand morphed into a red shielded cannon and he fired at Omega X. The winged Navi flew up and the shot hit a wall. GrenadeMan quickly scaled up a building and leapt at his opponent firing his MarkCannon3. Omega X flew away from him while returning fire from his X Buster.

“FighterSword Battlechip in, download!” GrenadeMan’s weapon switched to along orange blade and he jumped up towards his opponent.

“Transcendent Sword Battlechip in, download!” Omega X’s buster changed back into his clenched fist and morphed into a shining golden sword with ancient runes emblazoned on the blade and a beautiful white hilt attaching it to his arm. GrenadeMan leapt up to him and he swung his FighterSword, which Omega X deflected.

“You may not be aware of it, but deep down you’re terrified of my power,” the shining Navi said in a low voice.

“Shut up, maggot!” GrenadeMan swung a punch at his opponent, but Omega X caught it with ease. He threw his opponent’s fist down and flew higher up before smashing his feet against the top of GrenadeMan’s head.

“No you don’t! AirShoes Battlechip in, download!” Kain slotted in a chip and a pair jets activated on the soles of GrenadeMan’s boots. He slowed down just before hitting the ground and flew back up toward his opponent. He swung his FighterSword wildly and Omega X continued to block, completely unamused by the weapon Navi’s attacks.

“Flash Bomb!” GrenadeMan quickly morphed his other hand into his buster and he fired several grenades at his opponent at point-blank range. They exploded upon contact with Omega X blew him away. He flipped around in midair and regained control of his movements before flying back towards GrenadeMan. This time, it was his turn to attack and he slashed with his sword with incredible speed. His opponent flew back to avoid getting hit.

“Five Spreader Battlechips in, download!” Kain slotted in a handful of chips and GrenadeMan’s sword changed into a large blaster.

“Megadeus Burst!” A massive beam erupted from the barrel and hit Omega X dead-on, “BOOYAKA!” The green Navi grinned as he watched the cloud of smoke overhead. When it cleared, it could see that his attack had indeed managed to deal some damage to his opponent.

“Told you we could beat you!” Kain smirked.

“I’m impressed,” replied Saiba, “You’ve succeeded in matching Omega X’s power. This might actually be fun. But first, I have something I need to do. Rejuvenation of the Spirit Battlechip in, download!” Omega X’s body glowed with a white aura and his injuries instantly healed.

* * *

“Things are starting to heat up here, folks!” Higsby announced excited.

“You’re right about that, Higsby,” replied Ribbita, “The fighting has been intensifying tremendously since it began.”

“No, I mean that fifteen minutes have passed since the battle began,” corrected Higsby, “And you know what that means.”

* * *

Back inside the battle grid, the entire city began to shake violently.

“It seems that this battlefield has reached its second stage,” Omega X observed, “It’s time to end this once and for all.” He spun around and slashed a nearby spire with his sword. His blade cleaved through it cleanly and sent the top portion falling towards GrenadeMan. Kain quickly slotted in a BigBomb and watched as his Navi threw it up at the plummeting column and destroyed it. Once he was out of danger, GrenadMan fired up his AirShoes and flew up to his opponent.

“Special Grenade: Napalm Grenade!” He fired a red grenade and Omega X quickly sliced it in half with his sword. He quickly switched back to his buster and began shooting at the incoming Navi. He flew back just before GrenadeMan could slam into him and landed on a roof.

“DrillArm2 Battlechip in, download!” As Omega X continued firing, GrenadeMan flew towards him and thrust his DrillArm2 out at him. The weapon hit its target and started to bore through his body. Omega X changed his buster back into his hand and grabbed hold of the drill. He pulled back and flipped onto his back, pulling GrenadeMan into the air. He pushed the drill out of his chest and threw it and its user over his head before leaping back to his feet and firing more X Buster shots. Kain slotted in a Barrier, which shielded his Navi from the bombardment as he tried to stabilize himself. Once he regained control, he flew back up and fired more Flash Bombs.

“CustomSword Battlechip in, download!” As GrenadeMan appeared over the edge of the roof, he spun forward and chopped down. Omega X jumped back and the CustomSword struck the stone instead.

“Incoming wave, Omega X,” warned Saiba. The winged NetNavi looked up and saw a giant tidal wave coming towards them. He jumped off the building and flew higher up. GrenadeMan quickly got back to his feet and fired up his AirShoes, escaping just in time as the wave hit the building with enough force to damage the structure. The two of them flew through the flooding streets of the Atlantis battlefield. Everywhere they went, structures were being toppled and crumbling from the earthquake and the waves.

“X Buster!” Omega X fired several shots at an archway ahead of him and flew right under it. His attack caused it to give and rocks began to fall.

“Special Grenade: Cryo Grenade!” Three blue grenades shot out from GrenadeMan’s buster and they exploded against the crumbling arch, encasing it in ice. He quickly flew past it before the effects wore off and continued his pursuit.

“Havoc Wings Battlechip in, download!” Saiba slotted in another white chip and Omega X quickly turned around and flew straight towards GrenadeMan.

“He’s coming your way, GrenadeMan,” Kain warned, “Get ready. FireSword, AquaSword, ElecSword, BambooSword Battlechips in, download!”

“Elemental Sword!” GrenadeMan swung his sword four times, each slash with a different element, but Omega X’s movements allowed him to avoid getting hit. As he approached his opponent, his wings began to glow and he suddenly launched himself into a frontward spin. His wings cut into GrenadeMan like a buzzsaw and he kicked him in the back as he passed.

“Recover100 Battlechip in, download!” Kain sent in a Battlechip and a pink aura flashed around GrenadeMan, healing his wounds. Once he had recovered, he turned around and began to pursue his opponent again, but his AirShoes suddenly died and he plummeted towards the water. Thankfully, his operator slotted in a DashAttack and a Fishy caught him. GrenadeMan stood up on the virus and flew after Omega X. The chase continued until they reached the top of the tallest structure on the battlefield and landed.

“X Buster!” GrenadeMan ran back and forth as he dashed towards his opponent and fired Flash Bombs at every opportunity.

“Shining Laser Battlechip in, download!” Omega X held up his hand as it transformed into a laser gun and he fired a shimmering rainbow-colored beam at the military Navi. GrenadeMan was hit in the chest and the attack pushed him to the edge of the roof.

“Special Grenade: Poison Gas Grenade!” The explosive-wielding NetNavi launched a purple grenade at his opponent and it exploded into a toxic miasma around its target.

“Status ailments won’t affect Omega X,” Saiba said with a smirk, “His armor protects him from things like that. Golden Cross Battlechip in, download!” Omega X flew back with his arms stretched out to the sides and his feet together and his body began to shine with a golden light. He faced GrenadeMan and the light shot out from his body in the form of a crucifix and headed straight towards his opponent. Kain slotted in a Z-Saber and his Navi was able to use it to block the attack until it dissipated.

“Excalibur Battlechip in, download!” A white sword appeared in Omega X’s hand and he flew down towards GrenadeMan and slashed. The other raised his weapon and blocked before counterattacking. The white-armored Navi used his shield to block and kicked his opponent back before throwing his sword at him. GrenadeMan launched a Flash Bomb at it and the explosion knocked the Excalibur off course. It clattered to the domed roof and slid off into the water below. Omega X wasted no time in firing his X-Buster, but the green NetNavi he faced deflected the shots with his Z-Saber.

“Your Crest of Arcadia isn’t as all-powerful as you thought,” GrenadeMan said cockily.

“You greatly underestimate me,” replied Omega X, “I don’t rely on the Crest of Arcadia to supply me power like my allies. I only use it to boost my potential. I still have my own skills and strategies.” And with that, he fired his X-Buster at the base of spire behind him and blasted it off the roof. He jumped back as it fell towards GrenadeMan, who was able to get away by jumping to the side and throwing his Z-Saber at it to knock the spire away.

“Flash Bombs!”

“X-Buster!”

One grenade after another was fired and each one was shot down by Omega X’s weapon. The shining NetNavi then pointed his buster at the surface of the roof and blasted it to pieces. Both combatants abandoned the building as it collapsed.

“Let’s end this, Omega X,” Saiba said in a low voice to his NetNavi. He slotted in a chip and eight shining daggers of golden light appeared between Omega X’s fingers. He crossed his arms before his chest and threw the blades at GrenadeMan. They impaled his limbs and completely immobilized him. He struggled to free himself, but to no avail. Omega X transformed his hand into his X-Buster and pointed it at his opponent. Streams of energy poured into the barrel as a golden light built up inside his weapon.

“Charged Shot!” When he achieved maximum power, Omega X unleashed the built-up energy and a giant golden beam erupted from the X-Buster that engulfed GrenadeMan. The military Navi cried out as the blast swallowed him whole and he was forced to log out. When everything finally cleared, only Omega X stood on the remains of the battlefield.

“And the match is over!” announced Ribbita, “The winners of the eighth primary elimination match are Saiba Yami and Omega X!”

“Tell my opponent he can keep his chip,” Saiba said as he looked straight at the camera, “It’ll only disrupt the flow of my folder.”

* * *

“So this is the power of Saiba’s Navi,” Lan thought out loud as he continued to stare in disbelief at the screen after the spectacle that had just taken place.

“It’s incredible,” Sean commented. Inside his PET, MegaMan just stared in awe at the window in front of him.

The influence of the Crest of Arcadia in this battle isn’t what caught my attention, he thought, It’s the fact that Omega X looks just like me.

* * *

Once he was back inside Saiba’s PET, the Crest of Arcadia deactivated and Omega X’s armor disappeared. He crossed his arms over his chest looked up thoughtfully.

I can sense your dread, MegaMan, he thought, It’s the very same feeling you had when you first made contact with Dark MegaMan. He chuckled darkly as he lowered his head and allowed his helmet to shadow his eyes.

“But I can assure you that things will be different this time. You’re not fighting the power of darkness anymore. Your struggle now shall be against the light.” The Crest of Arcadia glowed across Omega X’s icon as his lips curled back into a diabolical grin.

-----------------------------------
End of chapter 3-67.

CHAPTER PREVIEW
Lan: The secondary elimination matches are beginning.
MegaMan: And the first match is between Sean and Greg.
Lan: The former head of Gospel against the fanatic of his former NetMafia.
MegaMan: I hope Sean can keep a level head with all of his opponent’s taunts.
Lan & MegaMan: Next time on Rockman.EXE: The College Years, “The Legacy of Gospel”.
Lan: This is the decider between these two rivals.
MegaMan: We’ll see who comes out on top.
_________________

[Elizabeth]

Regarding Saiba's navi:

After the obvious hints from the identities of Saiba's subordinates' navis ...

... And the fact that their special chip is the Crest of Arcadia ...

... And after this Lan-recolor-esque description of Saiba:

[SonicNigma212]

Well, I've got to say that this is a good battle for the chapter. I mean, the way that you've gotten Kain and GrenadeMan against both Saiba and Omega X is good. Not to mention the fact that you've put up Atlantis as the scene for the battle took place. But as for Saiba's Navi, I've got to say that the answer to that question is solved as everyone in this site predicted that you would use the character from the MegaMan Zero series. However, the plot and character to you've put into him isn't too bad. It totally makes up for the Omega X in the Zero series. In any case, hope that you get another chapter and good reviews for this one. Later!

Maurice A. Nigma ^_^ :grr:

[Dark Liger]

Well, I can't say I'm really surprised the Omega X was Saiba's Navi; but that way you executed the battle between GrenadeMan and Omega X was great. At least the use of the Crest of Arcadia chip didn't hurt the quality of the chapter.

It certainly was a great chapter.
My rating: 9 out of 10.

[Mugen.exe]

This was a good chapter. The battle was a little slow, but with Omega X toying with Grenademan for a good deal of it, that's to be expected. 8/10!
_________________

False Swipe is a great finishing move!
Witty robots, spunky orphans, and invincible pilots, this link's for you! A Gundam RP

[ForteZero.EXE]

It wasn't that hard to know who Saiba's Navi was. In my optinion with the lastest chapter upload, the CoA seemed to be an improvement since X's Seraph like armor activated once the chip's used. That and the rest of Saiba's chips thats useable only once the CoA is used seemed to be an plus for me, but it may have different views for everyone else.

X taunting GrenadeMan was good, the battle taken place at Atlantas was better, and the way you characterized Omega X was even better.

It does make up for the Omega X in the Zero series. Other than that, 9 out of ten rate for this chapter. Let's see what else will happen.
_________________
ForteZero ~ The White Shadow

[Midnight]

[Anime Master ZERO]

CHAPTER 3-68
The Legacy of Gospel

With all eight primary elimination matches now over, broadcast of the Battle Network tournament finals for the day was over and Higsby and Ribbita retired from the main building along with the rest of the DNN news crew, leaving the NetBattlers alone in the lobby.

“I better go and update Noah about this,” Lan said, breaking the silence. He got up from his seat and walked outside. When he found no sign of the boy playing around outdoors, he headed straight for his cabin.

* * *

Noah was standing in the bathroom drying his hair when he heard the door knock. He hung the towel back up on the rack and pulled on his hoodie before answering.

“Hi, Noah,” Lan greeted.

“No need to tell me about Saiba’s battle, Lan,” Noah quickly interrupted, “I burned it.”

“Damn, you’re good.”

“I’m not the smartest kid in the world for nothing.” Noah grabbed his hair-tie off the bedside table and tied back his chalk-white hair into his signature ponytail. He then grabbed his plushie off his pillow and dug around his hoodie pocket until he pulled out a DVD.

“Here’s the match.” Lan just blinked.

“I’ll just take your word for it. Come on, let’s go get something to eat.”

“Okay.”

* * *

“You owned GrenadeMan, Omega X!” Harpuia laughed.

“We never had any doubt about you,” Leviathan added. Omega X sat back in his chair and scoffed.

“You guys always praise me, but you never follow my example,” he muttered, “The four of you never utilize the Crest’s full potential.”

“Only because we don’t have Arcadia chips like you and Saiba,” Fefnir reasoned.

“That’s irrelevant,” snapped Omega X, “You four never exploit all the aspects of the Crest of Arcadia. Once your operators slot it in, you stop using your own skills and start drawing on its power. Frankly, I don’t think you’re even worthy to use such a chip.” Everyone but Phantom gasped.

“As it stands now, Phantom is the only one who can redeem himself in this tournament,” Omega X continued as he turned to the silent ninja, “You’re a skilled fighter, Phantom. Don’t disappoint me the way these three have.” Phantom said nothing, but he acknowledged his leader’s words with a nod.

* * *

“What have you got for us, Sean?” Lan asked as he and Noah approached the grey-haired teen, who was sitting in the beachside snack house with his laptop in front of him.

“I tried to get as much footage as I could of the match,” answered Sean as his friends sat down on either side of him, “Just like they already mentioned, Omega X is designed especially for combat while the Crest of Arcadia is active. And just as Saiba explained it, the Crest is a small enough size to be preset as his folder’s default chip despite possessing immense power.”

“No,” Noah interrupted, “not power. To the average observer, the Crest of Arcadia only seems to give its user power. But what it really does is it unlocks a Navi’s full potential. Only then is full power achieved.” Sean and Lan just looked at the boy.

“How do you know this?” asked the brunet.

“It dawned on me when I was watching the burned match,” answered Noah, “The way Omega X fought. That wasn’t sheer power. That was skill.”

“Which means there’s another side to the Crest of Arcadia that we don’t even know about yet,” Lan said thoughtfully.

“I don’t think Greg or the others know about it, either,” Sean added.

“Speaking of Greg, your match with him is first thing tomorrow,” Lan remembered.

“Greg may be a hothead, but I’m sure Phantom’s probably learned about the deeper aspects of the Crest of Arcadia by now,” Sean replied, “There’s no doubt that he’s going to be a tough opponent to beat.”

“Anyway, back to our original subject of discussion,” Noah interrupted.

“Oh, right. Anyway, the Crest of Arcadia has proven to have more advantageous attributes than all other Battlechips and activating it apparently also allows the user the ability to use other chips, just like Saiba did.”

“So in essence,” Axl summarized, “without the Crest of Arcadia, Omega X would be about as weak as MegaMan.”

“Hey!” cried the blue NetNavi.

“That’s what I’m guessing so far,” was Sean’s response as he closed his laptop, “Anyway, I better go and prepare my folder for my battle against Greg. See you guys later.” Tucking his computer under his arm, the crimson-eyed teen got up from his seat and walked back to his cabin.

“Lan, can I have some ice cream?” asked Noah.

“Sure, Noah,” answered Lan.

* * *

The next day, everyone was gathered back inside the lobby of the main building. Even though half of them had already been eliminated, they still came to see who would move on to the semifinals.

“Why is there smoke coming out of the teleprompter?” asked Ribbita.

“We’re on in three, two, one, and go!” The producer cued the camera to start rolling.

“Welcome to day two of the Battle Network finals,” Higsby greeted into the camera, “I’m Hillsworth Yakimariyu.”

“No it isn’t. Your name is Higsby Yamitarou,” Ribbita corrected.

“But the teleprompter says my name is Hillsworth Yakimariyu,” Higsby responded.

“It doesn’t matter what the teleprompter says. Your birth certificate says your name is Higsby Yamitarou,” Ribbita assured her co-host before she turned to face the camera, “Just as my name is Retalinia Mudikorananana. Wait, that’s not right.”

“Our word box is broken!” exclaimed Higsby.

“We seem to be experiencing technical difficulties with our teleprompter,” Ribbita informed the audience, “Anyway if you’re just joining us, here’s a recap of what happened yesterday.” After seven minutes of NetBattle footage, the DNN news anchor reappeared on the TV.

“And now, let’s move on. The next match will be Greg Gospel against Sean Obihiro. Now let’s see where they’re going to NetBattle.” She spun the wheel and everyone watched until it stopped on a picture of a group of coniferous trees.

“And it looks like the next bout will take place on the Forest battlefield.” Sean and Greg got up from their seats and glared at each other before stepping through the doors to the battle zone.

“Higsby, would you like to explain this battlefield?” asked Ribbita. She turned to look at her co-host and saw that he was completely frozen staring blankly at the static-riddled teleprompter screen.

“Okay then, maybe I’ll just explain this one. This battle grid is set in a forest-like area. Both NetNavis will be able to make use of all the trees around them for cover or even as weapons. And as it’s set in a very dense forest, one shouldn’t expect any light on the field. There, that wasn’t so hard. Now let’s check in with our competitors.”

* * *

Sean stood across from his opponent in the thick forest with his PET in his hand.

“This is gonna be the decider,” Greg said with a sadistic grin on his face, “Get ready, Obihiro. This is what Gospel is all about.”

“I told you already. I disbanded Gospel,” Sean replied, “Once Lan showed me friendship, there was no need for it to exist. He showed me that not everybody is the same. They’re not all heartless bastards who only care about themselves. There are a lot of good people out there. You just have to find them.”

“I swear you’ve been brainwashed by that jerk,” Greg muttered.

“That’s exactly what FreezeMan said.”

There was a moment of silence between the two.

“Let’s just get this done and over with. Jack in!! Phantom, power up!”

“Jack in!! Axl, power up!”

Axl and Phantom landed inside a dense forest and looked around. The redheaded Navi took one glance at his surroundings and knew that his opponent would have the upper hand. The forest was dark and there was plenty of foliage in which to hide. As a ninja, stealth was Phantom’s field of expertise.

“Get ready for battle, Phantom,” ordered Greg. Phantom said nothing as grabbed his shuriken and activated the energy blades. Axl morphed his hand into his Axl Gun and held it ready.

“Battle routine, set!”

“Execute!”

BATTLE START

Just as Sean had guessed, the moment the starting buzzer sounded Phantom leapt into the air and disappeared into the trees.

“He’s using the environment to his surroundings. Be ready for anything, Axl,” he warned.

“I’m already on it.” Axl’s visor slid down over his eyes and he started to pinpoint his opponent’s location by locking on to his data signature.

“That won’t work against Phantom’s art of stealth,” Greg sneered. Somewhere in the leaves, Phantom clasped his hands together and his data signature completely vanished from Axl’s scanners.

“Sean, I’ve lost him.”

“Then just rely on your senses.” Axl put away his visor and stood quietly in the forest, listening carefully for his opponent. Not even a slight rustle could be heard. He focused all his attention for any sound that Phantom might potentially make, but the only response his senses received was completely silence. Then without warning, Axl felt a sharp pain in his back and he fell to his knees. He reached behind and pulled out a needle that had been implanted into his back.

“He’s already begun his attack, Axl! Get moving!” Sean yelled into his PET.

“It’s already too late,” Greg laughed, “Phantom’s on the move and he won’t stop until his target is dead.”

With deadly speed and silence, Phantom leapt through the trees as he circled Axl while remaining unseen. He performed a quick hand sign and several bamboo lances shot out of the ground and hit the scarred Navi from underneath.

“Sean, help me!” called Axl.

“Don’t worry, Axl. If we can’t see him, then we’ll just make sure that he can’t see us. Blinder Battlechip in, download!” Sean slotted in a chip and a white light started to flash out from Axl’s body.

“That’s not going to help you against this,” Greg said with a smirk, “Kokuangyo no Jutsu Battlechip in, download!” As soon as the chip was registered, darkness completely swallowed up the forest and canceled out the Blinder. Once the light had completely faded, Phantom performed a set of hand signs, which resulted in a tornado that blasted his opponent against a tree.

“That was the attack from a Tornado chip!” exclaimed Sean.

“And there are still more secret arts in Phantom’s arsenal,” Greg replied menacingly, “Show them, Phantom.” In response to his operator’s command, Phantom performed a longer and more complex series of hand signs. As soon as he finished, several flaming fists shot out and pummeled Axl from all directions.

“That’s the Boxer3 Program Advance!” Sean gasped.

“Phantom can also utilize Program Advances with his techniques, not just chips,” Greg gloated.

“Axl, hurry up and find him!” ordered Sean, “I don’t care how we do it, we just have to expose Phantom so we can see him.”

“And how do you suggest we do that?” asked Axl.

“It doesn’t matter. We won’t let you do it!” Greg watched as Phantom silently leapt across the branches and threw his shuriken at his opponent. Axl turned at the sound of it cutting through the air and he leapt out of its path. It grazed the grass and flew back up into the trees. Axl immediately then started firing his Axl Gun at the spot where the shuriken had disappeared. He was so preoccupied that he failed to notice Phantom drop down behind him until the ninja slashed him across the back with his main weapon. The redheaded Navi got up and turned to face him, but his opponent had already retreated back into the trees and there was no sign of him until a jet of water shot out and hit Axl as a result of the silent shinobi using a technique based on a BubbleCross Battlechip.

“Axl, cut down the trees!” ordered Sean, “Without them to provide cover, Phantom will have nowhere to hide. SlashDNA Battlechip in, download!” A bright light engulfed Axl as he transformed into SlashMan. When the metamorphosis was complete, he launched into a Rolling Slash and started using his claws to mow down the trees. He eventually cleared out enough and Phantom dropped down onto the ground in front of him. Axl changed back and looked at his opponent.

Time to see if Phantom really got what Omega X was talking about, thought Greg. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Crest of Arcadia.

“Crest of Arcadia Battlechip in, download!” A column of white light swallowed up Phantom and his icon faded to black. The Crest of Arcadia took its place and his eyes became tinted red. When the light subsided, he brought up his shuriken next to his head and waited.

“This is where the real battle begins.” Axl took up his battle stance and looked his opponent straight in the eyes. There was a moment of thick tension between the two combatants before they launched themselves at each other without warning. They thrust their fists out and they connected.

“Axl Gun!” Axl quickly morphed his hand into his default weapon and started firing into Phantom’s face at point-blank range. The ninja quickly teleported away, reappeared behind his opponent, and threw his shuriken at his back.

“Axl, behind you!” warned Sean. Axl quickly spun around and kicked the shuriken away. It flew up into the air and returned to Phantom’s hand.

“FireGospel Battlechip in, download!” The redheaded NetNavi took aim with his Gospel head and fired. Phantom jumped away from the path of the blazing red beam and it shot past him and hit the trees, setting them on fire.

* * *

“Looks like things are heating up down there,” Ribbita reported, “Axl, whether it was his intention or not, has just set the battlefield on fire. This could very well change the outcome of this battle as it directly affects the surroundings in a major way. Higsby, any thoughts on this?” She looked at her co-host, who was sitting completely still staring blankly at the smoking teleprompter.

* * *

“QuadNeedle Battlechip in, download!” Four needles appeared in Phantom’s hand and he threw them at Axl before dashing off. The young NetNavi blocked them with his Gospel head and switched back to his Axl Gun before rolling away from the needles and shooting at his opponent. Phantom dodged the shots with ease and leapt into the air. He landed sideways on one of the tree trunks and started running along them around his opponent.

“Yoyo Battlechip in, download!” Axl’s hand morphed into a launcher and he fired a sawbladed yoyo. It cut through the branches and sent them falling towards Phantom, who slashed them to pieces with his shuriken. Axl then fired at another tree and his weapon stuck to its trunk. Just before his opponent reached it, he reeled in the wire and managed to topple the tree right when the silent ninja landed on it. Phantom was slammed hard between the ground and the trunk.

“Bull’s eye!” Axl smirked as his yoyo launcher disappeared. Sean inserted his WoodGospel chip into his PET and watched as his Navi fired a massive green blast from another Gospel head. Phantom cut the tree that had him pinned into several pieces and quickly performed of set of hand signs. He finished the last sign just before the WoodGospel hit and a LifeAura surrounded his body, protecting from harm. Once it passed, Phantom got up and performed another series of hand signs, resulting in a Salamander to rise up around his body and fly towards Axl. The young Navi dropped down and pressed himself flat against the ground and the blazing inferno passed over him and hit the trees behind him, setting them on fire.

“Even more fire,” Greg thought aloud, “This just keeps getting better. Phantom, let’s set the rest of the forest on fire.” Phantom acknowledged his operator’s order with a simple hand sign and a Fire Tower burst up in front of him and hit more trees. He then turned around and used a HeatSide technique to do the same. Before long, all the trees were ablaze.

“Now it’s your turn,” Greg said menacingly. Phantom brought up his shuriken and dashed towards his opponent.

“Katana3 Battlechip in, download!” Axl’s left hand transformed into a samurai sword and he blocked his opponent’s weapon just in time. He pushed him away and swung his blade only to have it deflected when Phantom unsheathed his katana with his free hand and used it to defend himself. He pushed his opponent’s arm aside and slashed with his shuriken. Axl was dealt a diagonal upward strike and he was thrown back. He landed hard on the ground and skidded a few feet.

“Sean, give me another weapon!” he called out, “He’s armed with two.”

“Right away, Axl.” Sean slotted in a MoonBlade3 and a kunai appeared in Axl’s other hand. He jumped back to his feet and ran towards Phantom. The ninja swung his sword at him and he blocked it with his new weapon. He quickly pushed him away and swung his Katana3, which was deflected by Phantom’s shuriken. They continued to exchange blows until they locked weapons with each other.

We have to try to immobilize Phantom in a way so he can’t do hand signs, thought Sean, But how are we going to do that? Phantom’s way too quick. And his ShadowShoes ability protects him from panel effects, so SandStage or SeaSeed won’t slow him down.

“Too bad for you that you don’t have a chip that Axl can use when he can’t use his hands,” Greg laughed, “Poltergeist Battlechip in, download!” As soon as the chip was in, all the trees that Axl chopped down earlier rose off the ground and flew towards the redheaded Navi.

“Don’t be so sure, Greg!” Sean replied, “HotBody3 Battlechip in, download!” Flames surrounded Axl’s body and the trees were incinerated the moment they came a foot of him. Once the danger was gone, he curled up into a ball and spun through the air towards Phantom. The impact he made against his opponent threw him into the burning foliage, but he emerged without sustaining too much damage only to be greeted by Axl as he sliced down with his Katana3 and then slashed horizontally with his kunai. The unexpected attack dealt some heavy damage to him, but his opponent was far from finished. Sean slotted in a DrillArm3 and Axl’s weapons disappeared only to be replaced with a drill that he thrust at Phantom’s chest. The ninja crossed his weapon in front of him and blocked the attack, which pushed him back slightly.

“Now Phantom’s got both hands preoccupied,” Sean announced, “But Axl still has one hand that’s free. GaiaHammer Battlechip in, download!” A large hammer appeared in Axl’s free hand and he swung it at Phantom’s head, knocking him to the side and sending him sprawling.

“You know, it’s too bad Phantom doesn’t know the hand signs necessary to imitate one of the Gospel chips, but he still has some powerful stuff on his hands,” Greg said, “Phantom, you know what to do.” Phantom got back up to his feet, put away his weapons, and started performing a very long and complex set of hand signs. When he finished, he split into four differently-colored copies of himself and they all started pummeling Axl with different elemental attacks.

“That’s the Master Style Program Advance!” exclaimed Sean. Axl screamed as the Phantoms hit him from every angle. After eight hits, they all came back together and reformed into the original Phantom, who unleashed a massive explosion that blasted his opponent with incredible power.

* * *

That’s the way to go, Greg, Saiba commented mentally, Don’t draw power on the Crest of Arcadia. Draw on the potential that it unlocks.

* * *

While Axl recovered from the recent attack, Phantom wasted no time in doing another sequence of hand signs and called on the Lord of Chaos chip. His opponent screamed when the attack hit him.

“Axl, are you okay?” asked Sean.

“Barely,” Axl gasped, “I can’t get up.”

“Phantom, end it now so I can get my hands on those Gospel chips!” ordered Greg.

“So that’s all you wanted?” asked Sean, “We’re not going to give them without a fight. Recover300 Battlechip in, download!” A pink aura healed Axl’s wounds and he got back up to his feet. Phantom ran towards him for an attack, but was blown back when his opponent used a WindRacket chip Sean had sent him. He waved his fan again and slammed the ninja into a tree. Sean then slotted in the chips for the Arrows Program Advance and Axl fired several arrows that stuck themselves in Phantom’s hands, feet, and chest, pinning him against the tree.

“Let’s do it, Axl,” declared Sean.

“Oh, yeah! Let’s go!” whooped Axl.

“Program Advance!” shouted the two.

“BassV3 Battlechip in, download!” Sean slotted in the first chip and a black aura surrounded Axl.

“Phantom, hurry up and get free!” ordered Greg. Phantom pulled on his limbs in order to free himself, but the arrows held him fast to the tree.

“AntiNavi Battlechip in, download!” The second chip registered and a red aura mixed with the black one that was already surrounding Axl.

“AquaGospel Battlechip in, download!” Sean’s PET registered the chip and locked it with the other two. Axl’s eyes snapped open, revealing a demonic red glow. His entire form was silhouetted as the mixed aura rose up from his body.

“DARK MESSIAH!!!”

The aura formed into Bass and Gospel. First, the massive supervirus unleashed a powerful mix of its four elemental breaths. Bass then leapt into the air and delivered a powerful Earthbreaker onto the target. Phantom was completely overtaken and the combined assault completely engulfed him. When the storm finally died down, there was no sign of the silent ninja anywhere.

* * *

“You know, Higsby, we don’t need the teleprompter in order to run a show,” Ribbita said to her co-host, “We’re not helpless without it. We’ll just think for ourselves.”

“And we’re back on,” declared the producer.

“And what a stunning finish that was!” Ribbita exclaimed as she turned back to the camera, “Axl has won the match using the legendary Dark Messiah Program Advance, an attack that has never been shown on the air until now! Any comments Higsby?” She looked towards Higsby to find him still staring at the teleprompter.

“I guess not. Well then, that’s the first match of the secondary elimination matches. Coming up is the match between Lan and MegaMan against the independent NetNavi Zero.”

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End of chapter 3-68.

CHAPTER PREVIEW
Lan: Our next match is against Zero.
MegaMan: He’s a master swordsman and also very skilled at distant combat.
Lan: He’s gained a lot of experience battling in all sorts of battles.
MegaMan: He’s definitely going to be a hard one to beat.
Lan & MegaMan: Next time on Rockman.EXE: The College Years, “MegaMan vs. Zero”.
Lan: This will be an invigorating battle.
MegaMan: I’m looking forward to it.
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