Yay Netopia!

After being struck from behind, Tennisman immediately turned to face his opponent and prepared himself to block off further blows. Swiping his racket through the ground in a swift chopping motion, he quickly initiated another Court Change and attempted to cover the remainder of the plain tiles with grass. He wanted to ensure his terrain advantage would be complete before attempting his next set of attacks.

Desmond could see the plan unfold and groaned, "Ahhhh crap! Wish we saved that Spice..."

Undaunted, Tennisman called for his next attack, "Magnum."

The chip was slotted in and the single high powered round took form in his buster's chamber. He wished he could have taken his time with the shot but time was of the essence. The gun discharged with a cacophonous explosion and a small black cloud that both seemed to be washed away by the wake of the flaming bullet. He had aimed low and watched as the Magnum destroyed the grassy square, engulfing it in a smouldering tower of soot and burnt soil. Bits of the landscape rained back down in large clumps as Tennisman prepared his next shot.

"HiCannon." He added.

"I don't get it," Desmond interrupted as he slotted in the chip regardless, "Why don't you use the other Magnum?"

"I need a better shot." Tennisman said and raised his arm to fire.

The HiCannon round wasn't as loud or as powerful as the Magnum, but it had a fierce kick to it. The recoil from the attack caused his heels to dig into the dirt slightly as he fired. His goal was to move the Guardian onto the grass either through intimidation or raw power. His feet had already sunken into the floor and he pushed off like an olympic athlete, darting forward with his guard up. He kept low to the ground to avoid incoming attacks and to minimize his frame along his approach.

One more chip request served as the punctuating mark of his charge, "HeatBreath."

This time he was sure to bring his opponent into range before he attacked. He drew in a deep breath and tilted his head away before snapping forward with open jaws and razed another piece of the verdant landscape to ashes. The raging mass of flames continued to sear away the earthen soil until it uncovered a patch of magma. The data reached its limit forcing Tennisman to withdraw. His last attack had been particularly draining and left him exhausted. Crouching, he sought refuge behind another tennis net to recover his strength.



1 - Court Change Grass (1/3 - 2/3 grass terrain) ((Convert the remaining half))
2 - Magnum (120 damage + break + panel break) x2
3 - HiCannon (80 damage + knockback)
4 - Move closer
5 - Heatbreath (90 damage + small lava terrain) x2
6 - Netplay + Reinforce (3-hit shield + heal 60)
The Guardian stood as he was stunned from the previous attack, watching as all the terrains was filled with greenery. As soon as he was free of the paralysis, he swung his sword down, breaking TennisMan's barrier...however, he was quickly swept by a tower of flame when the magnum sparked against the ground beneath him. Shaken by the attack, The Guardian also couldn't evade the next attack that sent him all across the field.

"R e l e n t l e s s . . ._G O O D ! ,_D O N' T_S H O W_A N Y_M E R C Y_T O_Y O U R_E N E M Y !."

As soon as he was able to get back on his feet, the navi's arm turned into the ancient cannon once more and began to rapid fire towards the approaching TennisMan. Though he was able to parry most of it, even his lightning-fast reflex wasn't able to parry the last bullet. The Guardian loaded a different ammo into his armcannon when TennisMan was closing in, aiming directly at the approaching navi's torso. Though the breath of fire was unexpected, Guardian was able to barely dodge the attack and lay a powerful blow on his enemy, knocking him away from melee range.

"Y o u' r e_s t r o n g . . ._M a y b e_i t_i s_t h e_t i m e_f o r_m e_t o_e n d_m y_p o s t_a s_t h e_g a t e_k e e p e r . . ."

Breathing deeply through his nose, The Guardian calmed his heart and stared at TennisMan, who quickly brought up yet another shield and mended few of his wounds.

Guardian: 290 HP

Terrain: 40% Grass, 30% Lava, 15% Break, 15% Normal

TennisMan: 160 HP [3-hit Shield / Barrier Destroyed]
"Magnum and MarkCannon." Tennisman said.

Only the guardian's words managed to stop him from requesting more chips. He was no longer in the habit of showing mercy to his enemies, but this navi did not fall in that category. This was all just a test of his abilities, lest he fall into a bloodlust and forget that. He had already taken note of where his target was standing and specifically asked for the Magnum to take advantage of what little grass there was left. Desmond slotted in the chip, loading another familiar heat round into Tennisman's buster. It wasn't a matter of making it an accurate shot, but shooting before the guardian had a chance to move onto less reactive terrain. However, with mostly lava and broken terrain around, his options seemed limited.

The gun discharged with a cloud of smoke and a loud bang, causing his arm to recoil upwards. That wasn't the end of his attack as another bullet quickly filled in the temporary vacancy in his buster's empty chamber. A targeting reticle flashed into existence and immediately began scanning across the field. This was a completely independent attack that didn't benefit from terrain affording Tennisman the luxury of taking aim. Another piercing shot sounded from his gun leaving him unarmed once more.

"Have I proved my worth?" Tennisman asked, "I no longer wish to continue."

He readied a clip of tennis balls and considered following through with a TwinFang if the guardian was still unsatisfied. He desperately didn't want to EJO his opponent for the sake of a test. He focussed on his footwork while he waited for a reply.



1 - Magnum (120 damage + break + panel break) x2
2 - MarkCannon (70 damage + lockon)
3 - dodge
4 - dodge
((End of my post))
5 - Ace Serve (4 x 30 damage)
6 - TwinFang (70 damage)
As the Guardian silently stood as TennisMan readied his attack, he slowly lifted his head up to reveal a small part of its face under the layers of cloak. What was shown was nothing more but the skeleton frame of the mouth with its nose barely maintaining its structure. And within those frames were dangling wires and streams of data, constantly letting out access amounts of energy.

His arm underwent yet another transformation as it turned into that same vibrant colored blade and held his position, despite seeing the Magnum and the MarkCannon being shot his way.

". . ."

Everything happened in an instant...But it was evident that the Guardian was completely unharmed by the attack as he was able to cut through the two bullets with his sword!

"D o n' t_a s s u m e_y o u r_v i c t o r y_u n t i l_y o u_s e e_y o u r_e n e m y' s_l a s t_b r e a t h_. . ."

TennisMan was surprised by the attack and quickly prepared his other two attacks. However, it was halted as the Guardian lifted both his arms up in the air; a sign of surrender.

"K e e p_t h a t_i n_m i n d_w h e n_y o u_f i g h t_t h e_c y b e a s t."

The cloaked navi lowered his arm and knelt down to place two spheres of data to the ground. It soon began to form into a definite shape as one sphere changed into a gigantic golden sword while the other formed into a red crystal. The Guardian looked up at TennisMan once again and turned towards the gate,

"Y o u_h a v e_p r o v e d_y o u r_w o r t h_. . ._C O M E_. . ._Y O U R_N I G H T M A R E_A W A I T S."

Guardian: 290 HP

Terrain: 40% Grass, 30% Lava, 15% Break, 15% Normal

TennisMan: 290 HP [HP Healed]

-BATTLE WON!-
[FighterSword] Battlechip + Red Mystery Data [Unlocker x2 Required]
FighterSword
Damage: 100 + Slashing
Accuracy: B
Description: A legendary sword. Can hit up to 3 targets with good RP. RARE
Duration: Until Overridden/Broken. Breaks after 2 swings.
Element: Null
"Wait, what just happened? You healed?" Desmond asked quizzically, "...What?"

Tennisman looked himself over to check his wounds only to find his injuries completely repaired. His hand scanned over the gash across his back and felt nothing but the flat of his uniform. He looked to the Guardian hoping to see a similar recovery, but the accumulated battle damage on his opponent's body was still very clear.

"You healed me." Tennisman said to the guardian, "Thank you."

"WOO! Don't even have to use one of the new energypacks I got!" Desmond added.

"No, please slot one in." Tennisman requested, "We need to repair him as well. He sustained more damage."

Desmond whined, "Whaaaaaaaaaaat? Tch, come onnnn... The guy healed you, he can probably just heal himself. Let's just check out the sword and that weird mystery data!"

Tennisman couldn't argue with his operator's logic but it seemed strange that he didn't repair himself. He approached the golden sword and watched as it condensed into a more recognizable chip data form. He saved it before it dispersed, adding another powerful weapon to his arsenal. He was slightly reluctant to access the red mystery data and only performed a superficial analysis, touching it lightly with the tip of his finger.

"I have never seen this level of encrpytion on a mystery data." Tennisman noted, "One... No, two levels of added security."

"Can't you just like... Crack it open a little with your buster?" suggested Desmond.

"This is a rare and delicate crystallized cache of resources," Tennisman answered, "Not an egg."

"Alright! I dunno! I bought a bunch of stuff from the chip store and like two process upgrades. Maybe those'll help? At least they had something to fix Deuce."

Tennisman attention peaked at the new development and asked, "What did you buy?"

"I dunno, lemme check." replied Desmond, rummaging through his bags, "Chhhh... Duh, duh... OKAY! Four mini energy packs, four SMALL energy packs, THREE... Normal energy packs? Umm, one Escape, two SPRevives aaaand two Unlockers."

"Unlockers?" Tennisman repeated.

"Yep," Desmond said, "...No idea what it does."

"Why did you purchase it?" asked his navi.

"I DUNNO!" shouted Desmond, "Stuff was on sale and I got caught up! I wanted to be prepared for anything! Whatever, I'm going to test out the SP revive first."

The subchip was slotted in and a wave of data set to work fixing Deuce's stored data in the PET. Recovery systems went into overdrive and mere seconds later, it was finished.

"Huh," Desmond said, "That was fast. Should be ready at the next battle."

"Slot in an Unlocker next." Tennisman said, still in physical contact with the mystery data.

His operator was also eager to test out his new goods and gave a prompt "Alrighty."



((SPRevive))
((Open RMD with 2 Unlockers))
((Prepared to use 2 Energypacks on guardian))
(typing this on my iPod, so no more fancy space thingy :I)

The red mystery data slowly bloomed as the security lock was lifted by the unlocker. Next thing TennisMan found himself was in a pile of golden zennies, literally covering the navi from his feet and up to his torso! [RMD: 10,000z]

"T h e r e i s n o n e e d t o h e a l m e . . . M y w e l l b e i n g s h o u l d b e t h e l a s t t h i n g o n y o u r m i n d . . ."

The Guardian stood on the center of the gate and pressed both his hands to each side. The gate began to swing open, causing the entire net to rumble in a loud quake.

". . . I s h a l l p r a y f o r y o u r s a f e t y."
"Whoaaaaa...." slurred Desmond at the sight of the zennies, "...Big money. Seriously need to get more Unlockers."

Tennisman cleared away the landslide of zenny, recalling the entire pile to the PET and into Desmond's account. It was a shame that he wouldn't have any time to spend them as he looked to the open gate.

"Thank you for your guidance." Tennisman said to the guardian as he approached the titanic doors.

Closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath of the thick, humid air wafting from the depths of the interior, Tennisman tried to mentally prepare himself for what was yet to come. This looked to be his greatest challenge and he was scared. The arm holding his racket shook with both anxiety and anticipation.

"You good?" Desmond asked.

Tennisman exhaled a long sigh and relaxed for a moment, giving a nod of his head. His eyes reopened, full of newfound resolve and he stepped through to meet the Cybeast.

((Folder Edits:
-Yo-yo out
-FighterSword in))

((Battle 20))
He had been given his fair warning, one that would send most Navis back the way they came. TennisMan was not one of those Navis. It was a Navi's job to fight viruses, and the Cybeasts were the mother of all viruses... maybe. No one was really sure what those monsters were. Either way, it was TennisMan's duty as a Navi to fight this creature, and it was his duty to his pride to win. He swallowed his nerves, stepped through the gate, and...

... Empty. As far as the eye could see, it was a stretch of generic blank terrain with no stirrings of life at all. This is where the Cybeast was? No way. Such a massive monster couldn't hide itself so well in such an open area. Was the Guardian just screwing around with him...?

*shhhhhhhshhhhhhhhhshhhhhhhh*

TennisMan perked up at the noise, and began looking around for a source. It sounded almost like... rushing water? There wasn't any water h... Why was the edge of the horizon blue? Oh hell, it was coming this way.

A surging river was cutting its way through the Net, being led all the way by a dark blue fin. It was almost like the fin itself was tearing apart the ground and creating a path for the water to follow. TennisMan could only watch on as the fin approached with its current in tow. To get a judge of what he was dealing with, TennisMan took note of how big the fin grew as it got closer and closer to him. For it to cut through the ground like that, it'd have to be as big as... him. Oh god, it was as big as him. What the hell was underneath the water?!

It was moving fast, so by the time TennisMan could grasp the size of this creature, it had already made it to his position. For some strange yet lucky reason, though, the monster didn't attack. Instead it veered off to TennisMan's side and looped back around, like it was waiting for something. What could it be wai... Well crap. In its circling motion, the fin brought the water all around TennisMan, leaving the Navi on a solitary tiny island amidst what was now a vast sea. This was not good...

*bwoooooooooooooooooooosh*

Hoooooly s-s-s-s-s... qualo. Yes, Squalo. The mighty shark Cybeast crested above the water, leaping over TennisMan's island to reveal its colossal body which cast what little land was left in a dark shadow. Its dorsal fin was as big as TennisMan, so that served as a testament to just how damned big this thing was. It was probably safer for Desmond to go out to the real sea and go fight a real shark than to leave TennisMan to fight Squalo. But, alas, too late for regret.


TennisMan.exe: 290 HP
Deuce.SP: 160 HP

Squalo.???: 2000 HP (Jumping over TennisMan and Deuce; chance to attack?)

Terrain: 10% Normal (Island), 90% Sea

--A DAVID AND GOLIATH TALE WILL NOW UNFOLD--
--GLORY TO THE VICTOR--
--BATTLE 20, START!--
Tennisman couldn't describe his feelings of finally coming face-to-face with the Cybeast as his first official meeting was limited to a mere glimpse of its magnitude. It wasn't exactly the confrontation he had in mind, but it was something that would be etched in his memory for the rest of his existence - however fleeting it may be. He was right that the size was proportional to that of the gate and it was most likely aligned as an Aqua elemental as well. His knowledge on the subject was limited as he only recognized the creature's base framework as that of a shark's: one of the greatest underwater predators. He had never seen a shark before, let alone one as big as this. The swelling of respect at the majesty of it and the grandeur of the challenge it presented was all but squelched by the overpowering primal feeling of fear. It was the same fear that gripped his soul during his previous encounter with those mutated viruses; those vicious monsters that shared this terror-inducing aura and the ones responsible for Deuce's fall. However, in a way, he was grateful for that fight because if he hadn't fought them he might not have developed a basal resistance to that response. Instead of cowering away, an angry glare flashed across his face at the monster's exposed belly.

"ACE SERVE!" He roared.

Allowing his emotions to surface in a rare display of fury and swallowing his sense of self, Tennisman was quick to strike. The clip of tennis balls jutting from his buster emptied in a chain discharge, filling the air with a cluster of yellow spheres. His target was directly above him, prompting a change in his stance. His feet left the ground as he flipped his entire body horizontally to accomodate his attack's direction. Four rapid slashing serves flickered out from his left arm, sending the projectiles straight up like bullets. Before his back touched the ground, he stopped his fall with a single strike of his elbow against the floor. The rebound provided enough force for him to spin around and still land on his feet.

"Is that seriously what we're gonna be fighting?" Desmond asked in disbelief.

"The fight has already begun." Tennisman replied and immediately braced himself against incoming attacks, "Please perform a browser search using the keywords 'shark' and 'fighting'."

Desmond was still stuck in a state of shock, "This can't be right... That's even bigger than-"

"Please hurry." rushed his navi.

"Uhh, right." Desmond agreed.

Tennisman began to anticipate possible forms of attack that could come in order to properly defend his position. Waves of water and straightforward charges were the least of his worries. Considering its size, it wasn't out of the question that it would simply swallow the island he was on and him along with it. Beyond that, the dorsal fin looked sharp enough to rend normal Guards. Going completely out of the box, it might even fire rows of teeth at him. There wasn't nearly enough space to move around freely on and there was no way he would willingly venture onto the sea terrain. There was only one logical option. His expression returned to a stoic blank look as he opened his palm to the ground and spread out his fingers.

"Court Change." He said calmly.

The serene green tennis court envisioned in his mind leaked out from his thoughts, becoming realized through the execution of one of his signature programs. The rushing water parted as a soggy stretch of grass crept out from his small island granting him more space to move. His extent on the terrain change continued to increase, only to be interrupted by Desmond's findings.

"Yo! I found some info on sharks!" reported his operator proudly, "Uhh, they're kinda weak around the nose, gills and eyes but be careful when you attack. Their skin is made of something called... Denticles. It's like they're covered with teeth!"

Tennisman nodded and added that as a possible passive form of attack. There was really no telling how it would fight leaving Tennisman wondering. He took his first few steps onto solid expansion, ready to evade but he couldn't expect to win by staying on the defensive.

"Kunai." Tennisman said, requesting his first chip.

Desmond slotted it in and responded, "Hey! I got two of those in a trade, go nuts with it."

His buster arm dropped to his side before the gun reconfigured itself into a normal hand. He performed a quick flex of his fingers to make sure it was in working order before clenching his hand into a loose fist. The tips of a set of daggers spawned from between his fingers, balancing themselves in an orderly fashion, ready to be thrown at a moment's notice. There wasn't much to aim at except for the enormous fin piercing the water's surface. Though it wasn't listed as a well known weak point, it was worth a shot to test its susceptibility to attacks. Tennisman readied his throwing arm and dashed to the side, letting the blades soar with a wide arc of his arm.



((I need to spend an action to summon Deuce. I am not using that action yet.))
1 - Ace Serve Squalo (4 x 30 damage)
2 - Court Change - Grass (1/3-2/3 Grass terrain)
3 - dodge
4 - Rally Defence + Reinforce (6-hit shield)
5 - Kunai1 Squalo's dorsal fin (3 x 30 damage)
6 - dodge
15, love! 30, love! 40, love! Game! TennisMan's series of serves hit in bounds and all struck Squalo's underbelly. Unfortunately, Squalo had no interest in playing a tennis match, and while it did register as damage on Desmond's PET, the shark Cybeast didn't seem very fazed by the attack at all (120 damage to Squalo). TennisMan wasn't done here, though. No matter how big or how strong he was, Squalo was still a fish, and a fish out of water was easy pickings. To solve this whole "too much water" issue, TennisMan placed his hand on the ground, and out of his palm sprung a grass tennis court at its maximum size, perhaps partially empowered by an adrenaline high triggered by staring down a monster ten times your size. Whatever the reason, there was now plenty of grass for the giant shark to get stranded on. TennisMan watched as Squalo's arcing jump reached its end, and...

*splooooooosh*

Squalo hit the ground with a big splash. A real big splash... Wait, what? Grass doesn't make a splashing noise. As the facts would have it apparently, Grass wasn't the terrain being dealt with anymore. The moment Squalo made contact with TennisMan's new solid ground, everything nearby completely liquefied, just like earlier when the Cybeast first appeared. Squalo disappeared under his newly-restored ocean, leaving TennisMan once again with his meager island, only now it was covered in lush grass.

With the monstrous shark out of sight, TennisMan took a very cautious approach, keeping his feet ready to move and his racket ready to deflect incoming attacks. A nervous silence fell over the battlefield as he waited, unsure of when or where Squalo would strike from.

... Behind! TennisMan leaped forward in response to hearing the crashing sound of water behind him, and did so with good reason. Squalo erupted out of the sea and dove onto TennisMan's island, opening his massive jaw in an attempt to chew the Navi in two then and there. Having missed the target, Squalo's razor-sharp teeth clashed together with a sound that was disturbingly similar to blades striking against each other. As TennisMan turned to face his opponent... Holy... freaking... crap. TennisMan was already aware of how big Squalo was from him being as big as the monster's dorsal fin, but seeing his mouth up close like this... Well, it'd be like if TennisMan tried to eat a bug. This fact should have left the idea in TennisMan's mind that there was no bloody way in hell his tennis racket's defense could hold up against this jaw that was several times bigger than him.

Thankfully, what little land TennisMan had left didn't liquefy when Squalo drove up on land. So, with a foothold and a new Battlechip in hand, TennisMan counter-attacked. He took aim at Squalo's dorsal fin with a trio of Kunai, hoping to discover some grave weakness. That weakness... just wasn't there. Squalo's rough, scaly skin covered his entire body, so finding a soft spot was most likely an impossible feat. That said, the kunai blades did hit their mark (90 damage to Squalo). All three dug into Squalo's fin, and this time the Cybeast properly reacted to the attack. With the surge of pain now in his system, Squalo withdrew his massive frame from TennisMan's island, returning into the water from whence he came. TennisMan took a cautious stance once more, but for now, it seemed that there was a chance to reorganize.

TennisMan.exe: 290 HP (6 Hit Shield equipped)

Squalo.???: 1790 HP (Submerged underwater)

Terrain: 10% Grass (Island), 90% Sea
Tennisman staggered away from the wall of teeth that had come down just a short distance away from his body. He fought every urge to run away screaming, but he still needed to vent a fraction of that fear in order to react properly and move out of the way. Attaining that proper balance of emotions was difficult with dire consequences resting on the fragile scale. That simple bite couldn't be classified as any kind of attack he had faced thus far - it was simply on a scale of its own. His defensive ability seemed insignificant in light of the raw destructive ability presented by those massive jaws. Nevertheless, he had faith that with enough foresight and luck, it would be possible to use his racket to facilitate his evasive maneuvers. He just needed to focus. As his mind drew inwards, his level of awareness increased to a veritable sphere that encompassed his entire body. It stretched out as far as he could physically reach, lengthened by the range of his racket. He felt ready and confident. Now he needed to come up with a strategy.

"Yo! I read some more stuff. Says here that sharks are attracted to flailing movements and have a... 'Highly attuned electromagnetic sensitivity that allows them to search for their prey.'" Desmond added, emphasizing each word mechanically, "...Cool."

Tennisman didn't share his operator's appreciation for how 'cool' this monster was, but one point did manage to catch his interest as he repeated it curiously, "...Electromagnetic sensitivity..."

"Yeah, that's what it said. OHHH! WE CAN HIT IT WITH AN ELECPULSE!" Desmond suggested loudly with a snap of his fingers.

A loose plan of action formed in Tennisman's mind as he requested another chip, "Binder."

Desmond was confused by the order, "What? What about Elecpulse?"

"Prepare Elecpulse and Zapring." Tennisman added.

With the trust of his operator, the Binder chip was slotted in and activated at Tennisman's command. The familiar plump body of a Melody virus descended from the sky, splashing down on the giant shark's last position. It was merely a construct, designed to mimic the original and it did so flawlessly. It wallowed around the sea frantically for a bit, trying to find a solid foundation to leap off of. The rushing water around the pseudo-virus rippled and splashed, echoing its struggling movements throughout the large body of water.

"Ohhhh..." Desmond said as the revelation of Tennisman's plan slowly dawned on him, "I see what you did there. Very sneaky!"

The navi only replied with his next set of orders, "Be ready to slot in the chips."

"You don't want them right now?" Desmond asked, audibly twiddling with them.

If what Desmond had said was true and that same electromagnetic detection had somehow translated itself as one of the cybeast's inherent abilities, any queued electrical attacks might reveal Tennisman as a larger target than the Melody virus he was using as bait. For now, he sought to conceal his presence as well as he could and that meant withholding the battlechip data until the very last second. In this case, even a fraction of a second could make all the difference. He readied his free hand, envisioning how his attack would unfold and where he could move to in order to avoid being swallowed whole.

The Melody's movements deviated slightly from its usual beat and the water seemed to swell in a large bulb. That small change set off Tennisman's reflexes, prompting him to dart out his hand and shout, "NOW!"

A surge of data from the Elecpulse channeled down through his arm, culminating at his fingertips before spreading out into the open air. Waves of powerful magnetism ebbed forward, covering a wide area in a large conical pattern. The electical attack sparked as it touched the water's surface, manifesting itself as small arcs of lightning that bounded across the tides. Blinding lights flashed and flickered along with seascape while the sound of static and monotone humming temporarily replaced the gentle lapping of the water's waves. If anything, this was a sensory overload, even for Tennisman. He could only hope it was amplified to a scale suitable to affect his target. The final pulse of his magnetic field finally left his palm allowing the Zapring to take over where the Elecpulse left off. The cuffs around Tennisman's wrist expanded, warping and reshaping themselves into the twin metal coils of his Zapring launcher. A halo of pure electricty formed between the loops, hovering for a brief moment before flying off into his impossibly large opponent. The energy disc kept low, skimming across the water's surface and intensifying in strength. For an attack, it was small and weak, but carried a very specific disabling charge - it was for that reason alone that Tennisman continued to keep it in his folder. However, considering the sheer size of his enemy, he felt it would be a boon if it so much as twitched.

Tennisman darted back on his little island, wary of the inevitable counterattack for incurring its wrath.

"Man, Squalo is friggin EPIC!" commented Desmond.

"Squalo?" echoed Tennisman.

Desmond answered back, "Yeah, that's what it says on the PET."

So it had a name.



1 - Reflex Volley (80 HP barrier)
2 - Binder Squalo (4 x 60 damage [random targets after first hit])
3 - take aim / wait for an opening
4 - ElecPulse Squalo (100 damage + cone + glitch + seeking) x2? x3?
5 - Zapring (40 damage + stun) x2? x3?
6 - dodge
Since this was certainly a case where there was no such thing as too much defense, TennisMan spread his mental sharpness outwards around his whole body, creating a pseudo-barrier around himself that would let him react quickly to any attack. If he could respond to any attack, he'd be able to defend against any attack, right? That's what TennisMan was hoping for, and his confidence wasn't about to let him second guess himself.

And, really, he didn't second guess himself. With Desmond's first, and only, suggestion, TennisMan formulated a plan to bring this giant fish down like he would any Aqua elemental: with electricity. All he had to do prior was get the Cybeast out from under the water. It was quite easy to figure out that anyone who went in after the shark Cybeast was asking for a lot of pain. So, instead, TennisMan opted to try and lure him out with bait as a true professional angler would. Maybe TennisMan was one of those multi-athletic types after all? To pull this off, though, he needed bait. Luckily, he had a virus summoning chip in Binder. After requesting the chip from Desmond, TennisMan used it to spawn a Melody in front of him and send it out onto the water. The virus hopped across the surface of the water, attempting in vain to attack a target it couldn't find.

*chomp*

Thus the bait was taken, and the poor Melody summoned forth as an unwitting accomplice to TennisMan's plan was eaten in one swift gulp by Squalo as the mighty shark surfaced once more. TennisMan immediately fired his ElecPulse, and, sensing the motions from his opponent, Squalo in turn rushed towards TennisMan. As the shark Cybeast leaped from the water, the waves of the ElecPulse made contact and ran their way through Squalo's body (200 damage to Squalo). Unfortunately, the disorienting effects of the electromagnetic pulse just didn't seem to have all that much of an effect on the giant Cybeast. Squalo continued to move through the air in his jump towards TennisMan, opening his tremendous jaw once more to reveal his rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth. TennisMan had honed his mental awareness earlier, and at this moment that awareness was sending a "GTFO" signal to TennisMan that just had to be heeded (Barrier destroyed). Before that, though, TennisMan still had one chip left to use. With Squalo's mouth beginning to envelop him once more, TennisMan armed himself with a ZapRing and fired into the shark's gullet before lunging out of the way for his dear life.

*CRASH*
*splshhhhhhh*

A light rain began falling on TennisMan, which prompted him to look up after taking a tally to make sure all his limbs were still in place. There was a large line of crushed grass on TennisMan's little island leading off the other side of the island and out to the sea, where Squalo was floating just offshore, belly-up. What the... Okay, the crashing sound and the crushed grass probably meant that Squalo hit the landmass then rolled into the sea. And that short-lived rain was the water kicked up when he fell in. But... Why was the Cybeast floating so lifelessly right off the shore? There's no way the impact hurt it THAT bad. All TennisMan did was fire a ZapRing... into his mouth...

... Whoa. Really? Internal attacks work (80 damage to Squalo, Stunned)?! Guess even the mighty Cybeast has issues eating its own weakness. BOON GET.

TennisMan.exe: 290 HP (6 Hit Shield equipped)

Squalo.???: 1510 HP (Floating just offshore, Stunned for 1 action)

Terrain: 10% Grass (Island), 90% Sea
Tennisman wiped the excess water from his face and took in a deep breath. His plan had gone as well as he could have hoped, though the final outcome came as a bit of a surprise. Through a stroke of sheer luck, Squalo was now lying supine, stunned by a Zapring fired down its cavernous gullet. Awed by the downed behemoth, even Tennisman had trouble believing that he had reduced Squalo to that state. It wasn't his goal nor was it even conceivable as a prediction, but he certainly didn't want to waste this opportunity. However, he too was in a state of recovery as having to dodge something that big had been mentally exhausting. He prepared to attack when a grim thought crossed his mind - what if it was faking in order to lure him in closer? Was Squalo even capable of thinking ahead like that? For all he knew, it possessed an incredibly cunning intelligence that was masked behind its unbridled ferocity. Then again, perhaps he was overthinking it.

"QUIT SPACIN' OUT! ELECSHOCK!" Desmond blurted out, slotting in a chip.

He was definitely overthinking it. Spurred by the sudden influx of data from the chip and with practically no time to prepare himself, Tennisman charged forward. His emblem gave off a brilliant flash, illuminating the field for a brief moment before he unleashed the electric attack. He opened his mouth and screamed - words or sound were replaced with a spray of lightning that erupted from his lips and cackled into the sea, electrifying everything in range of his thunderous breath. He finished as the last sparking wisps escaped his mouth and he was forced to breath in again.

"Yo. No droppin the ball here, man." warned his operator.

Tennisman nodded. Wary of the dangers of being overconfident, he didn't want to risk continuing attacking. Considering its giant frame, Squalo would only need to crane its neck slightly in order to reach him. Even when prone, the cybeast gave off a terrifying aura that had nearly paralyzed Tennisman into inaction. His resistance against that fear was starting to wear thin and the gravity of the sitution was beginning to take root in his conscious mind. While he was still able to calculate and plan, he wondered if he could use Squalo's size to his advantage. Attacks normally limited to individual, separate targets might just as easily hit Squalo repeatedly. There was no time to debate. He leapt back and readied his buster.

"TwinFang." He called out.

The chip loaded an elongated ivory missile into his buster. His primary target was one of the shark's large globular eyes as it was listed as a weak point. He also took aim at the set of gills lined up along that same side. He wasn't sure it would work but it was worth a shot since he would have been forced to use the chip eventually. He adjusted the tip of his cannon a little higher and fired. The single toothy rocket split in half mid-flight, turning into a twin set of fangs that crisscrossed once before soaring into their respective objectives.

Consulting the rest of his folder, Tennisman had one other chip in mind for this new strategy and made another request. "Magnum."

He still wanted to keep his distance for now and opted for another gun. He was less picky about where he aimed now as Squalo would undoubtedly not stay still for these barrage of attacks. The Magnum loaded and filled his buster with a heavy duty shell. Concentrating on the round in the chamber, Tennisman was able to split the data, fragmenting the bullet into two copies. He had no time for a third shot and simply discharged the weapon, spreading the two shots across the shark's body as he did earlier with the TwinFang.

"GET BACK!" Desmond shouted.

Tennisman reacted to his operator's voice and quickly darted back another step in an evasive leap. He passed a small glance behind his heels, still careful not to leave the confines of his island prison.



1 - ElecShock Squalo (80 damage + panel break + cone) x2
2 - Dodge
3 - TwinFang Squalo's gills and eyes (70 damage) ((x2 from multi-target?))
4 - Charge Magnum
5 - Magnum Squalo (120 damage + panel break + break) ((x2 from multi-target?))
6 - Dodge
The Cybeast was stunned, within reach, and open for attack. Logic dictated an easy shot, right? Well... Yes, it did indeed. While Squalo was still reeling from the aftereffects of his electric appetizer, TennisMan armed himself with more electricity, this time in form of some seriously funky breath. With as fierce a roar as he could muster, TennisMan unleashed his crackling voice upon Squalo, causing the Cybeast to jerk in the water as powerful bolts of electricity coursed through his body (160 damage to Squalo).

Of course, such a powerful shock was more than enough to snap Squalo out of his comatose-like state. The giant shark thrashed in the shallow part of the water, churning up waves and rain everywhere around him. TennisMan attempted to lock his TwinFang onto the Cybeast, hoping to actually get a double hit on a creature so massive. He tried to lock onto Squalo's gills and eyes, easy assumptions for weak points, but the aquatic Cybeast was thrashing around so much that he kept needed to adjust him aim before he could get a good lock. Eventually, TennisMan just had to compromise for the best shot he could get on the flailing monster... Unfortunately, that compromise came so late that Squalo had already escaped to the deeper waters, causing the TwinFang needles to sail harmlessly overhead as the shark dove underwater.

Not to be disheartened over a single failure, though, TennisMan was quick in preparing his next attack. Magnum was a powerful chip by anyone's standards. Its sheer explosive power was enough to send the average enemy running. Squalo certainly wasn't the average enemy, but perhaps there was a trump card. If TennisMan charged some extra energy into the Magnum, he could increase the damage area of the attack. Against a large target like the Cybeast, just maybe he'd be able to inflict some serious pain. Now all he had to do was charge it up and...

*crrrssshhhhh*

Not die. After escaping the TwinFang, Squalo was quick to counterattack. Since TennisMan was focused on powering up his Magnum, he didn't catch the glimpse of Squalo's fin appearing above the water off to his side. As a result, there was now a giant blue monster leaping at him with jaws agape, and he wasn't ready to attack. TennisMan raised his defenses out of reflex, but...

*chomp*

The strings of TennisMan's racket stretched beyond their limits in a brave effort to fend off Squalo's lower teeth, but there was nothing to be done as the rest of the shark's mandible sank into TennisMan's back, sending rampant waves of pain through his entire body (80 damage to TennisMan, 2 hits off shield). And... things could get worse. Squalo really had no reason to let go of TennisMan, and could probably clamp down on him even harder. If he didn't do something fast, he'd be eaten in one gulp.

*BOOM*

In a split second decision, TennisMan released the uncharged Magnum from within Squalo's clamping jaw. Feeding it the extra energy he wanted to was just impossible at this point, but at the moment there were higher priorities. The explosion impacted against the roof of Squalo's mouth, forcing the Cybeast to release his grip on TennisMan and reel back in pain (120 damage to Squalo). The shark Cybeast slid back into the water, but did not resubmerge. Instead, TennisMan and Squalo merely stared at each other, both sides with fresh wounds to remind them that this was not an easy fight.

TennisMan.exe: 210 HP (4 Hit Shield equipped)

Squalo.???: 1230 HP (Floating on Sea, away from island)

Terrain: 10% Grass (Island), 90% Sea
Tennisman reached around behind himself, running his fingers along the rended patch along his uniform where Squalo's teeth had bitten down - The edges were tattered and ragged, as if he had been mauled by a thresher. He winced and tried not to let the pain get to him. His racket was still fairly intact and he was still alive, which was really all he could ask for. He had trouble imagining what would have happened if had been Deuce that he was holding as a shield.

"Holy balls!" exclaimed Desmond, "You alright!? You almost got eaten!"

Tennisman nodded and considered bringing Deuce out to patch his wounds. He took a look at the torn strings and hideous gashes where Squalo's teeth had raked across his current racket's frame and suddenly hesitated.

However, Desmond seemed to share a similar mindset and suggested, "Yo! You can still bring out Deuce!"

"NO!" Tennisman barked in a panic.

"What? Why?" asked his operator.

"...Not again." Tennisman mumbled and tried to find a safe vantage point to attack from.

"'Not again'? What do you mean 'not again'?" Desmond asked.

Water stretched out as far as the eye could see and that was unofficially marked as Squalo's territory. What little land existed could easily be reached with a relatively short lunge from the shore. Locked in the staring contest with his half-submerged foe, the only safe point from its jaws seemed to be...

"HEY! COME ON! Why won't you bring out Deuce!?" shouted Desmond, anxious to get an answer, "You afraid he's gonna die again or something?"

"Not now." Tennisman answered and eyed the spot directly over the shark's head.

Desmond relented with a disgusted, "Ugh, fine."

If he made a straight run for it, Squalo would definitely stop him before he reached that point. He could perform a Split Step but as fast as he was, Squalo seemed much faster. He needed a distraction. Sometime to draw its attention just long enough for him to climb onto its back. There, he would secure himself with a Moonblade as Kunais had proven themselves strong enough to pierce its armoured hide. None of his chips seemed suitable as a diversion except for his Pickpocket, but he was worried about using the same trick again. His thoughts wandered to search for the ideal thing for stopping Squalo and he groaned lightly for not realizing it sooner.

"Now what?" Desmond asked.

"Moonblade." Tennisman said and prepared to execute his plan.

"You serious? Moonblade?" reiterated Desmond.

The concept of using his net to catch a giant fish was too obvious to pass up and he prepared to activate his Netplay. Crouching down and pressing his palm to the ground, data streamed into the floor past the borderline of the grass and slipped into the water. A moment later, a wide tennis net materialized from the sea, springing up with a splash. He hoped it would be enough to provide a small window of opportunity as he pressed off the ground like an olympic sprinter and disappeared.

"Alright, slotting-in." Desmond said with a sigh.

Reappearing over Squalo's head with the dagger already in his hand, he struck. The wide arc of the Moonblade slashed the air ahead of him but stopped when the blade was positioned directly under his body. Aiming straight down, he put all of his weight behind the small knife. He clutched it tightly knowing that it would serve as his only anchor for the rough ride ahead.

Worried that it wouldn't be enough, he requested something with a little more foundation, "Katana!"

Abandonning his racket's form to the digital aether, the face and strings dissolved away to give shape to the long balanced edge of a fine sword. With a flick of his arm, he performed a wide slash before stabbing down with a lightning fast follow-up attack. Gripping the hilts of the sword and dagger tightly, an odd thought passed through his mind.

"I wish I had kept my Rageclaw."



1 - Netplay + Reinforce (3-hit shield + 20 HP object + heal 60)
2 - Split Step onto Squalo's back (teleport)
3 - Moonblade stab Squalo (90 damage)
4 - Hold onto Moonblade for stability
5 - Katana1 slash Squalo (60 damage), Katana1 stab Squalo (60 damage)
6 - Hold onto Katana for stability / lose 4-hit shield for double-handed
Tennisman summoned a giant tennis net between himself and Squalo just as the shark accelerated towards him. The Cybeast surged from the water and into the air. However, as it made a play to bite a chunk out of Tennisman once again, it found itself obstructed by the net, and just barely unable to reach the Navi. Tennisman took the opportunity to Split Step over Squalo, and managed to stab the beast with his Moonblade while it was brought to a halt by the net. Unfortunately, the very net that had allowed Tennisman to pull that maneuver off now worked against him as the net recoiled and launched the Cybeast back into the watter like a rubber band. The force of the impact with the water knocked the kunai from Tennisman's hand, and threatened to wash the Navi off of the shark.

Tennisman responded quickly by dismissing his racket, and summoning a katana to hand in its place. The Navi then took a swing at the giant shark. The blade connected easily in spite of Squalo's efforts to the contrary as the shark was simply too large to miss at that range. Tennisman found himself quickly separating from the shark, and worse, underwater as he was. Desperate to stay with the Cybeast, Tennisman flipped the sword around in his hands, and stabbed it into the shark. The Navi managed to get the blade lodged deep enough to prove an effective handhold this time, and it was a good thing too as the repeated attacks were starting to irritate the Cybeast.

Squalo dove sharply, then arced back towards the sea's surface, dragging Tennisman along with it. The shark surged from the depths and launched itself into the air with Tennisman hanging onto the katana's hilt for dear life upon the shark's back. However, as the shark reached the apex of its jump, it began to roll upside down....


----Allies----
TennisMan.exe: 270 HP (Hanging from Squalo by a Katana)
-- Shield racket discarded
-- Kunai lost

----Cybeast----
Squalo.???: 1020 HP (In the air, about to crash into the Sea)

----Objects----
Net: 20 HP (1 Hit Shield) [on Grass (Island)]

Terrain: 10% Grass (Island), 90% Sea
Tennisman's safe zone was very quickly losing its appeal as he looked behind himself and saw the vast seascape approaching fast. Squalo's massive bulk threatened to press him into the water and though the terrain was liquid, the speed and added mass would most likely crush him. Whether he would be able to hold onto his sword was less of an issue than if he would survive the landing. It was time to go.

He stretched out his free hand and called out, "Deuce."

His racket materialized from the digital aether, taking up residence in his firm grip and was quick to quip, "...Alright, I'm hoping I can get an explanation for what exactly is going on later, but are we about to get crushed by a giant shark?"

"Brace yourself." Tennisman replied and prepared to dismount.

With the actions already practiced in his mind, Tennisman applied significant force to his Katana, withdrawing the blade with a wide slash before beginning to fall away. He kicked off of the cybeast's back and made one final parting lunge with the weapon, discarding it in the process - its use having already been expended. As he continued with his freefall, he made a series of three rapid serves, delivering a chain of yellow projectiles aimed along Squalo's back.

"Harsh landing in three..." Deuce counted down.

The final serve was strong enough to spin Tennisman around, allowing him to position himself more or less perpendicular to the ground - almost as if attempting to dive in feet first.

"Two."

Tennisman raised his arms up and prepared for something drastic.

"One!"

Striking the surface of the water, Tennisman landed in a towering splash of dust. The half-altered terrain rippled and rebounded around him before conforming to a large rolling sandpit. His court change had taken effect just as he landed and stretched out all around him, providing him with a soft landing. Though part of the sea had been converted to another isolated island, he was worried the water would simply clear away his new terrain as it had done so before. Tennisman steeled himself against the counter-attack and braced himself, fully expecting a tidal wave from Squalo's landing.



(Deuce's Team passive - damage is divided evenly between Deuce and Tennisman)
1 - Summon Deuce
Deuce - Old School Weapon Junction
Deuce - Brace (block 1 attack for half damage)
2+3 - Katana Squalo (2 x 60 damage) + kick off and away from Squalo's landing point.
4 - Ace Serve (4 x 30 damage)
5 - Court Change - Clay (1/3 - 2/3 sand terrain)
6 - Rally Defence + Reinforce (6-hit shield)
Deuce - Overwrap Deuce (40 HP barrier)
Tennisman summons Deuce to his free hand as Squalo begins to descend back towards the Sea. Tennisman then jerks the Katana free of the shark as he kicks away from it. The Navi turns the movement into an impromptu slash before he all but throws the sword at the Cybeast. The Katana manages to just barely catch the Cybeast's dorsal fin as Squalo plummets far more quickly than the relatively small and light Tennisman.

Tennisman attempts his Ace Serve move with frantic haste. But circumstances are not really in his favor, as he finds himself falling through the air, and upside down on top of that. To further complicate matters, his target, while absolutely massive, is falling like a stone. This prompts him to make his attack with greater haste than grace in an attempt to tag the monster as many times as (in)humanly possible before it splashed down. Thus, Tennisman manages to hit with the first serve, whiffs on the second, and nails the third, striking the Cybeast a second time.

When it came time for the fourth serve, Tennisman sent it scorching along towards the Cybeast... However, by then it is far too late, as the ball made contact with the eruption of seawater rising in the wake of Squalo's re-entry into the Sea and is washed away. The column of water crashes back down again, and a massive Tidal Wave rises from the Sea to block out the horizon. The enormous wave surges forward and sweeps Tennisman and Deuce right out of the air in much the same manner as a stranded car getting 'collected' by a runaway freight train. And it felt about the same too, though the shared link took a little of the edge off both Navi and SP as Deuce's Brace reduced his share of the damage just a little. [Both: -111HP (total, each)]

The wave carried Tennisman and Deuce a short distance before something springy caught the pair. The elastic net held them against the crushing torrent just long enough for the wave to pass. Then net promptly collapses immediately after, leaving Tennisman sitting on the small island made up of perhaps a dozen grass panels. He triggers his terrain change ability which causes the grass to change to sand, and the island to expand to several times its previous size.

However, the island starts to erode away as the Sea begins to encroach from directly ahead. Tennisman gets his feet under him and prepares to defend himself even before sighting the now-rising shark fin. The fin slices through the approaching water, straight towards Tennisman. The Navi swings his racket, Deuce, at Squalo just as the Cybeast erupts from the water to bite him. However, before the giant shark can make a meal out of Tennisman, Deuce projects a barrier's spherical field into Squalo's open maw and manages to buy Tennisman a precious second or two....

What would the Navi do with that time?


----Allies---- (Danger!!)
TennisMan.EXE: 159 HP (6-Hit Shield, Deuce(WJ))
Deuce.SP: 49 HP

----Cybeast----
Squalo.???: 840 HP (It's gonna gnaw on your bones if you don't do something quick.)

----Objects----
Net: Collapsed

Terrain: 24% Sand (Crescent Island), 76% Sea
Neither he nor Deuce could claim to have ever been in a tigher spot than this and if they survived this battle, it would definitely be referenced whenever they faced lesser problems in the future. Even after being brutally battered, Tennisman held his ground against Squalo's rows and rows of razor teeth as they bore down on him. His options for escape were practically limitless, but duress from the thought of being eaten somewhat strained his imagination.

"Deuce?" Tennisman checked.

"I'll live." His racket answered back.

The Overwrap had expired and Tennisman was quick to bark out an order, "Desmond! Two Windrackets!"

Without arguing or the usual bout of hesitation, Desmond was already prepared and promply slotted in the two chips. He had recently taken up a habit of twiddling them between his fingers while watching Tennisman fight, aware that he would be asked to slot them in at any moment. Twin streams of Windracket data flowed down Tennisman's arms, one instance infusing itself into Deuce's frame while the other simply channeled itself into his right hand. Under the stress of the situation, it was the only plan he could come up with on such short notice.

Having never attempted two execute two Windrackets simultaneously, this was a bit of a gamble. The force from the attack always swept up a gale powerful enough to blow away his opposition, but it was not without its risks. Whenever he used it, he had always managed to counterbalance the backlash with solid footing or ample preparation. This was not one of those times. On top of that, he had no idea what kind of recoil two of them would cause, but he hoped it would be enough to keep those jaws from clamping down. His strength and time were running out. Both chips activated and a light breeze picked up, quickly escalating to a small vortex that wrapped around his racket. He was wielding Deuce doublehanded but that changed in an instant when the programs completely finished loading. Releasing his right hand from the grip, Tennisman swatted in a wide arc downwards while he gave Deuce a fierce swing upwards. In a motion reminiscent of tearing a sheet of fabric in two, the Windrackets unleashed themselves in opposing directions against Squalo's maw. Two semi-solid walls of air spread out and spiraled in the shark's mouth, whipping up water and the bits of sand and mud from the surrounding terrain.

It felt as if it would be more than enough to keep the Cybeast from biting down, but not willing to stay there and take the risk, Tennisman leapt back to the best of his ability to make a hasty escape. The sand wasn't making his movements particularly swift, and he held Deuce defensively ahead of him on reflex.

"Hey, hey, don't stop the offensive because you think you're safe." warned Deuce.

Tennisman thought his racket had a point and targetted one of Squalo's large globular eyes, "Panelshot."

"I'd have gone with A Hi-Cannon..." Desmond added but slotted in the requested chip.

The grid sectioning off a squre of sand shone brightly in Tennisman's eyes, allowing him to locate the easiest point of excavation. He stabbed Deuce into the ground and pried up a large block of the muddy terrain from the floor with practically no effort. The large cube popped into the air before Tennisman struck it with a powerful serve, sending a spray of sand into the Cybeast's eye. With any luck, it would be blinded and be forced to temporarily retreat to wash the silt from its face. If not, Tennisman realized he had just limited the amount space he could move around on and that was a bad move.

"Yo Deuce, fix yourself up," Desmond said, "You're no good to anyone if you get eaten or have to jack out again."

"Thank you for your kind words." spat the racket before he began to cover his damaged components with a network of animated wires.

Tennisman had his own worries and began to work on them one by one. First, by extending the dry surface he could walk on with yet another Court Change. He was growing very fond of those abilities as he took a few more steps back onto the growing patch of fresh grass. Secondly, he focussed on watching Squalo's movements to try and evade another surprise attack with his Reflex Volley.

"Explanation now?" Deuce asked.

Tennisman answered with a brief summary, "We reached the end of the Netopian network and found the source of the strange viral activity - This 'cybeast' named Squalo locked behind a gate. The gatekeeper tested us and deemed us worthy of challenging it."

"And you just thought to yourself, 'hey let's get screwed over'?" mused the racket.

Tennisman nodded to save some time.

"...Fair enough. Then let's finish what you started." Deuce said whimsically.

"YEAH! YEAH!" cheered Desmond.

With his team all on board and ready to go, it was time to fight with literally everything he had.



(Deuce's Team passive - damage is divided evenly between Deuce and Tennisman)
1 - Windracket Squalo (100 damage + Microburst + wide)
Deuce - All for One: Windracket Squalo (100 damage + Microburst + wide)
2 - Move back
Deuce - Brace (block 1 attack for half damage)
3 - Panelshot(sand) Squalo (60 damage + blind + 5% broken terrain)
Deuce - RestringEX Deuce (heal 45)
4 - Court Change - Grass (1/3 - 2/3 Grass Terrain)
5 - Dodge
6 - Reflex Volley (80 HP barrier)
Tennisman's double WindRacket attack launched Squalo backwards a fair distance in a very short time. The Cybeast hit the water with an enormous splash, much like the one that caused the earlier tidal wave, and disappeared into the sea before the serving of sand could reach it. The sand hit the column of water, and was wasted away in the ensuing surge. Luckily for Tennisman, it lost power and subsided long before reaching his island.

Tennisman took advantage of the sudden lull in the fighting to restore the island to its previous grass-covered state while Deuce restored some of his own HP. The SP braced for an attack while Tennisman readied defenses of his own and darted about anxiously. Both of them, and Desmond too, were prepared for a viscous counter attack.

They would be disappointed.

Instead of coming straight in, the giant shark's fin surfaced at the outer edge of the island, and began to circle. As the Cybeast did so, the outer edge of the island began to erode away as it passed.

What was it up to?

----Allies----
TennisMan.EXE: 159 HP (Equipped: 6-Hit Shield, Deuce(WJ)) (80 HP Barrier)
Deuce.SP: 94 HP (Brace)

----Cybeast----
Squalo.???: 640 HP (Circling)

----Objects----
Net: Collapsed

Terrain: 29% Grass (Island), 71% Sea