Leaving Viruses Ajar

As soon as he fully formed within the local Net, SharpMan raced forward, in search of enemies.

"...Impatient, aren't you?"

"I'm sick of being cooped up in a PET! The destruction begins NOW!" And there would be destruction, come hell or high water...or if his enemies were Elec, Wood, or elementless.

(Searching for Battle #1)
Two Bombcorns hopped into view as a Metool whacked on the glass floors. Sharpman watched them for a while, before the viruses noticed Sharpman and got ready to fight!

BombCornA: 70 HP
Metool: 40 HP
BombCornB: 70 HP

Terrain: 70% Normal, 30% Glass (Scattered)

SharpMan.EXE: 150 HP

-BATTLE 1-
-ROUTINE, SET-
-EXECUTE-
And lo and behold, the meat turned out to actually be vegetables...and some...helmet...thing. At any rate, they were officially toast. "Sword, FireKnife...I don't care which. Either destroys them all in one shot!"

"Actually, I did a little chip trading while you were running around. And it yielded a chip I do believe you'll enjoy greatly..."

"If it slashes, I'm fine with it. Now hurry it up!" SharpMan began to rush the viruses, figuring that if it WAS a kind of sword, he'd probably want to go ahead and get close.

"Oh, that it does. I imagine you'll remember using it in the past fondly..." With that, Hector removed a chip that looked identical to a WideSword, save for a different color scheme, and with lightning speed, stuck it into the area. "BattleChip, WideBlade! Slot in!"

"Heh...wait, what?!" The bladed Navi raised his right arm in front of him, and allowed the data to take on a traditional form over his hand. A wide-edged sword of golden solidified energy became the new end to his limb, and he kept it in front of him, to make sure he was, in fact, still sane. He didn't know how Hector got such a chip with nothing but the garbage he had gotten with Dawn, but...bah, he could think about it later. He had the power to end this with a single cut...for now, he needed only use it, and relish the process.

Stopping in front of the trio of viruses, he lowered it down to their level, and with all the strength he could muster, let out a horizontal slash capable of cleaving every one of them in twain. As soon as it had cleared the BombCorn, hit or miss, however, the blade disappeared, and instantly reappeared on his other hand. He promptly repeated the cut of death on the enemies, taking great pleasure in its motion, if not the feeling of dicing up semi-sentient data. He used the momentum of the latter to sidestep, and try and avoid any counterattacks...if there was anything to counterattack after that. "Heh heh...WideBlade...it's been too long since I've used it! Though, I gotta ask...how'd you get a chip like it from the junk I had?"

"The interesting part is that it was the other person that made the offer. I just accepted. He didn't even ask for AquaBalloon, either...just MeteorKnuckle and Satellite"

"Ha! What a fool! Giving up such a glorious chip for that!"

"He said he wasn't using it...perhaps his Navi doesn't like swords much. Ah well, it doesn't matter. You and I both know not to look a gift horse in the mouth."

"Right. Don't get me wrong...I don't care why that guy did it. He could've stolen it or illegally copied it or whatever. All I care about is that I have a WideBlade, and I'm going to enjoy it!" Of course, he couldn't now, since its energy was spent. Plus, karma would strike if he used it too much. And he wasn't talking about the virus. At any rate, he needed to focus, just in case something managed to live by a fluke...

[Order of Turn:
1-WideBlade chip attack on BombCornA, Metool, and BombCornB (110, Slashing)
2-WideBlade chip attack on BombCornA, Metool, and BombCornB (110, Slashing)
2a-Swordplay subtype ability (passive dodge)
3-Dodge]
Several seconds later, SharpMan served up some diced Metool with a side of corn.

Ewwwww.

BombCornA: DELETED
Metool: DELETED
BombCornB: DELETED

Terrain: 70% Normal, 30% Glass (Scattered)

SharpMan.EXE: 150 HP

-- BATTLE 01, VICTORY!! --

-- REWARDS --

[CornShot1] Battlechip, 240z
Just as pathetically easy as it should be for him. With a snap of his fingers, the remaining data made its way to the PET, and SharpMan began moving ahead. "So, what'd we get?"

"There's CornShot, which I'm sure you're excited about. And some cash, of course."

"CornShot? ...Bah! Just what I need...a non-sword chip that's possibly useful!"

"Ha! It'll have its uses, but I'm not stupid. Blades are what you're good at, so expect mostly them. Just...not always WideBlade. Like I said, karma's a pain like that."

"I'll be looking forward to it!" However, he was also looking for viruses, to use those wonderful swords...

(Searching for Battle #2)
Moving onwards through the network, SharpMan sheathed his ridiculously powerful WideBlade to look for more viruses to slice apart. It didn't take him long to come across some Brushman viruses, calmly painting some HolyPanels on the ground, while some bouncing Melody watched with interest. Of course, the Melody saw SharpMan coming, and with limitless excitement, proceeded to bounce over to him!

-- ENEMIES --
Brushman A: 100 HP (Holy)
Brushman B: 100 HP
Melody A: 80 HP
Melody B: 80 HP (Holy)

-- NAVIGATOR --
SharpMan.EXE: 150 HP

-- TERRAIN --
10% Poison
10% Holy
80% Normal

-- BATTLE 02, READY? START!! --
...Art. Yawn. At least, that kind of art was boring. The art of cutting apart what stood in front of you, now THAT was beautiful. More museums should be dedicated to that. They'd get a lot of visitors, that was for sure. And SharpMan would get to utilize his own 'artistic' vision, as the Melody and BrushMen noticed him. "Pathetic...but I guess with the Holy panels around, this might be a little fun!"

"And you'll get the extra pleasure of multiple strikes, since I'm withholding WideBlade for this battle. We can't have you getting dull, now can we?"

"Bah!"

"Now, I traded off that AquaBalloon you had, to get a couple of chips you might actually enjoy using. Shall we use them?"

"Lemme guess, low level stuff I haven't used in years."

"Yep. But we must make do with what we have. In a way, that's a test of strength, wouldn't you agree?"

"Cut the deep garbage out, and send them to me! NOW!"

"...Hmph. I guess I'm starting to sound like HIM. We can't have that!" But, first chips first. Or something. "Here's the first one. BattleChip, Boomerang! Slot in!"

The left side blade of the Navi's arm began to grow green, prompting him to fully extend it. With a flick of the arm, it detached, flung forward in a surprisingly graceful arc, that would potentially take it across all four viruses in an elegant circle. But almost as suddenly as the revolving cutter had exited his limb, it reattached itself, only it no longer had the green aura around it. With that, he took a good look at the group, which, while potentially severely weakened, remained intact. That...needed to be fixed, pronto. "Hector, they're still alive! I'm not happy about that!"

"Well, at least being Dawn's errand boy didn't affect your love of deleting things. Maybe we should think about...meh, let's talk after the battle. Here's the other new chip I got!" Chip, meet insertion slot. "BattleChip, AquaKnife! Slot in!"

SharpMan's arm blades all simultaneously started to glow blue, infused with the power of the watery chip. He eyed the viruses that currently declined to float or bounce on sacred terrain, and let out a sinister grin as all four edges extended. This...was the part he enjoyed the most. With great speed, he rushed the unprotected BrushMan, racing up to, and past the painting virus. A trail of aquatic energy, however, let it be known that he had taken a powerful swipe at it, and with any luck, the artist had reached its literal breaking point.

With that, he turned his focus to one of the Melody, namely the one that, like the previous target, failed to occupy any beneficial terrain. The Navi dashed at the music note, wanting to do nothing more than sink one of his lower blades through it...or at least across it, and preferably cut it into cyberdust by doing so. Either way, he knew enough to not put 100% in it; that way, he could still avoid an incoming attack if he needed to. Just 99% would be plenty, though...at least, that's how he saw it.

[Order of Turn:
1-Boomerang1 chip attack on BrushManA, BrushManB, MelodyA, and MelodyB (60, Wood, Arc Group Attack)
2-AquaKnife chip attack on BrushManB (60, Aqua, Slashing)
3-AquaKnife chip attack on MelodyA (60, Aqua, Slashing)
3a-Swordplay subtype ability (passive dodge)]
SharpMan's boomerang arced beautifully across the field, cutting through the four viruses without any problems...except for the holy panel that halved the damage. The navi went in for the killing blow with his newly acquired Aquaknife, but the same complication came into play once more. The wounded Brushman, at the last second, brushed up a holy panel beneath itself and negated half of SharpMan's attack.

Though the BrushMan survived the attack, the Melody virus did not fare so well as it met its end by the tip of the watery sword. The last remaining Melody hopped and jumped across the field to exact revenge of his fallen comrade, successfully squishing his body against the navi twice!

-- ENEMIES --
Brushman A: 70 HP (Holy)
Brushman B: 10 HP (Holy)
Melody A: DELETED
Melody B: 50 HP

-- NAVIGATOR --
SharpMan.EXE: 130 HP [AquaKnife: 4/6]

-- TERRAIN --
5% Poison
20% Holy
75% Normal
Ah, nothing like perfectly landing ones slashes to get the blood pumping...even though he was a Navi. Yet, the BrushMan, strangely enough, still floated. SharpMan wasn't entirely sure why, until he looked down to notice the square of holy energy beneath it. "So, that's why you're still breathing...ha! Not too shabby for a virus!"

With that, he looked over at the Melody, which he had less respect for, after it bounced all over him. "Oh, don't worry, I didn't forget about you. And it won't take long, either...until you give quarter notes a brand new meaning!" His quip complete, the bladed Navi once again made his way for the odd music note virus, all weapons fully extended, and raised his left arm. As he raced past the enemy, a pair of blue trails of water energy followed the razors as he tore at it with both of that arm's blades. Usually, one would suffice for this occasion, but that repeated bouncing was getting on his nerves. As a bonus, thanks to the angle at which he had cut, he could try to avoid any desperate trampling in case it, by sheer miracle, avoided both edges.

"Seems you're getting your form back...but my sister must've let you do whatever you wanted. You're letting your emotions swing your blades for you. That, above all else, you can't do if we're to resume your career."

"...Grr..." It was actually true...which just irritated the Navi all the more. "......Fine, I'm calm. See?"

"Yep, Dawn wrecked you. You think I, of all people, would fall for that?"

"Fine, I'm not! I don't care! I'm just going to rip these things apart!"

"No, you're not. Think stragetically. You're at an awkward angle towards the BrushMan pair. Something like LongSword would be good for cutting them both...but we have nothing like that. In which case, it's best to stand your ground and use something from a distance."

"...C'mon, it's a BrushMan! They can't even directly hurt me!"

"Yes, they are. But they won't always be. Isn't it better to practice such techniques when you're not in danger?"

"I hate it when you make sense like that...whatever! Send away, oh great and wise master!"

"No need to make this difficult..." SharpMan was no gun fanatic...but at least he wasn't above them when the situation called for it. It made moments like this much, MUCH easier for his operator. "BattleChip, CornShot! Slot in!"

The blades on the Navi's right arm lost their aquatic aura, but of more important was a circular BombCorn appearing in place of his hand. Grumbling something entirely inaudible, he pointed it at the weakened artistic virus, causing the odd viral gun to open its mouth, and fired off an explosive popcorn kernel. The real beauty, however, would come upon impact, where a second edible bullet would launch itself at the nearest enemy...which should be the remaining BrushMan under these circumstances. Exactly how corn did that, he had no idea. He did, however, believe that there was a PSA about children eating vegetables waiting to happen in the answer...

[Order of Turn:
1-AquaKnife chip attack on MelodyB (60, Aqua, Slashing)
2-AquaKnife chip attack on MelodyB (60, Aqua, Slashing)
2a-Swordplay subtype ability (passive dodge)
3-CornShot1 chip attack on BrushManB (50, Wood, Trick-Shot Spread 1) (Spread Target: BrushManA)]
The lone Melody could not survive the following attacks from SharpMan as it was diced into pieces before it could do anything. The vulnerable Brushmans continued to pave more Holy panels as they helplessly waited to see what was going to happen, watching the corn-bullet fly towards them as the wounded virus was deleted even with the help of the holy panel.

-- ENEMIES --
Brushman A: 45 HP (Holy)
Brushman B: DELETED
Melody A: DELETED
Melody B: DELETED

-- NAVIGATOR --
SharpMan.EXE: 130 HP [AquaKnife: 2/6]

-- TERRAIN --
5% Poison
30% Holy
65% Normal
While pleased at the fact he was now mono e mono with a single virus that couldn't hurt him, SharpMan suddenly frowned, as if he were more annoyed than anything. "...You know, I like tearing apart helpless things as much as the next guy...but I'm starting to get bored with this. Will you PLEASE just give me that WideBlade so I can finish this and move on with my life?"

Hector sat back for a moment and thought, enjoying watching his Navi grow more impatient by the second. "Well, since you said please, and you have a point, I'll do it. THIS time." Super powered chip, in. "BattleChip, WideBlade! Slot in!"

As his hand returned to normal after the CornShot was expended, the bladed Navi watched the blades on his right arm acquire a golden sheen, indicating their dramatic rise in power. Now knowing that even HolyPanels couldn't save the artistic virus now, he casually walked over to it, blades fully extended, and essentially attempted to reap it like wheat with his strengthened weapon. And just in case the unthinkable happened, like missing, he quickly yet elegantly sliced at it again, desiring foes that could actually fight back, unlike this one. And since he could, theoretically, not hit it, he half heartedly tore at it with his water-infused edges on his other hand. Sure, it wouldn't kill it if things got that far, but it'd be something. Besides, now he was bored. At least it'd provide a little entertainment to him.

[Order of Turn:
1-WideBlade chip attack on BrushManA (110, Slashing)
2-WideBlade chip attack on BrushManA (110, Slashing)
3-AquaKnife chip attack on BrushManA (60, Aqua, Slashing)]
All slice and no play makes SharpMan a dull guy. Tearing things up is fun!

-- ENEMIES --
Brushman A: DELETED
Brushman B: DELETED
Melody A: DELETED
Melody B: DELETED

-- NAVIGATOR --
SharpMan.EXE: 130 HP [AquaKnife: 1/6]

-- TERRAIN --
5% Poison
30% Holy
65% Normal

-- BATTLE 02, VICTORY!! --

-- REWARDS --

500z
Despite handling the battle fairly well, SharpMan's frown indicated that he was less than satisfied from it, even though he was able to utilize nothing but his blades. "Hmph...cutting up enemies that can't fight back is boring! I need foes that can provide a challenge!" That said, he wasn't complaining about the cash said enemies left behind. "Here, take the money, Hector! Shouldn't be long until we can grab that Speed Upgrade!...I can't believe the day would come where I'd say that again..."

"It just wasn't meant to be. What else can I say?" NetBattle cash total, up. "No HolyPanel...too bad. I was hoping a little that we'd get one."

"Fine by me! It'd just keep me bound to that one spot, anyway!" And at least they didn't get a Binder...that chip would just be insulting to him. "I'm going on ahead. Not like you have anything else to do right now!"

"That's very, very true. Onward!"

And onward the Navi went, unsatisfied with the number of viruses he'd carved apart thus far...it was currently much too small for one of his caliber.

(Searching for Battle #3)
Further into the Dentech network, SharpMan found himself walking on a large expanse of transparent road. Underneath the road was a huge glowing datastream that sparkled with beautiful colors, presumably the main high-speed information transfer protocol that Dentech was quite famous for. Then, SharpMan spotted something else that sparkled; a large green Mystery Data crystal! What a stroke of luck!

... and of course, some requisite viruses to go along with it came up behind it, spotting SharpMan and preparing to blast him off to kingdom come.

-- ENEMIES --
Catack A: 120 HP
Catack B: 120 HP
Magneaker A: 70 HP
Magneaker B: 70 HP
Magneaker C: 70 HP

Green Mystery Data: 25 HP (Directly in front of Catacks)

-- NAVIGATOR --
SharpMan.EXE: 130 HP

-- TERRAIN --
100% Glass

-- BATTLE 03, READY? START!! --
Well, seems he had found the main road on this particular Net, considering the massive quantities of data transferring below him. Many Navis might've stopped and taken it in, but SharpMan simply continued without batting an eye. He wasn't the kind to be impressed by fancy light shows. All he cared about at the moment was to find more things to whet his blades, and datastreams like this tended to be like giant virus magnets.

...Of course, there was one kind of light that always caught his eye, and that was when it was shaped like a diamond. In this case, it was green. The bladed Navi smirked as he took a couple of steps, but suddenly stopped well short of the mystery data, closed his eyes, and raised a finger. "Cue the viruses right about..." The finger was pointed forward, and he opened his eyes. "...Now." Sure enough, Catack and Magneaker had shown up, and now bent on destroying him. As though that was even an option. "Yep, never fails! You find loose data like that, and viruses pop up. Well, I'm here to say right now...this data ain't theirs now!"

"Ah, mystery data, always fun. Too bad we don't have any Untraps, but we never could resist those things. So, shall we try and preserve it?"

"But of course! Everything else gets diced, though!"

"That's a given." Still, looking at the list of enemies, Hector seemed less than pleased. They weren't lacking in power, but they DID somewhat lack in ability to hit multiple enemies. And those Catack could shred that data in no time. He palmed their current strongest chip, and looked at it for a moment before shifting it to his fingers. "I hate to do this, but these are special circumstances. But mark my words...I absolutely refuse to use it in the following battle!" And in it went. Sigh. "BattleChip, WideBlade! Slot in!"

Deciding to let it form in default shape, SharpMan's right hand vanished, and was replaced with a golden colored WideSword, which he certainly wasn't going to complain about. Now, to rush in and tear them apart-

"Just a moment! Don't just rush in and tear them apart. Try to circle them instead...they should go after you, and you'll draw their fire away from the mystery data!"

Actually, that was probably a smart idea. And it was even better since now he didn't have to be the one to do the thinking. Just listen to the orders, then strike in accordance with them...that was how he always found success before. Utilizing his latest commands, the sharp edged Navi started to take a somewhat roundabout path to the tank viruses, to make sure their line of fire didn't cross with that shining green chunk of data in the middle of the field. Being well trained in quickness, it didn't take him too long to reach the Catack pair, which should now be between him and the data. The electrical insects weren't a big concern at the moment; unless they concentrated their fire on the mystery data, he didn't see them smashing it any time soon. Crossing his arm across his body, he powerfully swung his artificially created blade, to try and carve up the tanks before him with the mighty weapon. Not wanting to be total cannon fodder, however, he slashed with it again, to try and erase the stronger viruses from the face of the internet. With that second attack, the sword faded away, its energy completely spent from the attacks.

But it did its job. And thanks to the second cut, he was now in a position to try and dodge enemy attacks. Granted, there might be too many to avoid completely, but so be it. The data was calling, after all.

[Order of Turn:
1-Head behind Catacks (movement)
2-WideBlade chip attack on CatackA and CatackB (110, Slashing)
3-WideBlade chip attack on CatackA and CatackB (110, Slashing)
3a-Swordplay subtype ability (passive dodge)]
Choosing to divert attention away from the delicious crystal of data-filled goodness, SharpMan went to flank the Catacks, and sliced them up nice and easy. The Magneakers took the opportunity and opened fire on him, but the glass floor made their aim kind of off.

-- ENEMIES --
Catack A: SLICED N'
Catack B: DICED
Magneaker A: 70 HP
Magneaker B: 70 HP
Magneaker C: 70 HP

Green Mystery Data: 25 HP (Formerly directly in front of Catacks)

-- NAVIGATOR --
SharpMan.EXE: 130 HP

-- TERRAIN --
100% Glass
Ah, the simple elegance of swords...truly, they were the ultimate weapon. Guns could go burn, for all he cared. As could bombs, but why burn them when he could rip them up instead? "Easy! I think we all know what weapon cuts these things up!"

"Well, there IS more than one way to do this. And since I'm sure you'd be perfectly happy either way...ah, I guess we'll take the defensive approach." Well, relatively defensive...he wasn't exactly armed to the teeth with defense chips. "BattleChip, Boomerang! Slot in!"

The lower blade on SharpMan's arm glowed, as it took on an earth green aura. He extended it, and flicked his arm upward, causing the edge to detach and begin to spin. It arced around towards the trio of Magneaker, ready to ground them for all eternity...or maybe less, if they respawned or something. Actually, that would make fighting viruses one huge exercise in futility. Not that he minded, since battle was basically the reason he existed...wait, why was he thinking about this now?! Great, Dawn really infected him with this 'thinking during battle' nonsense. How was he supposed to enjoy the visceral thrill of tearing things into pieces when his mind was on something else? ...Ya know, exactly like this?

With a low growl, he raised his arm again, as his blade boomeranged back to him, and neatly snapped into place. The bladed Navi crossed his arms, as he awaited for any possible survivors to launch magnetically charged bombs at him, and try to avoid them, as it was clear as day to him that Hector wasn't sending anything else. Either way, this particular battle had just lost its fun factor for him. Stupid operator and his not being an only child.

[Order of Turn:
1-Boomerang1 chip attack on MagneakerA, MagneakerB, and MagneakerC
2-Dodge
3-Dodge]
Good rolls were had, shit happened. Oh boy.

-- ENEMIES --
Catack A: SLICED N'
Catack B: DICED
Magneaker A: LIKE A
Magneaker B: SASHIMI
Magneaker C: PLATTER

Green Mystery Data: 25 HP (Formerly directly in front of Catacks)

-- NAVIGATOR --
SharpMan.EXE: 130 HP

-- TERRAIN --
100% Glass

-- BATTLE 03, VICTORY!! --

-- REWARDS --

600z

[Unlock Mystery Data? Y/N]
SharpMan smirked as it became clear that there would be no more MagBombs launched at him. With a simple snap of his fingers, the cash data that had appeared was instantly transferred. The lack of a chip didn't particularly bother him; not like they dropped anything he was interested in. Besides, it'd only serve to distract from the beautiful green data in front of him, just begging for him to decode it. "So, shall I?"

"Of course. But remain cautious...you know how green data can be."

"That I do!" Walking next to the crystal, he reached out and touched it, and began to access its contents...

(OPENING GREEN MYSTERY DATA)
[GMD: CornShot1]