Breakfast Busting

Walking across the bridge, Anyis and Magna found a small raised platform near the place ringed by some lava, with some interesting activity atop it. Three Zemon were currently sparring with a Nightmare, both crossing their blades with sheer speed and dexterity. Another Nightmare looked on from the side, watching the fight with crossed arms (?), looking to serve as an observer. Their sparring raged on for some time until the observing Nightmare noticed Anyis and Magna's approach, and howled for its allies to ready themselves for battle!

-- ENEMIES --
Zemon A: 100 HP (Metal)
Zemon B: 100 HP (Metal)
Zemon C: 100 HP (Metal)
Nightmare A: 100 HP (Hovering over Missing)
Nightmare B: 100 HP (Hovering over Missing)

-- ALLIES --
Anyis.EXE: 165 HP (Normal)
Magna.SP: 60 HP

-- TERRAIN --
40% Metal (Raised ring) hahaha
10% Missing (Holes in ring)
20% Lava (Around ring, needs action to jump across)
30% Normal (Outside ring)

-- BATTLE 03, READY? START!! --
"Ohh, actual fighters! Now these are the kind of viruses I can like!" sighed Anyis with a voice full of bliss. Fighting's not just a means to an end, it's a lifestyle. Finding some viruses that understood that as well as she did was the best thing that happened to Anyis today. How would she celebrate this discovery, though?

"Now you're adoring viruses? What happened to busting?" asked Mill as he leaned over his PET.

"You're done with breakfast now?" asked Anyis without even acknowledging Mill's own query.

"No, but I'm better now that I at least have something in my stomach. So should I send you chips or what?" answered Mill as he stuck his spoon back into the bowl of cereal.

"Nah, hold on a minute. Magna, you stay put too." decided Anyis. Magna took his new order to heart, and became so idle that he didn't even respond to the Mother Unit.

With her cohorts called off, Anyis stepped forward and stared at the battle-ready viruses. "Hey! I want to challenge this dojo! You guys look like real fighters, so you know the rules, right?"

"A virus dojo...?" mumbled Mill with his spoon in his mouth, a little skeptical of something that sounded so weird.

"Sure. They were sparring, so this is a dojo. Simple." explained Anyis quietly.

Actions:
--CHALLENGE THE DOJO
The head Nightmare held up its sword-arm to stay the others, and looked at Anyis with its rather intimidating eye. It then roared out an order to the three Zemon, which all nodded in understanding. The straw-hatted viruses then leapt up into the air, and landed in front of Anyis and Magna in a triangle formation. The two Nightmare also brandished their swords, ready to support the Zemon from behind.

-- ENEMIES --
Zemon A: 100 HP (Normal, front)
Zemon B: 100 HP (Normal, back)
Zemon C: 100 HP (Normal, back)
Nightmare A: 100 HP (Hovering over Missing)
Nightmare B: 100 HP (Hovering over Missing)

-- ALLIES --
Anyis.EXE: 165 HP (Normal)
Magna.SP: 60 HP

-- TERRAIN --
40% Metal (Raised ring)
10% Missing (Holes in ring)
20% Lava (Around ring, needs action to jump across)
30% Normal (Outside ring)
"Now you've done it." chided Mill as he stuffed his bowl and spoon in the dish washer. "You were goofing around, and now you're surrounded. Can we do this my way for once so I don't have to scrape you out of the recycling bin later?"

"Hmph! Like that would ever happen. If you really want to, though, I guess I shouldn't stop you." replied Anyis as she graciously gave command to her Operator.

"Thank you. I have a new chip that should be good for a situation like this. Hold on just a second." said Mill as he jogged over to the living room table to grab some Battlechips. "Alright. I'll send you the ColdPunch along with the new chip, and Magna the GutPunch like usual. Ideally all 3 of the straw-hat viruses will go down, but even if not your fists should knock them out of their formation so you can get into a better position. Got it?"

"Wow, don't you sound reliable this morning. What changed?" asked Anyis in a tone of shock.

"I ate breakfast. It makes a difference for humans and most organic life." muttered Mill as he slotted the aforementioned chips into his PET.

"Okay then, new chip!" shouted Anyis as she activated it, causing a small floating platform to appear at her feet. "... Huh? What the hell is this supposed to be?"

"Scans indicate that it is a Needler, Mother Unit. It is an automatic object capable of attacking and movement." reported Magna with his usual succinct efficiency.

"I see... Well Needler, do your automatic thing then!" shouted Anyis once more, although it was unclear if she was shouting for anything more than her own amusement.

Whether or not the shouting had anything to do with it, the Needler responded by spinning in rapid circles over and over until a round of spikes were jettisoned out of a tube on its side towards one of the Zemons. Before Anyis, Mill, or anyone else could even blink, another two rounds of spikes flew out of the Needler towards the remaining two samurai viruses. The Needler then halted its rotation, remaining completely static until its next programmed action or its destruction, whichever came first.

"I guess that's the signal to start, then! Magna, the one behind me is yours!" announced Anyis as she triggered her ColdPunch, encasing her right gauntlet in a layer of ice before charging at the Zemon in front of her.

"Understood, Mother Unit!" responded Magna loudly, encasing his own right hand in the yellow armor of the GutPunch while assembling his trusty tower shield in his left hand. Charged with the task of protecting his Mother Unit's backside, Magna was intent on doing just so with all the power he could muster. As such, there was a 10 foot tall golem leaping through the air towards a single virus, and that golem had his armored fist raised, ready to crush the virus, the ground underneath it, and whatever other poor souls got in between him and his goal.

As the sound of something getting crushed echoed behind her, Anyis unleashed her own assault on the other two Zemons. With her attention directed at the first virus, Anyis swung her frozen fist far out to the samurai's off side, trying to smash the virus's shoulder rather than bring a fist to a swordfight. She then hopped backwards away from her initial target, turned around, and let loose a vicious backhand strike at the second Zemon's face, filled with the intent of knocking off more than just the virus's straw hat.

With their precise acts of violence acted out, both Anyis and Magna returned to their original positions with backs to each other, though one could argue Anyis wasn't tall enough to even reach Magna's back. Regardless, both were now prepared to watch for whatever tricks these viruses might pull. "Oh wait..." thought Anyis aloud, "Boogeyman! Get out here!"

With that command, Anyis's spectral servant popped out of nowhere to float in front of her with its blank, one-eyed stare directed at its summoner. "You watch out for anything too! Push away anything that gets too close!" Boogeyman didn't respond as usual, nor did he even budge since the order did not involve any immediate pushing, but Anyis could only assume that he'd do his job when it needed to be done.

Anyis's Actions:
1. Needler1 (60 HP Object, FloatShoes, 30 damage x 3 targets, Attack-Override Dodge, 60 Impact + Break Suicide damage)
--Needler Attack (30 damage x 3 targets) @ ZemonA/B/C
2. ColdPunch (85 Aqua damage, Impact, Knockback) @ ZemonA
3. ColdPunch (85 Aqua damage, Impact, Knockback) @ ZemonB
4. Dodge
5. Dodge
--Boogeyman (Passive Knockback): KNOCKBLOCK an incoming melee attack

Magna's Actions:
--Reinforced Golem's Buckler (2 Hit Shield)
1. GutPunch (70 damage, Impact, Knockback) @ ZemonC
2. Dodge
Summoning a Needler to her aid, thanks to Mill's newfound reliability, Anyis ordered the object to fire, though it did so a bit haphazardly, only hitting one of the Zemon on its first try. The Zemon it hit was enraged, and focused its attention on the little bugger, hitting it twice. Anyis took advantage of this by punching the virus in the face and deleting it, also going for its comrade to her back with a punch that knocked it back from its attack. Magna attempted to punch the Zemon that was headed for him, but it was simply too agile, and managed to hit his shield once. The last remaining samurai headed for the maiden Navi, but was pushed back by a helpful Boogeyman.

At this time, the Nightmare decided they weren't going to sit around any longer, and teleported up to Anyis and Magna, one for each. One hacked at Anyis, attempting to cleave her in two, but she dodged the hit easily. Magna simply held up his shield and weathered the blow as he could. The Nightmare then returned to their original position back on the platform.

-- ENEMIES --
Zemon A: DELETED
Zemon B: 15 HP (Normal)
Zemon C: 100 HP (Normal)
Nightmare A: 100 HP (Hovering over Missing)
Nightmare B: 100 HP (Hovering over Missing)

-- OBJECTS --
Needler1: 40 HP (Normal)

-- ALLIES --
Anyis.EXE: 165 HP (Normal)
Magna.SP: 60 HP (Normal)

-- TERRAIN --
40% Metal (Raised ring)
10% Missing (Holes in ring)
20% Lava (Around ring, needs action to jump across)
30% Normal (Outside ring)
Her defenses held firm, but what Anyis was particularly proud of was how easily she caused the Nightmare to whiff on its attack. "Ha, not happening! I've fought your kind before, so your crazy warping isn't going to catch me off guard!" she gloated after smoothly sliding away from the virus's blade and watching the Nightmare teleport back up to its platform. "Hmm... You think you're going to escape that easily...?" There was a sinister grin across Anyis's face.

"Mother Unit, do you wish to engage the Nightmare Units?" queried Magna as he nonchalantly assembled a fresh shield to replace his shattered one.

"I think I do, yes. Can you and the spiky thing handle these samurai guys?" she asked in response, referring loosely to the Needler and Zemons, respectively. She'd deal with the continued use of 'Mother Unit' after the battle.

"I will terminate them to the best of my ability." answered Magna with no real emotion in his voice, which only made the statement sound more threatening. "Operator, please assist the Mother Unit with reaching the Nightmare Units, I require no further directives."

"... Uh huh. Sure thing." nodded Mill, somewhat taken aback by the fact that he was taking orders from Magna. "Anyway... Getting past that lava ring seems like just the kind of thing for the StarArrow. Just ride that up to the platform." he said to his Navi as he popped the aforementioned chip into his PET.

"Oh right, that chip. I forgot we had that." said Anyis as the single arrow materialized in her free hand (the one that wasn't encased in ice). Normal procedure would have Anyis launch the StarArrow from a bow, but, well... that just wasn't her style. No no, she was going to do this directly. With a good heave, Anyis swung her arm forward and released the arrow from her hand, only to clasp onto the tail of the projectile as it flew away. The strange abilities of the arrow swept Anyis right off her feet, and like that she was flying through the air and over the lava ring.

------

While Anyis was establishing her own personal flight program, Magna turned to face the remaining two Zemons alongside his trusty sidekick. "Needler Unit, I request that you initiate combat with the two virus units in proximity." humbly asked Magna of the soulless object, unaware that this thing was even more mechanical in nature than he was. For better or worse, though, the Needler (seemingly) acknowledged Magna's request and once again resumed its rapid spinning, using the rotational force to launch rounds of spikes at both of the Zemons.

Magna used the sound of the Needler attacking as a start pistol, and leaped after the projectile spikes towards the Zemon that evaded all damage last time. The only thing louder than the sound of Magna's piston striking the ground and lifting the golem into the air was Magna's entire weight crashing back down to earth in front of the straw-hatted virus. And while it wasn't as loud, Magna's second attempt to crush this virus into dust made up for the difference in violence levels.

------

"... Well Mill, now what? I'm going to fly off to Beach Net at this rate!" shouted Anyis as she hung onto the StarArrow for dear life.

"What? Just drop. Isn't that obvious? The viruses are right below you." answered Mill, who was a bit unsure why this was unclear.

"Are you high?! There are bottomless pits down there! Do you want me to get jacked out?!" yelled Anyis in return.

"Oh come on, you've done way worse yourself already. Just drop, use Boogeyman to soften the landing, and I'll send you your AquaKnife so you can cut through those shadows." retorted Mill, confident that this would work just fine.

"Fine, whatever!" surrendered Anyis, though refusing to admit that there wasn't a better option. She let go of the arrow anyway, and while she began the long fall down, Anyis thought to help herself out a little, both with the landing and the impending sword fight. "Hmm... Swordsman, swordsman..." pondered Anyis aloud as she closed her eyes and mentally picked through the plentiful supply of ghosts in Hades Net. "... Ah, there's a good one!" she said as she absorbed a certain ghost into her body, gaining all the technique and agility of a master shortsword user.

"Okay Master, you're going to help me defeat these viruses!" shouted Anyis to the fallen soul she was now sharing mental space with. "... Oh, and watch out for this landing coming up."

"Mm..." echoed Anyis back to herself, although the voice sounded much older and deeper. "If all I must do to earn my final rest is purify the Net of two viruses, I shall lend my skills to your task. Landing will be no issue." The Master sounded very old-fashioned, but his abilities were not to be questioned.

"Great!" replied Anyis to herself again. "Mill, give the Master the chip! And Boogeyman, give us a good landing!" After barking her orders, Boogeyman obediently appeared on a Metal panel just below, arms raised and ready to be his summoner's trampoline.

"... Yeah, okay, just take it, whoever you are." sighed Mill as he uploaded the AquaKnife. No matter how long Anyis was his Navi, he was never, ever going to get used to this ghost body-sharing thing.

Everything else just kind of happened all at once. The ColdPunch ice around Anyis's right hand shattered, and just as quickly reformed into the icicle blade that was the AquaKnife. The Anyis/Master duo slammed into Boogeyman, forward-flipped off the ghostly apparition, clutched the AquaKnife in both hands, and ultimately unleashed a long vertical cut towards one of the Nightmares as the Navi landed smoothly on the metal ground. The sound of Anyis's armored fingers shifting along the AquaKnife's hilt were drowned out by the ringing echo of her boot heels striking the metallic surface, and by the time the ringing subsided, the Master had already spun around, vaulted forward, and swept the AquaKnife clear across the second Nightmare in what almost looked like one continuous motion. The Master then lowered the frozen blade, hopped back away from the viruses, and watched.

Anyis's Actions:
1. StarArrow1 (40 damage, Carry), Fly up to raised ring
2. Channel Surf (120 Strengthen, 3TCD)
--Boogeyman (Passive Knockback): Soften landing, make sure to land on Metal panels
3. AquaKnife (80 Aqua damage + 20 Strengthen, Slashing) @ NightmareA
4. AquaKnife (80 Aqua damage + 20 Strengthen, Slashing) @ NightmareB
5. Dodge
(80 Strengthen left)

Magna's Actions:
--Reinforced Golem's Buckler (2 Hit Shield)
--Needler Attack (30 damage x 2 targets) @ ZemonB/C
1. GutPunch (70 damage, Impact, Knockback) @ ZemonC
2. Dodge

Cooldowns:
Channel Surf - 3 turns
During a short lull in the battle, Magna ordered his operator to support the Mother Unit while he dealt with the Zemons. Said operator complied by sending Anyis a StarArrow and watching as she tossed the thing and held on for the ride.

Meanwhile, in Magna (Normal) land, the SP sicced the Needler on the Zemon viruses. The second one was soon sporting a new hole in its body while the weakened first one managed to get out of the way in desperation. Unfortunately for the second Zemon, its failed dodging attempt carried it right into the path of Magna's attack.

Back in Anyis (panic) land, the Mother Unit was somewhat worried about how she was going to make her landing. After a nervous conversation with her operator, the Navi dropped down toward the raised part of the battlefield. Mid-fall, she called on some extra help in the form of a new ghost and Boogeyman, the two working together to avoid sending Anyis through one of the holes in the area. The moment she landed, the skills of her new ally kicked in and sent her straight at one of the Nightmares in a blindingly fast attack that left the virus sliced in half. She made a similar move toward the other Nightmare, but the virus barely managed to parry the blow in a movement only the near-formless virus could complete. It attempted a counter afterward, but Anyis managed a just-as-complex parry with her knife to fend off the blow. When the two were finished, they stood at odds on the raised section of the battlefield while Magna blocked the frenzied and somewhat uncoordinated strikes of the remaining Zemon on the lower section (2 hits).

-- ENEMIES --
Zemon A: DELETED
Zemon B: 15 HP (Normal)
Zemon C: DELETED
Nightmare A: DELETED
Nightmare B: 100 HP (Hovering over Missing)

-- OBJECTS --
Needler1: 40 HP (Normal)

-- ALLIES --
Anyis.EXE: 165 HP (80 Strengthen remaining) (Metal)
Magna.SP: 60 HP (Normal)

-- TERRAIN --
40% Metal (Raised ring)
10% Missing (Holes in ring)
20% Lava (Around ring, needs action to jump across)
30% Normal (Outside ring)
"Tch, this one's still has some fight in him..." grumbled Anyis after her blade collided with the virus's for a second time.

"It is no matter, young one. If this virus is meant to live, it will do so after conquering my challenge." answered the Master, thought it was unclear if his words were philosophical or just a threat.

"Heh, sounds like fun. I'll leave it up to you, then." grinned Anyis, just before giving reign of her body over to the Master.

------

"... Yeah, watching Anyis talk to herself is weird, so I'm just going to check in on you." explained Mill lazily.

"Understood, Operator. Needler Unit and I should not need any further assistance, however. The virus is weakened, and should be unable to evade a full attack from both of us. The directive will then be reached." responded Magna informatively.

Mill almost came out and said to Magna that the Needler wasn't actually intelligent, but he ultimately held back, finding no reason to ruin Magna's new friendship. "Uh, yeah, good luck with that... both of you." God forbid Mill ever traded that chip...

The Needler took the opening attack on the hobbled Zemon, though unlike before, it did not spin even one degree prior to launching its spikes at the virus. Everything it had done to this point lent to the idea that it rotated around to give its attacks momentum, but... apparently that wasn't even needed? The spikes this time launched out of the automated object with the same speed as always, so perhaps Magna had a little more insight into this thing's true nature than Mill had guessed.

... No, no, absolutely not. Before anyone could waste all day contemplating the self-awareness of an object, Magna raised his mighty fist up above the sword-wielding virus, then slammed the armored hand down upon it like a high powered trash compactor. A vengeful trash compactor too, apparently, because Magna lifted his fist back up and slammed it down a second time, just in case.

-----

The Master was very still, leaving the AquaKnife's blade unmoving from the same spot where he and Anyis had deflected the Nightmare's own attack that had invoked this challenge. This challenge, which would decide the very life of this virus. What was this challenge? It was... a quick diagonal slash parallel to its own sword, as the Master swept the AquaKnife across the virus just as so. It was a digging downward tear, as the Master flipped the frozen blade's handle in Anyis's palm, dragging the edge back down the virus's side. It was sweeping circle cut, as the Master flipped the AquaKnife's handle once more and spun full-circle on Anyis's boot heel to attack the Nightmare's ethereal lower body. It was a piercing body jab, as the Master took his momentum from the spin to lunge the blade at the very center of the virus. And, it was done. The challenge was complete, and everything from here forth was a test of the Nightmare's swordsmanship.

Anyis's Actions:
--MASTER'S CHALLENGE COMBO:
1. AquaKnife (80 Aqua damage + 20 Strengthen, Slashing) @ NightmareB
2. AquaKnife (80 Aqua damage + 20 Strengthen, Slashing) @ NightmareB
3. AquaKnife (80 Aqua damage + 20 Strengthen, Slashing) @ NightmareB
4. AquaKnife (80 Aqua damage + 20 Strengthen, Slashing) @ NightmareB
5. Dodge

Magna's Actions:
--GOLEM'S HATCRUSHING COMBO:
--Needler Attack (30 damage) @ ZemonB
1. GutPunch (70 damage, Impact, Knockback) @ ZemonB
2. GutPunch (70 damage, Impact, Knockback) @ ZemonB

Cooldowns:
Channel Surf - 2 turns
As Anyis and the Master prepared to finish things up on their end, the Navi's operator decided to go check on Magna instead. Once again, the SP and his new friend were ready to finish off the enemy. The Zemon was vanquished in a flurry of punches and needles, and the Nightmare could only deflect and dodge so many strikes before one got through.

And then one got through.

-- ENEMIES --
Zemon A: DELETED
Zemon B: DELETED
Zemon C: DELETED
Nightmare A: DELETED
Nightmare B: DELETED

-- TERRAIN --
40% Metal (Raised ring)
10% Missing (Holes in ring)
20% Lava (Around ring, needs action to jump across)
30% Normal (Outside ring)

Battle 3 Complete!

-- OBJECTS --
Needler1: 40 HP (Normal)

-- ALLIES --
Anyis.EXE: 165 HP (Metal)
Magna.SP: 60 HP (Normal)

Rewards: Katana1, 700z, 25 BugFrags

"My work his done here. Thank you, miss, for freeing me from that infernal dataflow, and I shall now take my eternal rest." And with those final words, the Master was gone from the Net forever. Anyis was once again 100% Anyis.

"Well, that's that. I think we're done here." announced Anyis as she nodded her own head, feeling satisfied by her work here.

"Already? I thought you needed to purge a lot of ghost data?" asked Mill confusedly.

"The Master was a quality ghost, so he pretty much cleared my quota all in one go. So yeah, I'm good." explained Anyis with a shrug of her shoulders. She had expected to be here longer, but sometimes things just work out like that.

"Okay then..." muttered Mill as he dug up some info on his PET. "Well, my funds for you are starting to pile up, so I guess I go shopping? ... After I change clothes, of course." He added quickly after looking down at his t-shirt and boxers.

"Might be a good idea. Magna, be a dear and gather up the loot to take back to the PET." said Anyis, pointing towards the pile of zenny data outside the lava ring, decorate on top with a bit of chip data. Being the loyal servant he was, Magna scooped up the data along with his own Bugfrags without complaint.

(Jack Out)