Chapter 8: Titanic Smash

The arcade throbbed with excitement. Screens flared with digital clashes, the air crackled with cheers and shouts of encouragement, and clusters of NetOps leaned together in tight circles, trading strategies and dissecting one another’s strengths.

Lan and Maylu stepped through the crowd, scanning the battlefield terminals. The energy in the room was contagious, and anticipation surged in Lan’s chest.

Maylu glanced at him. “Alright, we should split up and start earning our wins. We need twenty to qualify, so no time to waste.”

Lan smirked, adjusting his P.E.T. strap. “Race you to twenty?”

She smirked back. “You’re on. But don’t cry when I get there first.”

With that, they parted ways, both heading toward different areas of the arcade.

Lan had barely taken a few steps before the booming cheer of a crowd caught his attention. His gaze flicked toward a large crowd gathered near one of the main stages, their excitement mounting with every second.

“Something big’s going on over there,” Lan muttered, weaving his way through the sea of spectators.

He reached the front just in time to catch the final clash of an ongoing battle.

A towering, heavily-armored Navi stood in the middle of the Cyberworld battlefield, his fists as large as wrecking balls. His bulky yellow and brown frame radiated raw power, and his visor-covered eyes glowed beneath a blocky helmet.

Lan barely had time to register his massive form before his opponent—a sleek, agile Navi wielding a charged energy spear—struck first.

With a burst of speed, the opposing Navi darted forward and drove the spear into the armored giant’s chest, releasing a crackling burst of energy. The attack landed clean, sending sparks flying as the massive Navi staggered back.

“Whoa!” Lan exclaimed. “That was a solid hit!”

On the P.E.T. screen, Rock leaned forward, eyes narrowing as he analyzed the fight. “That attack should’ve done some serious damage…”

For a heartbeat, the armored warrior didn’t move—his massive arms dangling at his sides.

Then the hulking Navi, GutsMan, with his name tag glowing above his head, cracked his stone-like knuckles. The sound ground through the air as his opponent’s Navi stumbled back. The battlefield itself seemed to tremble beneath his sheer presence.

Across the field, the opposing NetOp clenched his fist. “Alright! That should slow him down!”

Then—

The armored brute took a step forward.

Then another.

The damage barely seemed to register.

With a low, rumbling laugh, he rolled his shoulders and slammed his fists together, the impact echoing across the battlefield.

The crowd gasped.

The opposing NetOp’s confidence visibly wavered. “What—? No way!”

From the overhead speakers, his operator’s voice boomed with confidence.

“Nice try,” he chuckled. “But that tickled.”

The next second, GutsMan surged forward.

With startling speed for his size, he crossed the battlefield in a single bound. His massive fist reeled back, crackling with sheer power.

“Guts Hammer!”

The impact was devastating. The battlefield shook as the opposing Navi was slammed into the pavement, the ground beneath them shattering into jagged, pixelated debris. The force of the attack left no room for recovery.

The opposing Navi flickered, his form breaking apart into streams of fragmented data. The words “NET NAVI LOGGING OUT” flashed boldly across the screen.

Mr. Referee raised his hand dramatically. “Net Navi logging out. The winner is Dex and GutsMan!”

The crowd erupted. Cheers rang out, chanting their names.

“Dex! Dex! Dex!”
“GutsMan! GutsMan!”

Lan’s eyes landed on the boy standing confidently behind the battle terminal.

Dex Oyama was built like a bruiser, broad-shouldered and tall for his age, his stance relaxed but commanding. His red cap was turned backward, and a self-satisfied smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he tapped his P.E.T. His brown eyes gleamed with amusement as he basked in the crowd’s reaction.

Lan raised an eyebrow. “Dex and GutsMan, huh?”

Rock’s voice crackled through the P.E.T. “Lan, wait a sec. I recognize that name—pulling up the tournament roster now.”

A holographic display flickered to life above Lan’s P.E.T., showing a list of registered competitors. Near the top of the rankings, Dex Oyama and his Navi were listed among the most dominant contenders.

Rock let out a low whistle. “Looks like those two are no joke. That Navi is built like a tank, and he hits like one too. They’ve already racked up a bunch of wins, and from what I’m seeing, hardly anyone lasts longer than a minute against them.”

Lan crossed his arms, watching as the massive Navi reared back his fist, the ground still settling from the impact.

“Let’s see if he lives up to the hype.”

Rock narrowed his eyes slightly. “He’s tough, but brute force has limits. If someone fast enough can stay ahead of his attacks…”

Lan smirked. “Then they might just be able to outmaneuver him.”

He exhaled slowly, his excitement growing. Dex was good. Maybe even really good. But that just meant Lan had something to prove.

He clenched his fist.

“Alright, Dex. Let’s see how long that streak lasts.”
______________________________________________________________________

Facing the Titan

Lan stepped forward, his heart pounding with excitement.

“Hey, Dex!”

His voice cut through the cheers, causing several heads to turn.

Dex, still basking in his victory, glanced down at him with an amused smirk. “You challenging me? After seeing what I can do? Brave… or maybe just foolish.”

Mr. Referee’s head perked up. “A new challenger?! Very well! Should Dex accept, we will have another official NetBattle!”

Lan crossed his arms, grinning. “Guess we’ll find out.”

The crowd murmured with anticipation, shifting their focus from Dex’s latest win to this unexpected challenge. Some smirked, amused by Lan’s confidence, while others exchanged skeptical glances.

Rock’s voice crackled through the PET. “Lan, are we sure about this?”

Lan nodded, his eyes locked on Dex. “We can take him.”

GutsMan cracked his huge knuckles, the metal plates grinding together with a heavy clank.

Dex let out a booming laugh. “Nice try, but I don’t waste my time on rookies.”

Lan’s confident smirk faltered. “What?”

Dex folded his arms, shaking his head as if he were humoring a child. “Look around, newbie. GutsMan and I are here to win this tournament, not warm up some beginner.”

A ripple of laughter spread through the crowd. Some competitors murmured in agreement, while others looked at Lan with a mix of pity and amusement.

Mr. Referee adjusted his glasses. “It appears Dex has declined the challenge!”

Lan clenched his fists. “Afraid you’ll lose?”

Dex chuckled, shaking his head. “Afraid? Nah. I just don’t take on amateurs who haven’t proven themselves.” He tapped his PET, his smirk never fading. “Get to 20 wins first. Then maybe I’ll consider it.”

With that, Dex turned away, the conversation already forgotten. GutsMan flexed his massive arms for the cheering crowd before both walked toward the next set of battle stations.

Lan gritted his teeth, hands balling into fists. The way Dex brushed him off like he wasn’t even worth the effort stung more than he wanted to admit.

Rock, still watching from the P.E.T. screen, sighed. “Guess we’ll have to make a name for ourselves first.”

Lan exhaled sharply, his competitive fire still burning. “Fine. We’ll get our wins—and when we do, Dex won’t be able to ignore us.”

Before he could stew on it for too long, a voice cut in from beside him.

“If he won’t battle you, maybe I will.”

Lan turned, surprised to see a boy about his age stepping forward. His spiky dark hair gave him a sharp, confident look, and he held his P.E.T. casually in one hand, an easy grin on his face.

Lan raised an eyebrow. “And you are?”

“Stuart,” the boy introduced himself, tapping his P.E.T. screen. A green-armored Navi with sleek plating and an energy visor materialized beside him. “This is Greenman. You up for a match?”

Rock appeared on Lan’s P.E.T., giving Greenman a nod. “Always ready,” he said with a smirk.

The tournament crowd, still energized from Dex’s battle, had begun to take notice of the new challenge brewing. Nearby battle stations pulsed with waiting indicators, eager for another match.

Stuart studied Lan for a moment before adding, “I saw you challenge Dex. That takes guts.”

Lan blinked. “You think so? He’s just another NetBattler.”

Stuart chuckled. “Dex and GutsMan have been on an undefeated streak. They’re kind of a big deal around here. But if he won’t battle you, maybe I can give you a decent fight instead.”

Lan grinned. “Sounds good to me.”

Rock crossed his arms, eyeing his potential opponent. “This should be interesting.”

Lan stepped up, gripping his freshly acquired Cybersword chip as he held his P.E.T. at the ready. Across from him, Stuart cracked his knuckles, his eager grin never wavering.

Lan rolled his shoulders, smirking. “Ready when you are.”

Stuart just grinned, holding up his P.E.T. “Then let’s get started.”

“Jack in, Rock! Power up!” Lan commanded.

“Jack in, Greenman! Power up!” Stuart followed.

Two pulses of energy surged into the battle system. The air shimmered with static as Rock and Greenman materialized onto the digital battlefield, their pixels solidifying in an instant. The stage—a neon-lit cyber arena with shifting platforms and glowing grid lines—flickered to life, casting long, flickering shadows beneath the combatants.

A Navi materialized between them, clad in an official referee’s uniform, his voice firm and formal.

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Today’s NetBattle is declared a standard submission NetBattle! The rules are simple: the first Navi to log out their opponent wins. The win will be recorded on the P.E.T.! So, on behalf of the NetBattling Federation, I will act as referee—me, MR. REFEREE! Competitors ready? BEGIN!”

The arena’s energy flared to life as the battle commenced.

Greenman moved first. His sleek, streamlined armor gleamed in the cyber lights, his emerald-green visor narrowing as he dashed forward, moving with blinding speed. Rock barely had time to react before Greenman sent a flurry of rapid punches his way—each one lined with a glowing green energy field.

“Dodge and counter!” Lan ordered.

Rock sidestepped, pivoting as the first blow narrowly missed his torso. The second strike grazed his arm, sending a flicker of static through his data. He quickly retaliated with a Rock Buster barrage, rapid-fire shots exploding toward Greenman.

“Dodge, Greenman! Get in close!” Stuart shouted.

Greenman’s agility was on full display. He somersaulted over the incoming shots, his body flipping effortlessly through the air before landing behind Rock with barely a sound.

Before Lan could react, Greenman lashed out with a spinning kick, striking Rock in the chest and sending him skidding backward across the digital floor.

Lan gritted his teeth. Stuart was no pushover.

“Alright, let’s see how you handle this!” Lan slotted in a Battlechip. “MiniBoomers x3, Battlechip in! Download!”

Rock leapt back, gripping three baseball-sized explosive MiniBoomers in his hands.

With a quick overhead throw, he sent them arcing toward Greenman.

“Counter with Vine Trap, Battlechip in! Download!” Stuart called out.

Greenman’s arm plates opened, and thorny digital vines burst out, snaring two of the MiniBoomers before they could detonate. The third, however, exploded near his feet, sending a shockwave that staggered him.

“Nice trick,” Stuart admitted. “But I’m not done yet!”

Greenman dashed forward in a blur, closing the gap fast—too fast for another ranged counter.

Lan reacted instantly. “Rock! Cybersword!”

The moment the command was issued, Rock’s arm transformed.

A brilliant blue energy blade extended from his wrist, humming with raw power.

“Greenman, get back!” Stuart warned, but it was too late.

Rock surged forward with a burst of speed, closing the distance in a blink.

Greenman attempted to dodge, but Rock was already there—his blade slicing through the air in a swift, fluid motion.

The Cybersword connected.

For a split second, Greenman froze. His emerald visor flickered, static crackling through his frame. The air seemed to still as his body fractured, pieces of data breaking apart into shimmering pixels.

Then, he was gone.

The bold words “NET NAVI LOGGING OUT” flashed across the battlefield.

Mr. Referee raised a hand, his voice clear and booming.

“Net Navi logging out! The winner is Lan and Rock!”

A beat of silence. Then, the crowd erupted into cheers.

Stuart exhaled as Greenman’s fragmented data fully faded from the battlefield. His P.E.T. screen flickered before stabilizing, and Greenman’s face appeared once more, looking winded but still grinning.

“Man,” Stuart said, shaking his head but smiling. “That Cybersword? Killer move.”

Lan smirked, slotting the chip back into his inventory. “Figured I’d test it out for real.”

Rock folded his arms, nodding at Greenman. “You had some slick moves. If that Vine Trap caught me, things could’ve gone a different way.”

Greenman chuckled. “Next time, Rock, I won’t miss.”

The crowd surrounding them clapped and murmured, impressed with the match. Some dispersed, while others lingered, eager to see what battles would come next.

Lan barely noticed.

His eyes had drifted to a distant corner of the tournament grounds.

Dex stood there, arms crossed, watching him.

For a moment, their gazes locked.

Dex’s face remained unreadable—neither impressed nor dismissive, just watching.

Then, just as quickly, he turned away.

Lan felt his pulse quicken slightly.

Was that recognition? A warning?

He could sense it.

A storm was brewing.

And this tournament had only just begun.