Full Synchro

By Atreyu452

Disclaimer: This fanfic is based on the concepts, characterizations, and timeline of the manga by Ryo Takahashi. I don’t own nothing.

The warehouse was empty and dark. Almost empty, except for a single object in the middle of the floor. It was a laptop; the screen flashed as programs came to life and flew across it. One window remained open, colors and lights flashing as bizarre creatures danced into view. Some were yellow and shaped like safety helmets. Others zipped across the screen, their shape and design best described as spikey blurs. They were viruses attacking an isolated part of the Internet. If someone stood and watched them long enough, he or she would see them multiply as the damage spread.

The figure who watched them had no intention of standing by and allowing that to happen.

“Blues! Plug in!”

Enzan watched the transmission progress on his PET with a small smile of satisfaction. A few of the viruses were unfortunate enough to be close to the area the net navi appeared. With a reflexive flick of the navi’s sword, a motion so fast not even his operator saw it move, the viruses shattered in a spray of pixels.

“Enzan-sama,” Blues said, barely noticing his victims’ remains as they rapidly faded. “These viruses won’t be much of a match for long.”

“They have strength in numbers,” Enzan replied. “They may not be tough, but they’ll last until we accomplish our goal.” He narrowed his eyes. “Get ready, Blues!”

“Yes, sir,” Blues replied, crouching in a defensive position. By now the viruses had noticed him and were approaching with little caution. After all, their basic programming told them they could take on entire systems in numbers as great as these. Why should one net navi concern them?

Blues smirked. How little did they know.

“Full Synchro!”

Blues could feel his power rising before the words escaped his operator’s lips. His eyes locked on the PET, Enzan almost laughed at the rush of power he now felt. The physical manifestation of it came off of his body in waves, pushing around the collected dust of the warehouse and rushing through his hair like wind.

Blues launched himself forward, his body already blurring from that action as he picked up speed. He knew his operator’s will without being told. His mind and body was now an extension of his operator, their thoughts mixing together in perfect flow. Yet the beauty of the Full Synchro ability was it allowed them to be separate in mind as well as connected, still capable of individual thought and emotion. However, their will was as one being, and now as one being they fought, Blues physically and Enzan supporting through willpower and silent command.

The Internet grid turned battlefield soon became flooded with the pixeled remains of deleted data, yet Blues and Enzan kept charging on. Never faltering, the navi’s blade cut through virus after virus, picking up speed after the defeat of each one. Surroundings blurred, and the viruses became indistinguishable from one another, but the two did not stop.

“Enzan-sama, we are running out of targets,” Blues said suddenly. They were pushing the limits, and the net navi knew it. It wasn’t like his operator to do this; it was a waste of effort to take out these viruses, and Enzan hated wasting his time.

This can’t be it, Enzan thought desperately. This can’t be all there is…

“Keep going,” Enzan replied. “We’ll still be going strong until the last one falls!” He was breathing hard, and sweat was rolling down his face. The Full Synchro had many disadvantages despite the huge power it granted those with the ability to use it. One of them was that age-old enemy, time. Full Synchro took as much out of the net navi as it did the operator to maintain, the price to pay for power. Many had fallen with exhaustion because they had tried to keep it going so long.

Some of them never got back up again.

Enzan had no intention of passing out, although he knew the dangers well. He had to push it as far as he could go. He had to get better. He couldn’t let Hikari get the best of him.

Enzan gritted his teeth, thinking of the younger netbattler. Hikari Netto thought it was so easy. He was naturally good at netbattling; he was naturally good at the Full Synchro ability, something rare even in adults. He thought everything was so easy!

How is it, Enzan thought bitterly, that he has that power? What makes him so special?

“Enzan-sama!” his navi cried.

Enzan felt a cut in his cheek spew newly-shed blood, and cursed himself for losing concentration. Blues whirled and easily deleted the virus that had wounded him.

“They number less then twenty now,” Blues commented. “Is this fight worth continuing?”

Enzan gave it some thought. “No, we’d just be wasting our time drawing it out. End it now, Blues.”

The navi complied as Enzan let his mind wander again.

“Netto is one of a kind!” Inspector Oda insisted, waving his hands about for emphasis. “Surely you can see that, Enzan?”

“He’s reckless, careless, foolish, and probably a lot more words that end in ‘ish’ which indicate stupidity,” Enzan snapped. “How could you even compare him to me, much less expect me to work with him?”

“You won’t even give him a chance!” the police inspector replied.

“How can I even consider giving him a chance? I worked hard to get to this level. He just goofed off and miraculously obtained Full Synchro.”

“You of all people should know it just isn’t possible to ‘get’ the ability to Full Synchro…”

Enzan frowned. The inspector had been right; it wasn’t possible to just get the ability to Full Synchro. How did Netto, with all his flaws and thoughtless moments, manage to discover the ability within him? Why was that ability even in him to begin with? He wasn’t the one who had to work hard at it. He wasn’t the one who regarded it worth his life to risk even trying it. He just… was.

And there was nothing that bothered Enzan more.

“Enzan-sama.”

“You’ve finished? Good, let’s go.”

The ability to Full Synchro came from within. Sometimes it could be extracted and exposed by stress, or pure hard work. Enzan had obtained it through the latter; he just couldn’t understand how Netto was able to do it without working at it.

He’s driven by emotion. Enzan made a face. He was able to Full Synchro through pure willpower. It took effort and control; one did not just Full Synchro because they were angry!

Yet Hikari Netto did.

“Hang on, Blues,” Enzan said, stopping himself from plugging out. “Let’s practice some more. I’m sure we can practice our techniques without targets.”

The navi knew his operator was tired. He was visibly sweating, and his breathing was harder than usual. Yet recycled obedience took over concern, as it always did. “Yes, Enzan-sama.”

Strike, thrust, block, parry. It took more than emotion to gain control. It took power and strength! It took blood, sweat, and the tears of frustration to get it right. How did he do it?

How does he do it?

Enzan collapsed before he knew he was even falling. His PET clattered against the cold ground, the rattling almost drowning out Blues’ cry of alarm. With regret, the young netbattler released the connection between them. He felt the strangely empty feeling of the loss of power.

“I’m all right,” he managed to gasp to his navi, struggling to raise his head off the floor. Did this ever happen to Netto? Did the other netbattler ever lose control and fall, as he had?

This can’t be the end. There has to be something more…

Blues was faster, stronger, and tougher than Rockman. Enzan had more drive, ambition, and skill than Netto. Why, then? Why could the two match them move for move, blow for blow when it really counted? What was he missing?

He just is…

Enzan gritted his teeth as his muscles screamed. He forced his limbs to extend, his legs to pull into a crouching position. “I’m not equal to you,” he hissed to the empty air. “I’m better. I’m stronger. How can you do this by merely existing, Hikari?”

Sometimes in order to understand something, you first had to accept that you didn’t understand it. Someone long ago had told him that, hoping to stave off his growing ambition. The words had merely fueled Enzan’s quest. How can one accept not understanding something? How can one live without trying to touch the stars?

Hikari Netto doesn’t do. He just is. His motivation is so different from mine, it is alien to me. I can’t comprehend him at all.

Enzan narrowed his eyes. Did that mean he had to stop trying?

I’m Ijuuin Enzan. I will never accept failure. I will never give up. I won’t let him beat me!

“So beat him first, Enzan-sama.”

The boy was so startled he almost fell backwards. Instead, he carefully anchored his body more firmly into the sitting position with his elbows, content with his ability to do that for the time being.

“What?”

“Beat him first. If you can’t understand how he works, work to beat him your way.” His navi spoke without emotion, the words clipped and business-like. “You’ve never let anything get in your way before,” the navi added, his voice colored with traces of…what, Enzan wasn’t sure.

“He shouldn’t exist.”

“Yes, Enzan-sama.”

“But he does exist.”

“That is reality.”

“I can’t beat him at his own game. I don’t even know what that game is.”

“You can beat him at yours, Enzan-sama.”

Enzan thought about it. Then he realized sitting on the floor thoughtfully was probably undignified (and something Hikari would be caught doing), and struggled to stand up.

“I can…oof! I can beat him, can’t I?”

“You have done it before.”

“Blues, are you trying to tell me I can accomplish anything if I put my mind to it?”

“If that is the correct way of putting it, yes.”

Enzan grinned. It was a challenge then, a puzzle he could crack if he worked hard enough at it. He would show Hikari who the best at Full Synchro. Unsteadily, he packed the laptop up, feeling like he was trying to swim in molasses. His vision still swarm, and he had to pause when the spots behind his eyes began exploding like fireworks.

“A netbattle then, Blues?”

“Perhaps, if you wish it, Enzan-sama.”

Enzan stopped and rubbed his eyes, which still hadn’t lost those suspicious floating spots. Limping, he slowly made his way out of the warehouse.

“Well… maybe tomorrow.”

“As you wish, Enzan-sama.”

End

Author’s Notes: Enzan’s characterization differs slightly depending on the manga, anime, or game version. Trying to capture those differences on paper is like snipe-hunting—fun but ultimately futile. This is a gift for OmnicronXR, who has my apologies for its late coming. I’d also like to dedicate it to my other reviewers and those that have beta read for me, especially the fans of Hikari Enzan, who have encouraged me through their reviews and greatly assisted my writing. Thanks, guys, I can’t tell you how much appreciate it.

Another brief announcement: Harsh Reality is on hold while I rewrite the plot to fit in with some changes. The prologue and the premise will remain relatively intact, however, it will take me more time to upload new material. I apologize for the lengthy wait and should have more explanation on the matter with the Harsh Reality update.