ProtoMan arrives to help ward off Bass, but more giant-sized viruses continue appearing in the real world. Lan and Chaud prepare to send their NetNavis to the comet, but Bass intervenes in hopes of overcoming the power that threatens Earth himself. Bass meets Slur who swiftly defeats him. Slur is a subordinate of Duo, an intergalactic force threatening to erase Earth after Dr. Regal's activity with darkness. However, Lan and Chaud convince him to spare their planet, and Duo challenges them to prove humankind's worth. After the incident, Lan receives a marking on the palm of his hand, the Crest of Duo.