Prologue
Long ago, the world was nothing more than an endless sea cloaked in a boundless sky, reaching as far as could possibly be imagined. Then two great titans came into existence. The Bionis and the Mechonis. The titans were locked in a timeless battle until, at last, only their lifeless corpses remained.
Eons have passed. Now the world, the vast land stretching across the remains of the Bionis, is under attack from a relentless force.
The location was Sword Valley, also known as the sword of the Mechonis, gouging into the waist of the gigantic bionic titan that opposes it from the other side. On the sword, a battle raged on between life forms from both worlds. The Homs, the people of Bionis, were a fickle race of organisms, but had a headstrong will to survive, just as the tens of hundreds of other life forms hailing from the vast lands of Bionis did. The Homs were rather frail, being made from flesh and blood, all the while depending on ether in the surrounding environment to survive. These people armed themselves with various hand-made weapons in combat. Gunlances and rifles allowed them to fight from long ranges, while drivers and guarders were designed for a more defensive approach.
From Mechonis, a swarm of Mechon, mechanical beings with seemingly no souls or logical sensibility to them, paraded down the grooves and indents in which the Homs treaded through, unleashing sharp claws and ether energy blasts. Destruction was their only goal, and these remorseless machines would do anything to attain that goal. Attack after attack, explosion after explosion, the audio sensors in the Mechon picked up on the cries of the Homs helpless to their attacks. "Retreat! Retreat!" one would scream. "Get away from me!" another one cried. One Homs soldier was unfortunate enough to be slaughtered by a Mechon while reporting information. All had seemed to be lost to the Homs as these mechanical invaders picked them apart, one by one.
From the distant darkness of the night, a man clad in silver and blue Homs-made armor ran towards a group of Mechon, fending them off with a steel katana and a red pager device. Dunban, often revered as one of the finest Homs soldiers, was a 30 year-old man standing just a few inches short of six feet. His long and dark hair was caked in grease from the countless days and nights he had been away from his home in Colony 9, a quiet Homs settlement at the right foot of the Bionis. Accompanying him was a red reptilian-like creature with glowing blue grooves flowing from all parts of it's body. This creature, along with the three sharp claws on each of it's hands, fought the Mechon with blue energy beams formed into the shape of blades that protruded from large holes around it's wrists. Continuously, the Mechon fell to pieces at the hands of these fighters. More soldiers followed not too far behind, gunlances and drivers in hand.
Dunban and his red reptilian ally take cover behind a fallen body part from a Mechon, regaining their energy until the forces following behind them caught up to them. Dunban peers over the fallen Mechon body part, grinning out of sheer anticipation which was all but hidden from his ally. "They're advancing down our weak right flank," Dunban observed aloud, "For a bunch of soulless machines, they seem to know a thing or two. But we'll see, right Monadmon?" The crimson creature nodded in determination.
Just then, the forces led by Dunban's war allies approached and tended to the injured. Dickson, a sturdy looking man bearing long blonde hair in a braid, ordered the troops to gather the injured and bring them to the medical soldiers. Next to him was Hawkmon, a deep crimson-colored bird-like creature with a black leather belt wrapped like a headband around it's light cream-colored head. As Dickson and Hawkmon found Dunban and Monadmon behind the destroyed Mechon body piece, Mumkhar joined them. Mumkhar was a true brute of a man, with greasy hair slicked back to expose his sunken-in eyes and scarred face. His armor was almost too small for his muscular six-foot stature. Joining him was a small, purple, weasel-looking creature named Impmon. As opposed to Monadmon and Hawkmon, Impmon had a very thin build, and was much tinier than the other two creatures.
"Dunban! We've been given the order to retreat," Dickson informed, "We're pulling back the line to Colony 6. That's where we'll set up the last line of defense!"
"Yeah… that's a good idea," Dunban pondered, "Any more time spent hanging around here and we're done for."
"Count me in! We've gotta get outta here!" Mumkhar blurted out.
"Or we can stay and fight?" Dunban said as he shot an eager grin straight at Mumkhar.
"What?!"
"We may die if we take a stand here… but staying gives us the chance to change our destinies. We have our Digimon partners," Dunban said as he rested his hand on Monadmon's shoulder, "and without Monadmon here, there would be many more Mechon roaming around, waiting to bring about our ruin. With them, the future is ours for the taking!"
Just as Dunban readied himself to vault over the broken Mechon part, Dickson pulled him down, exclaiming in disbelief at Dunban's headstrong approach. "Stupid beast!" yelled Dickson, "Your body can't take any more of Monadmon's power! And the rest of our Digimon partners aren't looking like they're brimming with energy. I can tell by just looking at them!"
"Getting short-sighted in your old age, Dickson?" Dunban lightly retorted, "I'm fine, don't worry. I'm still in control."
"Yeah! I still feel fit to fight!" professed Monadmon as he flexed his biceps.
"I'm feeling rather well too, Dickson." Hawkmon stated.
Dickson grunted a sigh of amusement, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get anyone to fall back. "I should've known I couldn't talk sense into beasts," he muttered joyfully as he reached for his gunblade and Digivice, "Let's do this. We're going with you. You'll need someone to drag your corpses home!"
"As long as you think you've still got the strength in you, old man!" Dunban joked.
"He probably won't. That's why I'll do it!" said Hawkmon, playing along with Dunban's humor.
"Oi, you guys!" Impmon shouted, "We were told to go back! We're leaving!"
Dunban slid his foot in front of Impmon, blocking him from proceeding any further. "Well I say you're coming with us!" he stated coolly as he knelt down to meet the fiendish creature eye-to-eye, "What would we do without you, Impmon?"
Suddenly, a large explosion detonated not too far from where the three soldiers and their Digimon partners were hiding. A soldier from the troop unit that Dickson led to the field moments ago quickly informed them that the second wave of Mechon forces were approaching. Dickson emerged from behind the Mechon body part, with Hawkmon hovering right next to him. "It's now or never, Dunban," Dickson said encouragingly, "Let's show them what we've got."
"We'll give them a warm Homs and Digimon welcome!" Monadmon cheered excitedly.
Dunban revealed himself from his hiding spot and determinedly replied, "Acknowledged."
As the four headed off into the battlefield, Mumkhar and Impmon stayed behind the broken Mechon part, peering around the corner and sneering at the soldiers and Digimon that seemed to almost enjoy putting their lives in danger. "What're they trying to prove?!" Mumkhar asked himself with exasperation, "I'm not throwing my life away! No point dying in some godforsaken field."
"Nothing for it!" Impmon agreed.
"I'll have to use Dunban as a decoy. That should give me time to escape!"
The hulking soldier and his Digimon partner followed after the others, bearing witness to the countless troops that were dying for the Homs colonies and for the sake of the Bionis. One after another, the Mechon forces seemed to be diminishing. The Homs were finally turning the battle around, all thanks to Dunban, Dickson, Mumkhar, and their Digimon partners.
Once Mumkhar and Impmon reached the others, a huge wave of Mechon began to approach. There were too many for comfort, and certainly too many to count. As he looked in sheer horror, Mumkhar muttered, "You've got to be kidding!"
"It's their main force," Dickson informed, "Looks like the Mechon are hell-bent on taking us out."
"They'll have to be if they want to beat us," Dunban replied with a hint of eagerness, "Now, let's even the odds a bit." The long-haired warrior shone his Digivice, which glowed a beautiful shade between magenta and indigo.
"You heard him."
Dunban looked at Monadmon, and in that split second, they knew exactly what the other was thinking. Monadmon let out a burst of magenta-indigo energy which began to surround the other five, and with that, the warriors and their Digimon partners charged headlong into the field of battle.
Mumkhar and Impmon ran towards a giant mantis-like Mechon. The brute soldier slashed at the sickle-armed machine furiously, while Impmon further burned the pieces with tiny fireballs that shot out of his fingers. Meanwhile, Dickson and Hawkmon were evading a swarm of Mechon of their own. As Dickson shot at the soulless beings, Hawkmon threw the feather on his head as if it were a boomerang. Everything seemed to have been turned in their favor. The Homs forces had the upper hand… but not for long. Dickson then noticed Dunban atop a pile of Mechon scrap metal, encased in what appeared to be electricity, and struggling to stand up. Dickson called out to him and rushed to his aid, with Hawkmon already having landed on the mound to see what was wrong. As Dickson climbed the pile of metal junk, a humanoid Mechon paled it's long, sharp scythes into the sturdy man's back. The warrior cried out in pain, then yanked the blades from his back and blew the Mechon to pieces.
Worried for his safety, Hawkmon inquired, "Dickson, are you seriously hurt?"
Dickson bellowed a reassuring grunt, then answered, "Don't worry, Hawkmon. I ain't going down that easily!" The blond-haired man then rested his hand on Dunban's shoulder. "Dunban! You all right?!"
The dark-haired soldier knelt on one knee, grinning with reassurance. "What does it look like?" he asked, "I'm still good to go!"
"Still got some fight in ya, then? Right, let's get you down from here. Hawkmon! Think you can give us a hand?"
"Not a problem, Dickson!" the bird-like Digimon replied as he helped his Homs partner carry the valiant warrior down from the pile of destroyed Mechon.
Not too far off, Mumkhar looked on at the warrior who was just barely alive, thanks to Dickson and Hawkmon. "Guess even a hero's gotta reach his limit eventually," said the brash soldier as he and his Digimon partner ran towards the Mechon stronghold, known to the Homs forces as Galahad Fortress.
"Mumkhar?!" Dunban exclaimed in disbelief, "What are you doing?! That way is–"
"Sorry, brothers!" yelled Mumkhar, "Hate to drop this on you, but it's Monadmon they're after. So have fun keepin' 'em occupied for me! I'm gettin' the hell outta here!"
They couldn't believe what they were hearing. Dickson clenched his fist as his once brother-in-arms ran off and bellowed, "Mumkhar, you dirty…"
"Eh, don't worry," Impmon called out as he was beginning to follow his Homs partner, "We'll organize your funerals! Well, see ya boys!"
"Wait!" Dunban pleaded, but it was no use. Mumkhar and Impmon were gone.
Just then, another huge wave of Mechon approached the front line of soldiers. Hundreds of mechanical beings were charging at the Homs soldiers as both forces clashed with each other. After losing their long-time comrade, and with the critical condition Dunban appeared to be in, Dickson knew that there was not much else they could do.
"If this is a joke, it ain't funny," he said, "Looks like this is it. At least we know our luck can't get any worse from here…"
Suddenly, Dunban stood up, clenching his Digivice in his right hand. Bewildered, Dickson looked at him, wondering what he could possibly be doing.
"Dickson, Hawkmon, take care of the survivors," ordered the strong soldier.
"Dunban, what are you playing at?!" asked Dickson as Dunban and Monadmon exchanged glances of eagerness. These expressions showed as clear as day that they had a burning passion to win this war. As Monadmon enchanted his comrades with the magenta-indigo aura, he readied his swords of light.
"Vile Mechon!" bellowed Dunban, "If you think the Homs, the people of Bionis, are just waiting here for you to pick us off… you are sorely mistaken!"
Dunban and Monadmon charged towards the opposing Mechon forces, with Dickson and Hawkmon following closely behind. The war between the Homs and Mechon was just beginning.