Author's Notes:

Whoo! My first fanfic~ I didn't expect it to actually turn into one, but here's the prologue! If you would like to see fanart for this story, go to Chronicler4's Deviantart page at : .com/ . That's where you'll find the cover arts and many other goodies once the story gets going.

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have writing it!

Prologue: The Deadly Seven

When being chosen for the honor of becoming a Data Knight, you don't ever refuse. In reality, you can't, but there's not really any point to try. The dangers are great, but the rewards are greater.

The Data Knights can be traced back to the creation of a new world. A breakthrough in technology created Digital Monsters – or Digimon for short – and even an entire Digital World where the creatures reside. A second advancement took these creatures – which had served as toys and games for children and adults alike – and brought them into flesh and blood bodies in the Real World. Though sentient, they were not very advanced and they were kept as pets and, more often than that, slaves. The creatures were treated differently, misused, beaten, and all around oppressed.

Just as with all creatures, however, they slowly began to change over time. Some evolved, and this coined the term Digivolution. They grew larger, stronger, and some even began to mirror humans in shape. However, all the humans saw were greater uses of cheap, unpaid labor. The intelligence of the Digimon grew as their bodies did. A hatred for their slavers was planted and allowed to grow. At the time, the humans had nothing more than guns, and the Digimon began to wonder why they – the great, large, even armored monsters – had to be constantly mistreated by creatures that were weaker than them. They questioned and questioned, but never received any answers…

A group of Digimon finally rose against their masters in 2050. Lucemon, Seadramon, Devimon, Sangloupmon, Bakemon, Impmon, and LadyDevimon banded together after years of oppression and struck out at the humans. A war broke out, the Digimon breaking away from their human slavers and rising up with the seven instigators. These seven – known as the Deadly Seven and named such because of the sins that brought them against man – led the vast armies of Digimon across the land, battling the failing armies of humans, conquering cities, and burning everything else to the ground.

The sinful Digimon continued to Digivolve, becoming vastly powerful and like nothing the humans had ever seen before. Lucemon, the angle Digimon of pride, became a chaotic version of himself as he grew arrogant in his strength. Seadramon, in his envy of what everyone else possessed, became the largest Digimon yet to form: Leviamon. Devimon's wrath twisted his appearance into the monstrous being known as Daemon. Sated by the blood of the humans he devoured, Sangloupmon became the lethargic Belphemon. Bakemon grew greedy, desiring everything on both worlds, and Digivolved to Barbamon. Impmon's gluttonous attitude made Beelzemon, one of the deadliest of the sins. The darkness in LadyDevimon's soul changed her into the lustful Lilithmon. Pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust; the demons of sin and the Deadly Seven that nearly shrouded the world in darkness.

The Battle of Sin was where the Deadly Seven were finally stopped. After terrorizing Earth for forty three years, a group of humans stood against them. Known only as the Chosen Ten, nine of the humans faced the seven Demon Lords. Their names have been lost to the test of time, and only their legend lives today.

The battle took place at the very site of Electron City, before it had been built, and it was there that the tides of war turned at last. Together with their partner Digimon – Digimon who were connected through what could only be fate to the Chosen Ten – they fought against the Deadly Seven. Belphemon was first to fall, and it was to the power of love that he was defeated. Beelzemon followed soon after, having broken to sincerity. Leviamon was banished by reliability. Lilithmon lost to the combined might of light and hope. Barbamon could not stand against the strength of knowledge. And it took the combined efforts of courage, friendship, and miracles to take down Lucemon.

Six of the terrible Deadly Seven fell to the chosen warriors, but the humans had been injured as a result. They fell to their knees beside the bodies of their foes, unable to hold their strength. That was when the most cunning of the Demon Lords struck. Daemon, the sin of wrath, had watched and waited for the most opportune time. As the humans and demons fell, he finally swooped in. Daemon absorbed the data of his fallen comrades and took their power as his own. With their strength, he was ready to wipe out the fallen warriors…

But he was stopped by the tenth. The missing tenth came and saved the other warriors, falling into a battle with Daemon alone as a result. It was the tenth warrior against the strength of seven Demon Lords, and though the skill was great, it became clear that the battle would be lost.

The fight with Daemon also carried an unforeseen side-effect. The tenth warrior was corrupted by a great evil which consumed the heart. In the middle of the fight, the demon of wrath stopped and watched as the warrior fell to the ground, now fighting an internal battle. The demon's corruption was quickly taking over, but it also gave the warrior a power that no one could have expected.

With what little strength was left, the device that connected the warrior to the partner Digimon was lifted and, using the corroding darkness within, tore open a gate that led not to the Digital World, but a much darker, deadlier place. Despite his power, Daemon was unable to fight the pull into the gate. In his final act of vengeance, he dragged the warrior with him. The others tried to save their companion, but the gate closed before they could even move.

The battle was won, but the cost was great. The Chosen Ten had fallen to nine and they mourned the passing of their friend. Electron city was built by the remaining nine to remember the fallen warrior's brave sacrifice and they continued to work afterwards to separate the Digital World and the Real World.

It was two of the Chosen that formed the Data Knight squadron in 2118. Headquarters was placed in Electron city itself and is a place where those humans who are gifted with the very rare Digital bond go to train and become knights; defenders of both worlds against the evil forces that seek to do harm.

That was a century ago, and the Data Knights are still strong today. The Chosen Ten are remembered forever as the saviors of both worlds. Their battle, however, is far from over, for there is still a threat that lurks in the shadows; a threat that is looking for a chance to strike once again. Both worlds are in danger; the Data Knights are needed now more than ever before.

This is a pretty short chapter that just sets up the world. Trust me, they will get longer. And you'll get characters that most of you will know in the next chapter. Comment, rate, and review! It'll help me keep writing this!